92 Best Restaurants in Tuscany, Italy

In this small and cozy dining room, owner and sommelier Massimo Stella, his daughter Virginia, and chef Carlo Gutierrez bring fine dining flair to traditional Tuscan dishes like handmade pici pasta with black garlic and potato gnocchi. The wine list, which has many options by the glass, focuses on regional favorites.

This pleasant restaurant, with outdoor seating on Gaiole's main square, is as popular with the locals as it is with travelers. The menu, presented on small blackboards, has the occasional unexpected item, like the plate of perfectly grilled vegetables that's listed as an antipasto but is practically a meal in itself. The kitchen also makes its own delicious pastries and ice cream, so skipping dessert is difficult.

It bills itself as a caffetteria/ristorante, which means it opens at 7 in the morning for coffee, serves lunch and dinner, and then closes well after dinner is over. Warm-color, sponged walls and simple wooden tables and chairs provide the backdrop for some tasty fare. They're particularly big on fish here; if it's available, order the calamari spadellati su crema di fagioli alla paprika e valeriana (panfried squid on a creamy bean puree spiced with paprika and garnished with delicate green leaves). The lasagna is ample, cheesy, and thoroughly satisfying; the service is great; and the wine list is strong on local wines.

Relax amid vineyards on a countryside terrace with one of Chianti's most spectacular views, namely that of vineyards in the valley of the River Pesa. Enjoy the sophisticated menu, which pairs perfectly with the wine list (many of its selections are from what's growing around you), and be sure to try any of the delicious desserts.

On the daily menu you're likely to find both Sienese standards, such as spaghetti saporiti con agli aromi (with tomatoes and herbs), as well as more offbeat selections like bocconcini di pollo alla mediterranea (tender chicken cooked in a robust tomato-and-olive sauce). Husband-and-wife team Simone Romi and Sabrina Fabi are committed to including piatti di verdura (vegetarian dishes) among the choices, and they've put together a great wine list. A tasting menu allows you to sample just about all the daily specials. The little restaurant with high vaulted ceilings is in the oldest part of town.

This charming, white-walled restaurant, a few steps from Piazza dei Cavalieri, serves up exquisitely grilled fish dishes, pleases vegetarians, and prepares tagliata for meat lovers. Three set menus, from the sea, garden, and earth, are available, or you can order à la carte. For dinner there's an early seating (around 7:30) and a later one (around 9); opt for the later one if you want time to linger over your meal.

Although it calls itself an osteria (tavern), this place much more resembles a wine bar, with a bill of fare that includes several different types of pâtés and a short list of seasonal soups and salads. The sampler of goat cheeses, which can be paired with local wines, should not be missed. Operatic arias tend to play softly in the background, and service is courteous.

As high in Montepulciano as you can get, just behind the Duomo, this intimate restaurant is expertly run by the mother-and-son team of Lorena and Paolo Brachi, both of whom are passionate about the food they prepare and have a flair for the region's traditional dishes. Although the wine list is limited in range, it does have a decent selection of offerings from both Montepulciano and Montalcino. For a change from the usual Tuscan meat dishes, fresh fish is served on Friday. Outdoor seating is limited.

Husband and wife Claudio and Marila run this fish restaurant across the (busy) street from the docks. The decor's nothing to write home about (paneled walls with framed prints and navigational coats of arms)—here, it's all about the cacciucco (Livorno's famous seafood stew) and desserts.

Photographs from theatrical productions spanning many years line the walls of this tavern off Cortona's large Piazza del Teatro. The food is simply delicious—try the filetto al lardo di colonnata e prugne (beef cooked with bacon and prunes); service is warm and friendly.

Honest Tuscan cooking prevails at this simple trattoria next to a large parking lot. No matter that there's no view: the terrific food and pleasing service—all of it served in a typical Tuscan dining room with high timbered ceilings—make a stop here well worth the detour. Locals swear by the affettati misti (sliced cured meats), which include the stellar biroldo (cured pork from nearby Garfagnana). The ravioli di castagne (ravioli stuffed with chestnut puree, sauced with radicchio and pancetta bits) should not be missed.

If you're wiped out from too much sightseeing, consider a meal at this hole-in-the-wall restaurant where locals congregate for a simple lunch. There's a collection of verdure sott'olio, a wide selection of affettati misti, and pasta—all of which can be washed down with the cheap, yet eminently drinkable, house wines. Don't be put off by the absence of a written menu—all the food is displayed at the counter, so you can point if you need to.

Silvia Bonechi's experience in the kitchen—with the help of a few precious recipes handed down from her grandmother—is one of the reasons for the success of this small restaurant in the tiny hamlet of Lucarelli; the other is the front-room hospitality of Nada Michelassi. These two panzanelle (women from Panzano) serve a short menu of tasty and authentic dishes at what the locals refer to as il prezzo giusto (the right price).

Wall-to-wall Communist memorabilia greets you in this down-to-earth locale that serves cucina contadina (peasant's fare) with free-flowing beers and regular live music. The Livornese baccalà (salted cod) is a must-order, as are the chickpeas with parsley and white fish.

The first things you'll see upon entering this mercato e cucina (market and kitchen) is a row of dazzling, just-caught fish on ice and a display case with prepared foods to go. Select from a large array of crudi (including several raw oyster options) before opting for the fry (either mixed, anchovies, zucchini with squid, or fish croquettes) or the very tasty fish burger. Nice wines by the glass are on offer, as are bottles.

