In October 2016 we had an incredible meal at La Taverna Della Terra di Mezzo in Volterra. We saw their menu as we walked around town and it looked really good. The restaurant wasn't in the Rick Steves' book, however, and TripAdvisor reviews were mixed. We decided to take a chance.
The restaurant is across the street from the Museum of Torture. We got a bit nervous as we were taken down the stairs into the rock-walled basement with a suit of armor in the corner and were seated in a small, gated alcove.
Then the food started coming. It turned out that there is a fairly new Executive Chef that previously worked at 2-star and 3-star Michelin restaurants and with Gordon Ramsey. He was brought in to upgrade the restaurant, and this is still a work in progress, so the prices are still very reasonable.
My appetizer was a "13 minute egg" with asparagus, caviar and white truffles. My wife's appetizer was a really great regional vegetable soup. My main dish was wild boar with a parmesan crust and caramelized grapes. My wife had risotto with goat cheese, white truffles and coffee powder. "Chef" came down to the dungeon and checked in with us several times during our meal.
We were full, but were possibly going to share a dessert. "Chef" recommended a sampler of three desserts, however, so who were we to argue? We knew we were in trouble when the server brought a separate table for the desserts.