Antico Macelleria Cecchini

Had a fantastic evening with great food. This place is a must. We sat on the outdoor patio and were served family style. Everything was seasoned well and extremely tasty. It’s a set menu. The restaurant is on the second floor above Dario’s world famous butcher shop. The bottles of Chianti are always available to serve yourself. They are extremely proud of the products they offer, and they should be. The quality is undeniable.
We stumbled across this place by accident. I’d seen the episode of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain many times but never considered how close it was to our accommodations.

Not much new to add here other than this is a must see experience when in Panzano.
The common table is an incredible way to meet new friends and share in a truly unique dining experience. If you enter through the butcher shop you are greeted with a tumbler of Chianti and a table of fresh Tuscan bread, salami and the best lardo you will ever slather on bread. After a time you make your way upstairs to be seated for dinner. Dario and his staff are the ultimate showmen, grilling spectacular cuts of meat and making sure everyone in involved. The first taste is the bowl of fresh veggies with fragrant olive oil and herbed salt followed by a generous portion of ethereal steak tartar. Next up was a variation of beef carpaccio… thicker cut and seared on both sides over a bed of hot hardwood coals… dressed with olive oil and salt. Next was the main event… Bistecca alla Panzano (Florintine)…roasted rare and carved off the bone, splashed with more olive oil and served with gusto! If you’re lucky, you might get the bone!
The house Chianti flows freely, the grappa and military spirits served with olive oil cake cap off an incredible meat feast but the show is Dario and his merry band. We also purchased a beautiful roast for our Christmas dinner along with some sliced salami and the magical lardo for crostini. Come hungry and enjoy!

This was one of our most memorable dinners in Italy – an absolute blast. At this eighth-​generation butcher shop, Dario and his crew know how to serve up incredible meats and put on a great show in the process. Definitely make a reservation ahead of time so you don’t miss out!
The menu is prix fixe, with two options (€ 50 with the Florentine steak or € 30 with another option for that course), and everything is served family style at a communal table). If you eat inside, the meat is cooked right there in front of you on an open grill.
Before dinner, we went downstairs to the actual butcher shop section and ate lard with their special salt on bread. Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it… it was absolutely delicious. I only stopped eating it because I knew there was so much meat ahead of me.
That salt is something. Sprinkle it liberally on everything, and pick some up to take home with you (they sell it in € 3, € 5, and € 10 sizes). There was some charcuterie as well, and before going upstairs, we wandered across the street to take in the beautiful sunset over the countryside – quite a view.
Once we went upstairs and were seated, we were given still and/​or sparkling water, plus bottles of red wine. Technically I think you get a quarter liter per person, but they didn’t seem to be monitoring it very closely (you can also bring your own wine; they don’t charge corkage). We started with «muzzle and broth” – something along the lines of head cheese served alongside a rich, meaty broth and bread.
Next was a bowl of raw veggies (carrot, celery, and fennel) to dip in olive oil with – you guessed it – more of that salt. So simple, but so delicious. I’ve never dipped raw vegetables in olive oil before, but this might be the start of something good in my life (especially since I bought a couple jars of salt to bring home).
Then we had a peppery ragu served on toasted slices of bread. Not much to look at, but man, was it delicious. So rich and flavorful, and a bit spicy from the pepper.
After that was «rosemary up the ass” – little meatballs with a big sprig of rosemary stuck in them. They were cooked perfectly, by which I mean just barely. It looked like they were cooked briefly in a pan, so the bottom was browned but the top was nearly raw. With the aroma of the rosemary, these were really delicious.
Beans. Who gets excited about beans? The people who eat them at Antico Macelleria Cecchini, that’s who. They looked like any of the other white beans we had during our time in Italy, but they were in a whole other echelon: they were intensely flavorful and rich… tasted like they were braised in some sort of animal fat. I was nibbling them all night.
The next course was beef roast. If you went with the florentine steak, this is when you would have it. The beef roast was just fine for me. It was cooked perfectly (are you seeing the pattern yet?) and went great with the salt (make that two patterns).
I was beyond full by this point, but the parade of food kept coming. Next was boiled beef («knee,» they told us) with a variety of veggies on top, then braised beef («back») cooked with vinegar. Both tender, flavorful, and so, so good. I couldn’t help but keep eating.
We had finally reached the end of the meaty road, and now it was time for an olive oil cake (delicate, olive-​oily, topped with sugar, yummy) with espresso, and then «Italian military spirits.» I don’t know what that actually is, but it was delicious. Like every single thing we consumed that night.
So…all of this for just € 30 per person. Are you kidding me? It makes me cringe to think of how many mediocre meals I’ve eaten for that much… you can spend more on that just on wine at dinner. If you’re anywhere near Greve, eat at Antico Macelleria Cecchini!

If you are fortunate enough to be anywhere near this world famous Butcher-​please go.
Incredible meat, seasonings, mostarda, steak-​all lovingly tended by handsome and talented Dario. You will never see meat like this and also he lays out a visually stunning display of samples including Wine.

This butcher Dario is so intense and passionate that I was a little intimidated walking in. Beautiful protein hanging in a cooler as you walk in. This is not a store, it’s a community lounge where people go to catch up and hear the latest news around Panzano and to laugh with Dario. An intensity of beautiful smells overwhelm your senses as you meander. My senses were so overwhelmed that I had to walk outside for a moment and compose myself. If you ever find yourself in Panzano stop in here and also visit the Fontodi winery, that to me is a perfect day in Tuscany. It also wouldn’t hurt to get a healthy cut of Chianina beef, and then grill it to a perfect rare with a glass of black rooster Chianti, now your talking!

You have got to come eat some amazing meats when in Tuscany! Dario is a master butcher with a true rock star personality.

Very nice butcher! He has great quality food, but what makes him special is the fact that he prepares the meat for you with ancient recipes that he redescovered.
For those who like it, he also has a restaurant called Solo Ciccia that you can look for with Qype