Hidden away through an alley of tall cedar trees, La Pineta is not your standard Michelin starred environment. More of a beach shack than a restaurant, perched on the sandy shores of the Bolgheri coast, La Pineta is a cool one hour drive from Villa Lena.
The chef, Luciano Zanzeri, started the restaurant in the 1960s as a family business operating a beach snack and rent-umbrella-by the sea kind of operation. But his seafood was so delicious, it promptly received one Michelin star. Luciano started as a fisherman so the seafood served is vetted and checked by him with utmost precision.
The wine list is particularly good, also because being in Bolgheri you find yourself in the region that is responsible for the Super Tuscans: Tignanello, Ornellaia, Sassicaia, Guado al Tasso.
Once the lunch is over, a stroll on the beach or a visit to a local winery is one of the few things to do.