Siena is a wonderful medieval town in the heart of Tuscany full of wonders to discover. Cosy and rich in history, it is the ideal place to spend a day enjoying good food in the many local osterias and trattorias. From the famous hors d'oeuvres with crostini and cured meats, first courses made with fresh pasta and soups, to second courses of fine meat and desserts famous throughout Italy, you will feel your taste buds dance with ancient flavours dating back to rural traditions.
Poor dishes prepared with simple and genuine ingredients, some even revisited in a modern key, that you can enjoy in every corner of the city and, above all, suitable for all budgets. Here are the 10 things to eat in Siena and where.
1 - Liver crostini
A tasty starter also used as an accompaniment to an aperitif. There are numerous variants throughout Tuscany, although the essential elements for preparing them are undoubtedly crunchy flat bread, the base for the second ingredient, and a tasty cream with a strong flavour.
A dish of peasant origin, a poor and simple dish made on 'not having to throw anything away', with the scraps of chicken that were eaten by less wealthy families. In addition, leftover bread from the day before was added, in keeping with the philosophy of not having to waste anything. The croutons are then flavoured with butter, saffron and other flavourings.
Recommended: lunch, dinner, snack
Average cost: €6.00
Main ingredients: chicken livers, stale Tuscan bread, anchovies, capers, butter
2 - Pappardelle with hare
The word 'pappardelle' comes from the verb pappare, i.e., to eat. A 2 cm wide strip of pasta, enjoyed throughout Tuscany. Pappardelle al sugo di lepre (pappardelle with hare sauce) is a typical speciality of Siena, a typical autumn and winter dish, the preparation and cooking of which takes quite a long time and is not very easy.
Hare meat is also one of the so-called 'dark meats', which contain a lot of calories and protein, although it is still defined as a lean meat.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: egg pappardelle, tomato puree, minced hare, red wine
3 - Pici
Pici (or pinci) are a first course of Sienese cuisine, large spaghetti made from wheat flour and not durum wheat semolina. They can be prepared by hand with an irregular and coarse appearance, or by machine, with a diameter of 3-4 mm.
This is another dish belonging to the peasant tradition, as it is made with a few simple ingredients, water and flour; in the past, they used to be served with a dressing of oil and onion. Today, however, they are tasted with cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), dwarf (duck) ragu, with sausage and mushroom sauce, sausage, potatoes and beans, but also with bread crumbs, and all'aglione sauce with tomato, carrots, celery, onion and garlic.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €8.00
Main ingredients: water, flour, salt
4 - Ribollita
Photo by Ta4e Negodue. A peasant soup famous throughout Tuscany, an icon of its cuisine. Its preparation takes three days: on the first day a vegetable soup is cooked and eaten normally, on the second day anything left over from the dish is added, such as pieces of bread, toasted bread and garlic, and then cooked again with thin slices of onion. On the third day, everything is boiled once more.
Of course, there are different variations with different local ingredients from area to area. The most commonly used ingredient is black cabbage, which can also be replaced by simple cabbage or Savoy cabbage.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €8.00
Main ingredients: Savoy cabbage, Swiss chard, black cabbage, potatoes, stale bread
5 - Bruschetta senese
A very simple but super tasty bruschetta prepared with Tuscan garlic bread, fresh tomatoes, basil, herbs and olive oil. A really tasty starter to be enjoyed strictly hot.
Slices of Tuscan bread are toasted, rubbed with garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper, then placed over a heat source for about two minutes and then completely immersed in extra virgin olive oil.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner, snack
Average cost: €6.00
Main ingredients: Tuscan bread, olive oil, tomato, garlic
6 - Arista di Cinta Senese
A typical speciality of the Sienese hills and the Tuscan gastronomic tradition. A pork dish served sliced with sage, rosemary and garlic sautéed together. The Cinta Senese has a more succulent taste than other pork, because the animals are reared in the wild or semi-wild in the Tuscan hills. For this, it has been given the designation Cinta Senese DOP.
Its name comes from the Latin'arista', a pointed point or weapon, probably relating to the bone of the cut of meat in question. The pig, on the other hand, takes its name from the white band on its back, also depicted in the Allegory of Good Government in Siena's Palazzo Pubblico.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €8.00
Main ingredients: Cinta Senese pork loin, rosemary, sage, oil, white wine
7 - Sliced beef
A second course served on a bed of rocket and with baked potatoes. According to tradition, it is served rare, but you can also request it overcooked. A very tender steak with a delicate flavour.
Only coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper and evo oil are used to enhance the flavour of the meat on the bone. The meat should be wrapped in a layer of sizzling fat that makes it crispy outside and tender inside.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €14.00
Main ingredients: rib of beef on the bone, salt, coarse, ground pepper, rocket
8 - Panforte
Also called Panpepato, it is made with almond paste, nutmeg, marzipan and citron. Aworld-famous confectionery excellence. It used to be made from a sweet flatbread made of wheat flour and honey, melatello or honeyed bread, with grapes and figs. Later, due to the sour taste of fermented fruit, it was enriched with spices, expensive ingredients that made this dish, a dessert to be eaten only on solemn occasions and festivals.
It was prepared in apothecaries' shops, convents and old apothecaries where spices were available and where food could best be preserved. It was started to be produced in September until the end of the year, to be ready at Christmas. Its history dates back to medieval times, born as a gift brought by servants and settlers to the nuns of Montecelso Abbey.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €4.00
Main ingredients: 00 flour, honey, almonds, candied fruit
9 - Ricciarelli
Delicious little cakes similar to marzipan, except for the addition of candied orange peel. The name seems to derive from its typically curved shape. The most classic are white, but chocolate-covered ones can also be found, not typically Sienese.