You can't come to San Miniato and not try its truffles, and few places serve them more generously or more graciously than Piccola Osteria del Tartufo. Depending on the season, you can try local white truffles, black truffles, and summer truffles liberally grated over cacio e pepe pasta or stuffed into a bacon-topped hamburger.

With sweeping views of Pienza, this family-owned farmhouse restaurant is decked out in the style of traditional Tuscan trattoria with frescoes depicting idyllic country scenes and plenty of exposed brickwork. The menu is equally rustic, with such lovingly served dishes as antipasti of local salumi (cold cuts) and ragù di cinghiale (wild boar ragu), whose recipe is a closely guarded family secret.

This one-room prosciutteria, which opens late in the morning and closes late at night, serves salads and sandwiches featuring pork products in their various incarnations. Locals flock here for good reason—portions are large, prices are reasonable, the wine list is strong, the hosts are gregarious, and offerings for those who don't eat meat but do eat fish include the anchovy/sliced potato salad soaked in top-notch olive oil and dotted with capers.

Run by original owner Attilio Adriani's sons, Alberto and Tommaso, Capo Nord began life as a small seaside dance hall before evolving into this much-loved seafood restaurant with its warm wooden furnishings and nautical-themed decorations. Choose from a series of set menus that highlight the catch of the day or settle for the restaurant's speciality—spaghetti with mom Fillide's octopus ragù. A great selection of local Elba whites complement the menu. 

This well-established restaurant serves commendable primi and stellar elbana (whitefish baked with vegetables and potatoes). The bustling, casual trattoria is in the old center of Portoferraio, at the beginning of the road to the old Medici walls.

Lovers of seafood fill this unpretentious trattoria, where the unremarkable decor (yellowed walls, fluorescent lights) can be taken as a testament to the singular focus here on high-quality cuisine. Start with the insalata di mare tiepida (seafood antipasti), and follow with the flavorful spaghetti all'ammiraglia (admiral-style, laden with mussels, baby clams, squid, and fresh tomatoes).

Grilled meat dishes are the specialty at this popular restaurant, with a bistecca alla fiorentina (served very rare, as always) taking pride of place; paired with grilled fresh porcini mushrooms when in season (spring and fall), it's a heady dish. The panoramic terrace is a good choice for dining in summer; inside, the upper floor offers an unmistakably Tuscan setting, while the downstairs is more modern and intimate. 

Homemade pastas and fresh seafood are served here with a dash of style. The chef puts a creative spin on the classics, coming up with such delights as homemade vegetable gnocchi with scampi in a butter and saffron sauce. The semifreddi (think part gelato, part cake) are particularly good. Just a few steps from Rio Marina's scenic port, this is an easy stop on your way to or from the ferry.

Across the street from the abbey and run by the same family for more than 30 years, this once simple eatery in what were once the monk's stables has undergone a complete face-lift. The interior is decorated along modern-elegant lines, and the menu, while thoroughly based on traditional cuisine, is filled with creative interpretations. The superb wine list pairs beautifully with all the delicacies on offer.

The Franceschini family has been running this swank seafood eatery since the 1970s. Ebullient host Romano Franceschini is justifiably proud of the food formerly produced by his wife, Franca (she still oversees the kitchen); son Roberto, an accomplished sommelier, presides over the floor. Don't miss the fantasia di pesce crudo (fantasy of raw fish), which arrives at the table with an aroma redolent of the sea, and follow up with any of the marvelous fish seconds. Or you can leave everything in the Franceschinis' hands and order the tasting menu (€125 without wine).

Panini are the order of the day here, and they come with historic names (bearing no relation to what's actually contained between those two pieces of bread). Cured Italian pork products figure heavily, but there are vegetarian and pescatarian options, too. As evidenced by the caramello burro saltato con mascarpone (caramelized butter with a soft, spreadable, cow's milk cheese), dessert might also be served on the restaurant's tasty bread.

This rustic taverna with a large stone fireplace is amid vineyards that produce excellent Brunello—as well as its younger cousin, Rosso di Montalcino—a few minutes south of Montalcino, in the direction of Sant'Antimo. Many of the ingredients used in soup, gnocchi, bruschetta, and other traditional specialties are grown on the estate farm.

This cozy little spot doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside, it's the perfect rustic setting for an array of handmade pastas and other traditional Tuscan fare. Order the pici with ragù di cinghiale (wild boar ragu) or, if you're visiting in fall or winter, any of the dishes with fresh local truffles or porcini mushrooms. Desserts are also made in-house, so save some room for the excellent crema alla catalana. 

A meal in this rustic place is always special, as the menu offers Tuscan classics as well as other dishes with a hint of fantasy. Try the excellent mushroom soup made with porcini, or opt for a roast boar or another of the dishes featuring game. The menu is rounded out by a varied wine selection. In warmer months, this fine fare can be had in the garden.

Family-run Da Badò—with Lucia in the kitchen and her sons, Giacomo and Michele, waiting tables—is the best place in town to eat traditional food elbow-to-elbow with locals; Lucia likes to concentrate on just a few dishes, so it won't take long to decide between the standards, all prepared with a sure hand. Consider the zuppa alla volterrana (a soup made with vegetables and bread), pappardelle alla lepre (wide fettuccine with rabbit sauce), or a stew of either rabbit or wild boar—for dessert, a slice of homemade almond tart is a must.