20 Best Restaurants in Southern Tuscany, Tuscany

Near Saturnia is the restaurant of Italian celebrity chef Valeria Piccini, where prices are high, but the food is excellent. The prix-fixe tasting menu might include such dishes as tortelli di cinta senese in brodetto di castagne e gallina (pasta filled with Sienese pork in a chicken and chestnut broth) or cinghiale lardolato con finocchi, arance e olive (larded wild boar with fennel, orange, and olives).

The name means "the usual soup," but there's hardly anything usual about the soups on offer—as wait staffers often explain, this restaurant is committed to cooking seasonally, using what's currently available at the market. Expect wonderfully tasty soups and brilliant secondi (second courses), all served in a room with high vaulted arches dating from the 17th century.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Alessandro Aniello and his brother, Lorenzo, carry on with the captivating food created by their late father. Local ingredients are emphasized, and dishes like tortelli di castagne al seme di finocchio (chestnut-stuffed pasta with butter sauce and fennel seeds) are perfectly prepared. In good weather, enjoy your meal on a terrace overlooking the town's main square.

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.

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). 

Lots of shaded outdoor seating makes this a pleasant place for lunch on a warm day. Pecorino cheese, spicy salami, and grilled vegetables sott'olio (preserved in olive oil) are served cafeteria-style. And, if you want something even spicier, the stuffed hot peppers are delicious. There is a good selection of wine, but the choice of desserts is limited, and they don't serve coffee.

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.

Italian and Mediterranean risottos, pastas, and other dishes are reinterpreted with modern flair at this much lauded restaurant at the Castello Banfi wine resort. Desserts are also beautifully prepared, and Castello Banfi's excellent wines are a bonus.

You can enjoy straightforward Tuscan fare in the massive tower at the abbey's entrance, or, when it's warm, on a flower-filled terrace. The pici ai funghi (extra-thick handmade spaghetti with mushroom sauce) or zuppa di funghi (mushroom soup) take the sting out of a crisp winter day, and the grilled meats are a good bet at any time of year. If you want lighter fare, there's a bar serving panini that has outdoor seating.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.