They began to be produced as far back as the Middle Ages, inside the farmhouses in the hills and in the houses of the city's historic districts, at Christmas time. Today, however, ricciarelli are enjoyed throughout the year, although they should not be missing from the tables of special Tuscan events. A sweet that is also enjoyed throughout the rest of Italy.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €4.00
Main ingredients: caster sugar. egg whites, sweet and bitter almonds, orange rind
10 - Copate di Siena
Atypical Christmas cake with a round shape, with a dough similar to that of nougat, but thin, enriched with chopped dried fruit enclosed between two sheets of wafers. The origin of the name is rather uncertain, but it could derive from the Latin'copatus', coupled, indicating the dough enclosed between the two wafers; another theory states that it derives from the Arabic'qubbaita', meaning, almond cake. Initially, they were called'nebulae'.
Their recipe is said to have been handed down thanks to a monk from the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, who mixed sugar, honey, roasted walnuts kernels and almonds together over moderate heat. He let the mixture cool and spread it between two wafers; in 1700, cocoa was added and, later, beaten egg yolks.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: about €7.00 per kg
Main ingredients: sugar, egg white, almonds, honey, starch wafers
Where to eat in Siena: cheap restaurants, typical places and street food
Siena is a wonderful city where you can find inimitable historical beauty. The area around the Duomo and Piazza del Campo is full of mostly touristy restaurants. Near the Porta San Marco towards the centre proper, there are characteristic narrow streets leading to the University area, also dotted with several less touristy restaurants.
Throughout the historical centre and its surroundings, you will find many taverns, trattorias and restaurants where you can enjoy traditional dishes, with prices to suit all budgets, including street food and small cosy places where you can enjoy a good aperitif in the company of a good sandwich or a delicious platter of Tuscan cold cuts.
SEE ALSO: Where to eat in Siena on a budget
1 - The Orti di San Domenico
Description: Traditional Tuscan cuisine, mainly meat and fish dishes with an excellent selection of wine in a well-kept, elegant setting.
Speciality: sliced beef
Average price: from €20.00 per person
Address: Viale Curtatone, 13 - Get directions / tel: 0577 288234
2 - The Milkone Kiosk
Description: excellent Sienese street food on four wheels with specialities typical of the city, some revisited in a modern and street key
Speciality: kebabs Sienese style
Average price: from €8.00 per person
Address: Str. Massetana Romana - Get directions / tel: 393 9483162
3 - La Taverna di San Giuseppe
Description: starred restaurant where you can enjoy traditional Tuscan dishes prepared with creativity and innovation, such as fresh handmade pasta and prime meat
Speciality: green gnocchi with mint and tarragon
Average price: from €50.00 per person
Address: Via Giovanni Duprè, 132 - Get directions / tel: 0577 42286
4 - Osteria La Piana
Description: since 1955 it has been preparing quality traditional dishes with always fresh ingredients, from meat to fish and typical desserts
Speciality: pici cacio e pepe
Average price: from €20.00 per person
Address: Via Camollia, 122 - Get directions / tel: 0577 270737
5 - Il Vinaio di Bobbe e Davide
Description: a must for Sienese gastronomy with an excellent selection of cold cuts and sandwiches, with excellent meat and fish dishes for the week.
Speciality: sandwich with Tuscan PDO ham
Average price: from €12.00 per person
Address: Via Camollia, 167 - Get directions / tel: 0577 49615
6 - The Bargello
Description: a place a little bit bar and a little bit osteria that will leave you pleasantly surprised. The average cost per person is really low, compared to the excellent quality of the various courses.
Speciality of the house: pici with meat sauce
Average price per person: €10.00
Address: Via di città, 55 - Get directions / Tel. 0577 045649
7 - Osteria da Trombicche
Description: a historic restaurant in Siena, which has been able to maintain high quality and low prices. The atmosphere is cheerful and informal, so the osteria is a staple for the Sienese and a place with folkloristic charm that attracts tourists.
House specialities: charcuterie and pecorino cheese board, ribollita soup, onion soup, pappa al pomodoro.
Average price per person: €15.00
Address: Via delle Terme, 66 - Get directions / Tel. 0577 288089
8 - La Piccola Ciaccineria
Description: With only €6.00 you can get 3 pieces of "ciaccino", a term that indicates the stuffed Sienese focaccia. Locally sourced raw materials are used to prepare pizzas and the ciaccini, in fact.
House speciality: ciaccino with Tuscan salami
Average price per person: €7.00
Address: Via San Pietro, 52 - Get directions / Tel. 0577 151 3263
9 - Fischi per Fiaschi
Description: friendly and rustic ambience, making for a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. The osteria's main courses are meat dishes, to be accompanied by a good wine chosen from the well-stocked cellar.
Speciality of the house: trippa alla senese
Average price per person: €18.00
Address: Via San Marco, 43 - Get directions / Tel. 0577 280971
10 - Gino Cacino di Angelo
Description: a shop that every Sienese knows and has visited at least once. The combination of food and wine dominates, specifically we are talking about sandwiches, cheese, meat and vegetables, paired with a glass of Tuscan wine.
Speciality of the house: sandwich with pork elixir (secret recipe with pork lard and spices), anchovies under pesto with Sienese tarragon
Average price per person: €12.00
Address: Piazza del Mercato, 31 - Get directions / Tel. 0577 223076
