How can you go wrong with Tuscan food? The natives all seem to live well into their eighties, so it must be healthy (of course this may have something to do with their level of physical activity, scampering up vertical hillsides). There are so many varieties of pasta, seafood and game. You can eat simply at home on the terrace with tomatoes and mozzarella, prosciutto, beans or zucchini swimming in olive oil, with peasant bread, every ingredient bursting with flavor. Alternately, you can find a sophisticated four course meal within a fifteen minute drive, impeccably served with aplomb, in a luxurious or simple setting. Of course you know that all restaurants by law close one day a week: each restaurant has a different day from its neighbors, so you may have to be flexible if you made a last minute choice and didn't check beforehand. Most of the restaurants below (except in Florence) would not ask for a reservation. Some close over the August vacation.

One small warning: many restaurants who make pizza a specialty cooked in traditional wood-fired ovens only serve it at night, so check before you promise pizza to the children. Pizza is usually available in cafes near the beach at lunch time.

Pedona: The Soggiorno is recommended for its spectacular view of the mountains. The tordelli and fried chicken, rabbit and pizza are good if robust. The wine is from the local vineyards (served from barrels in the cellar, and you can buy it in the grocery store in refillable Chianti bottles).

Camaiore: Le Colonne (Via V Emmanuele) is a nice trattoria in Camaiore, making simple, regional family style dishes It's popular with German and English tourists. We found a really excellent restaurant called Nabira just round the corner from the square (turn left after you pass the cross road at the bottom of our hill): interesting veal and seafood dishes, and pizza at night (closed Thursdays).

Lido di Camaiore: La Taverna in the Lido di Camaiore (inland near the crossroad with the Pietrasanta road but signposted from Via Aurelia near the supermarket), is good for dinner, a pretty garden setting off the beaten track, and does not seem to get as crowded as some places. Good service and quality at a reasonable price. There is a menagerie of birds and farm animals as well as swings to entertain the children. Aside from their entertainment value, the animals do however have a practical purpose.. you might find one of the family out back plucking a chicken. You can usually beat the crowds by coming early at 7.30 or so (closed Tuesdays).

Nocchi (E of Camaiore): Ristorante Bernadone via Nocchi, tel 0584 951118 is in a wonderful old mill, traditional Tuscan dishes, very popular with the locals

Ristorante Baccatoio: on the road to Pietrasanta, Via Sarzanese, 32 tel 0584/793707 is another charming and typical (and popular) restaurant.

There are also several other restaurants in Camaiore: The Capericcio on the lido road, is good. There's another very good restaurant/pizzeria on the road to the lido: Il Campagnolo , before the Pietrasanta crossroads, which is very popular and has a wonderful wood oven (which you can see from the entrance). They make pizzas at night only, as appears to be the local custom. Good sea-food antipasti. Santa Lucia: Vignaccio is popular (booking essential) tel 914200. Lovely views from the village.

Forte dei Marmi: Il Platano 47 Via dei Medici in Forte dei Marmi, with wonderful hors d'oeuvres and pasta, seafood, unpretentious setting.

Pietrasanta: Gatto Nero in Pietrasanta is a local favorite (next to the Bar Igea). Trattoria da Sci : Basic wine, good food, rabbit, zucchini risotto 3/7 Vicolo Porta a Lucca tel 790983, closed Sunday. Enoteca Marcucci, 40 Via Garibaldi, built in the 14C, delicious Tuscan and Versilian dishes, closed Monday, tel 791962. Nonsolovino 5, Vivolo S Biagio, tel 70510, closed Mondays will serve you a set meal : the menu, which changes nightly, is posted at the entrance. In the hills above Pietrasanta, with a spectacular view, is Tre Terazze, Monteggione tel 0584 -913801 Reservations needed

Viareggio: Sea Gulls Beach, a simple, moderately priced fish restaurant near the port along the sea front. Tel 0584 962968, closed Thursdays and Friday lunch.

Lucca and environs: Try the famous Buca di San Antonio in Lucca, expensive but worth it, traditional game dishes a specialty. Closed Sun/Mon via della Cervia tel 0583 55881: reservation recommended. There are good restaurants in the Piazza Napoleon. Antica Locanda di Secto Trattoria is highly recommended: (in business since 1300!) Via Lodovica 1660, telephone 0583 578181 (closed Saturdays). Il Buatino; Simple restaurant popular with local farmers: Borgo Gianotti 508, just outside the walls tel 0583 343207, closed Sundays. Also in Lucca, for those suffering a surfeit of fine Tuscan food, if that is possible, there's a Chinese restaurant:La Grande Cina,via Regina Margherita 139, tel 058346039.

