Bracali Restaurant
Bracali is a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Ghirlanda, a hamlet near Massa Marittima in the Maremma hills of southern Tuscany, run by brothers Francesco and Luca Bracali. One of Tuscany’s most acclaimed fine-dining addresses outside Florence, it has long been celebrated for its creative cuisine rooted in the wild landscape and produce of the Colline Metallifere — the ancient mining hills of the Maremma.
At a glance
- Type
- Fine dining restaurant, two Michelin stars
- Location
- Via di Perolla, Ghirlanda, Massa Marittima, Province of Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy
- Coordinates
- 43.0587° N, 10.9002° E
- Chefs
- Francesco Bracali (kitchen) and Luca Bracali (sommelier and front of house)
- Cuisine
- Contemporary Tuscan, creative
Overview
Bracali occupies a renovated farmhouse in the Colline Metallifere, a UNESCO-recognised mining landscape of ancient Etruscan and Roman origin, where copper, silver and iron were extracted for millennia. The restaurant draws directly on the extraordinary larder of the Maremma — wild boar, cinghiale, local cheeses, foraged mushrooms and herbs, Maremma beef and the DOC wines of Morellino di Scansano and Monteregio di Massa Marittima — and reinterprets them through a creative, technically refined lens. Brothers Francesco and Luca Bracali have built the restaurant into an international destination over more than two decades.
History
The Bracali family began in the restaurant business in a more traditional format, progressively steering the kitchen toward creative fine dining under Francesco’s leadership. The Michelin Guide recognised the restaurant with a first star and subsequently elevated it to two stars, making it one of only a handful of double-starred addresses in southern Tuscany. The location in the Maremma — historically regarded as a remote, malarial and marginal territory before its twentieth-century reclamation — gives the restaurant a sense of discovery that suits its culinary ambitions.
What you see
The restaurant occupies a carefully restored building with views onto the Maremma hills and the Colline Metallifere landscape. The interior balances rustic Tuscan materials — stone, terracotta, timber — with contemporary design details and elegant table settings. Francesco Bracali’s dishes are visually precise and inventive, often incorporating minerals and fermented ingredients inspired by the geological identity of the Colline Metallifere. Luca Bracali’s wine programme is exceptional, with a cellar reflecting both local Maremma producers and international selections.
Cultural significance
The Colline Metallifere — literally “metal-bearing hills” — carry a layered cultural heritage spanning Etruscan, Roman, medieval and industrial eras. Bracali is one of the primary cultural attractors bringing visitors to this underexplored part of Tuscany, complementing the medieval splendour of Massa Marittima and the Etruscan coastal sites of the Maremma. The restaurant’s commitment to local ingredients reinforces the identity of a territory that risks being overshadowed by Chianti and the more famous Tuscan appellations.
Practical information
- Address
- Via di Perolla 2, Ghirlanda, 58024 Massa Marittima GR, Italy
- Reservations
- Essential; book in advance via official website
- Seasonal closures
- Check official website for current schedule
Getting there
Massa Marittima is most easily reached by car: take the E80 motorway to Follonica and then the SS439 north through the Maremma hills, or approach from Siena via the SS73 and SS441. The nearest railway station is Follonica on the Rome–Genoa coastal line; from there a taxi or rental car is required (approximately 30 km). Grosseto Airport (GRS) serves limited regional routes; Pisa (PSA) and Florence (FLR) airports are the main gateways for international visitors.