11 Best Restaurants in Tuscany, Italy

It's well off the beaten path (even if it is in the center of Livorno's shopping district), but getting here is worth the trouble, as this tiny place has a short menu that changes daily, a superb wine list, and a gregarious staff. The baccalà alla livornese (deep-fried salt cod served with chickpeas) is succulent and crisp, and the ribollita and other soups are very soothing. You could also pop in to sample a glass at the wine bar or to browse the shelves filled with wines from all over Italy.

Locals flock to this central café to quaff a cappuccino and pick up panforte (cake made of fruits and nuts; the chocolate panforte is a real treat) and ricciarelli (almond cookies). You can get sweets to go, or rest your feet for a spell over breakfast or lunch.

At lunch and dinner time, this social hub for San Miniatans turns into a full-blown trattoria serving up local specialties. You can't go wrong with any of the wonderful panini, which are made with bread baked on-site and which you can eat seated at a table with a splendid valley view.

This spot just outside the walled town of Monteriggioni is the perfect stop on the way to Siena from Florence or vice versa. The bar serves excellent coffees and sweets, and the highly informal dining room offers terrific local specialties such as sublime panini, which can be topped with sott'olii (vegetables preserved under olive oil). You can order takeout or sit outside with a nice glass of wine while you eat.

It's a most unassuming bar a stone's throw away from a massive Medici villa up the hill, and you might be tempted to walk right past it. Besides serving the usual array of coffees, spritzes, panini, and wines by the glass, it turns out terrific pizzas.

Recently restored to its 19th century glory, Bar Stefano is one of Arezzo's oldest coffee shops, known colloquially and affectionately by its original name, Gli Svizzeri. Stop by for an almost overwhelming selection of homemade pastries, cakes, savory focaccias and, during the summer months, gelato, as well as excellent espressos and cappuccinos.

Bakers Francesca and husband Davide create classic Southern Tuscan biscuits such as cantucci with cinnamon and almonds, as well local Jewish delicacies like the sfratto di Pitigliano (biscuit log filled with fig paste) that is tied to the nearby Jewish ghetto's long history.

Treat yourself to one of the terrifically fragrant ice creams at this gelateria just outside the center of town. The fruit flavors—fragola (strawberry), melone (cantaloupe), and limone (lemon)—are all homemade and particularly good.

Grosseto is known for its glut of gelaterias, but this one stands out for its artisan production and original flavors. Aside from the perennial classics like pistacchio and stracciatella (cream with chocolate shavings), try unusual combinations like rose and rice pudding or apple strudel.

Husband-and-wife team, Piero and Caroline, live by the motto "antica esperienza, bonta moderna" ("old-school knowledge, innovative techniques"). They use top-notch ingredients such as Bronte pistachios and IGP Piemonte hazelnuts in their ice creams, which include out-of-the-box options like the Burlamacchi—vanilla smothered in cookie crumbs and salted caramel.