42 Best Restaurants in Tuscany, Italy

Outside the walls of Badia a Coltibuono is the abbey's pleasant restaurant, with seating on a terrace teeming with flowers or in soft-yellow rooms divided by ancient brick arches. The menu is schooled in Tuscan flavors, but has twists and flights of fantasy.

In the heart of the historic center, Prato's best restaurant has been serving since 1870, capably run by five generations of the Pacetti family (daughters Guja and Silvia are presently in charge). The food lives up to the building's colorful history—part of the structure dates from the 15th century, when it was a convent, and it was later the seat of the Freemasons.

The staying power of Buca di Sant'Antonio—it's been around since 1782—is the result of superlative Tuscan food brought to the table by waitstaff who don't miss a beat. The menu includes the simple but blissful tortelli lucchesi al sugo (meat-stuffed pasta with a tomato-and-meat sauce), as well as more daring dishes such as roast capretto (kid goat) with herbs. A white-wall interior hung with copper pots and brass musical instruments creates a classy but comfortable dining space.

This is, without a doubt, one of the region's most creative restaurants—an intimate place with a menu that's Tuscan but not (its signature egg yolk starter is done with élan). Not a step is missed, and although it's possible to order à la carte, the tasting menu is also a good way to go. When it's warm, you can sit outside in an enclosed courtyard.

Delfina Cioni began cooking many years ago for hungry hunters in the town of Artimino, 20 km (12 miles) south of Prato. Dishes celebrate Tuscan food, with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. Secondi such as coniglio con olive e pignoli (rabbit sautéed with olives and pine nuts—the house specialty) are a real treat. The seasonal menu is complemented by a fine wine list that draws heavily from superlative local vines, and the service is gracious.

It bills itself as an "osteria with a view," and it delivers—just as amazing as the view are the dishes, whether they adhere to Volterran tradition or are more creative. The menu changes to reflect the seasons, but local cheeses and in-house baked breads are always on offer.

"The old mill" has an antique marble serving counter filled with free nibbles and two large wooden tables in a room lined with wine bottles. The enthusiastic host, Andrea Bertucci, proudly touts local products on his simple menu, which usually consists of superior cheese and affettati misti (mixed sliced cured meats); traditional local dishes with farro grain, polenta, pecorino cheese, trout from the many local streams, and salami round out the selections. Finish your meal with a caffè al vetro con miele di castagno (coffee in a glass with chestnut honey). This osteria is open from 7:30 am to 8 pm in the warmer months and from 11 to 8 in winter.

Located in Manciano, just south of Saturnia, this local institution has a circus-themed interior, and, if you can get past the creepy clown statues, you're in for a treat. Owner and pizzaiolo Antonio—who has been winning Italian pizza championships since the 1990s and who developed this eatery with Michelin-star chef Valeria Piccini—celebrates all things Maremman with pizzas like the favorite la briaca, featuring Morellino di Scansano wine–soaked pears and a locally produced blue cheese called guttus.

Up a winding road lined with olive trees and vineyards, this place is worth the effort it takes to find. The view from the outdoor terrace is divine, as is the simple, exquisitely prepared Tuscan cuisine—start with the bruschetta drizzled with olive oil or the sublime verdure sott'olio (marinated vegetables) before moving on to any of the fine secondi.

What started in 2013 as a way for a local fishing family to sell their catch of the day has blossomed into a seafood mega-hit with restaurants in Milan and Florence to complement the original Capalbio site. Vivo is known for its raw seafood, which is caught fresh, prepared the same day and even trackable via a QR code you can scan at your table. Order the Mix Crudo to get a taste of the best of the day's catch. 

Sample the local vino while satisfying your appetite with simply prepared and presented bruschetta, soups, and pastas; on Fridays, the enoteca focuses on fish. In summer, a few tables are set in the shade under the trees in the town's main square.

A short drive down a steep, serpentine road from San Miniato brings you to this rustic country ristorante with sponged walls, stenciled decorations, and checkered tablecloths. The main courses are mostly Tuscan classics, such as bistecca Fiorentina (a generous cut of grilled steak), but white truffles, the local specialty, are also showcased, and you can get them with pasta, crespelle (thin pancakes filled with ricotta), tripe, eggs, beef fillet—there's even a postprandial truffled grappa. All this good fare pairs marvelously with a fine selection of local, lesser-known wines. If truffles don't float your boat, there are nontruffled things on the menu and, at night, the staff fires up the pizza oven.

This classic Italian restaurant offers simple preparations of locally caught fish. Try the antipasto il pescato del giorno (the daily catch), an ever-changing array of six, sometimes seven, different raw fish dishes determined by the day's catch. The chef lets his imagination run wild, and it's only to the benefit of the happy diners.

Any one of this restaurant's piatti tipici (typical plates) is worth trying, though the local specialty, pici all'aglione (thick, long noodles served with sautéed cherry tomatoes and many cloves of garlic), is done particularly well. The chef also has a deft touch with vegetables; if there's fennel on the menu, make sure to order it. The interior, with white walls, low ceilings, and old wood tables, is cozy and the service is warm and friendly.

The name means Happy Tufa, and you will be happy, too, if you eat at this fine restaurant cut directly into the tufa rock plateau upon which old Pitigliano sits. The cuisine is local and regional—the pappardelle al ragù di cinghiale (pappardelle pasta with wild boar sauce) is particularly tasty, as is the acquacotta (seasonal bread and vegetable soup served with quail egg). 

Locals crowd into this tiny place, which has a lovely view, to feast on lunches and dinners featuring treats from the sea. Antipasti such as raw oysters or code di manzancolle (deep-fried shrimp) are perfect starters, followed by delicious pasta dishes or succulent mixed fry. Finish your meal with sgroppino (lemon sorbet pureed with vodka) to help cleanse the palate.

Jazz plays softly in the background as you sip wine and dine either indoors, at rustic tables amid exposed brick-and-stone walls, or alfresco with a splendid view of the Piazza del Duomo. Typical wine-bar fare, such as plates of cured ham and cheese, shares the menu with a surprisingly sophisticated list of daily specials. For example, you might try insalatina con foie gras condita con vinaigrette (foie gras with dressed greens).

On Sunday afternoon, this old-fashioned farmhouse-esque trattoria teems with lively Italian families. Grilled meats are the house specialty, and if you have room for dessert, the kitchen whips up a mean tiramisu. Eat in the dining room, or choose a shady table in the garden overlooking the vineyards.

An elegantly restored monastery in the upper part of Montepulciano is home to this excellent enoteca (wine bar), which has a wide selection of wines by the glass.

A perfect stop for lunch while exploring the region's wineries, this trattoria offers cucina casalinga (home cooking) that can be eaten in the dining room or on a lovely outdoor patio. Outstanding primi include maccheroni alla nonna (macaroni with asparagus in a light cream sauce dotted with truffle oil), while secondi usually feature delicious misto alla griglia (mixed grilled meats).

Wonderful wines pair beautifully with the tasty morsels served atop toasted bread, though if you want something more substantial than the delicious cheese plate, consider the soup of the day. This place is an oasis in a town overrun with day visitors; though it's still very much in the center, it's far from the madding crowds.

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.

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.