Il Rifugio on the back road to Lucca in Montemagno (just before the intersection to Massarosa) is also good. Ristorante Pizzeria da Franca has an attractive vine-covered terrace, a garden and nice ambience inside: it's located in Montemagno on the road to Lucca, and is in the hills 15 min east of Pedona. Tel 951028. Also along the Camaiore-Lucca road: La Mea a converted mill, informal family restaurant serving pasta and local game. 1 via Provinciale, Valpromaro tel 0583 956047, closed Thursday.

Other restaurants close to Lucca: La Cantina di Alfredo at Colognore di Compito (near Capannori m-way exit): for Sunday lunch, evenings. Live music Saturday evenings. Pizza in evenings. Tel 0583 980130, closed Mondays. Bar La Salute 3406, Via Sarzanese, Farneta, tel 0583 59132. Local haunt, with excellent fish dishes on Fridays. Reservations recommended. Mecenate on the Lucca Pisa road in Gattaiola (take road to from the tunnel road to Pisa, signs to Vicopelago and Pozzuolo): Tuscan dishes, duck, pigeon, wild boar, home made desserts. Closed Mondays tel 0583 980130.

San Graziano: Ristorante Cecconi: Great views, wonderful food, reservations required. Antipasti, pasta, grilled or roast meats. Located above Loppeglia near Pescaglia © a longish drive but worth it (Camaiore -Lucca road, turn north at San Martino in Freddana), Tel 0583 38148, closed Mondays.

On the road to Barga: Ponta alla Maddalena - great Pizzeria, restaurant "Devil Bridge" closed Tues tel 0583 88501 right across from the bridge (on E side of river).

Barga: There are plenty of restaurants and cafes in town, and also a nice restaurant out of town to the north and over on the west bank of the Serchio which would be suitable for lunch as you continue your tour. It's called Al Ritrovo del Platano, and you see it straight ahead as you cross the bridge on the way up to Castelnuovo. It serves local Tuscan fare such as savory flans and is worth a visit, but you'll have to start early to time your arrival for lunch..

Montopoli: Quattro Gigli is an inn and restaurant in Montopoli, near Pisa. Lovely views and excellent food: in an area near the Arno otherwise undistinguished. The town is a center for glazed pottery which is quite distinctive. Piazza Michele,2 Tel 0571 466940/466878, fax 466879.

Florence: In the July 1992 issue of Travel and Leisure, several traditional trattorias were recommended: Trattoria Cammillo, 57, Borgo S Jacopo tel 055 212 427 ($70 for two ex wine). Trattoria Sostanza, 25, Via della Porcellana 212 691 ($60). Ristorante Enoteca Pinchiorri, 87, Via Ghibellina 242©777 ($175). Omero,11, Pian dei Giullari 220 053 ($85). Alla Vecchia Bettola, 32 Viale Ludovico Ariosto 224©158 ($50). Trattoria Coco Lezzone, 26 Via del Parioncino 287 178 ($80). Il Latini, 6, Via dei Palchetti 210 916 ($50). Cibreo, 118 Via dei Macci 2341100 ($80) choose the trattoria and cafe opposite for the same food at 1/3 price minus ambiance.

The New York Times praised the following: La Baraonda, 67 Via Ghibellina 2341171 Closed Aug $55/$67 Ruggero 89, Via Sienese 220542 closed Tue and 7/23©8/23.$60 Alle Murate 52, Via Ghibellina 240618 closed Aug $90©100. Trattoria degli Antellesi 9 Via Faenza, 216990 open June - Sept daily, dinner $80. We can recommend a very simple but untourist trattoria in the Piazza san Lorenzo: the Trattoria Gozzi da Sergio where we had a very pleasant and reasonable lunch: they will bring you their dish of the day with pasta as a preliminary. Also, for rooftop dining we tried the Kraft Hotel when we stayed there overnight in 1990: there's a great view of the cathedral and river from there.

A recent article in the Times magazine extolled the virtues of Oltrarno, the Santo Spirito quarter across the Arno. Among the restaurants recommended were: Celestino, Piazza Santa Felicita 4r (2396574 tel), closed Sundays $50 for two with wine. Cammillo, Borgo San Jacopo 57r (212427) closed Wed, Thur, traditional trattoria $85 for two: try also * ***Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco next door, with wild boar on the menu $50/two (closed Tue, Wed tel 215706). Casalinga,Via Michelozzi 9r (218624) near Piazza Santo Spirito, recommended for a good reasonable lunch.

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