Where to Eat in Siena

Siena's dining culture is deeply rooted in medieval Tuscan traditions, where the city's seventeen contrade (historic neighborhoods) have preserved centuries-old recipes and fierce culinary pride. The local cuisine centers on pici (thick hand-rolled pasta), wild boar dishes, and panforte (dense spiced cake dating to the 13th century), reflecting Siena's agricultural heritage and the nearby Crete Senesi countryside. Unlike Florence's more tourist-adapted dining scene, Siena maintains an authentically local approach where family-run trattorias still prepare dishes according to grandmother's recipes, and the Palio horse race twice yearly transforms dining into a contrada celebration with traditional feasts. The dining scene remains refreshingly traditional, with only a handful of modern interpretations emerging in recent years while the vast majority of establishments honor recipes unchanged for generations.

Key Dining Features:
• Historic Center Dining Districts: The area around Piazza del Campo and Via di Città contains the highest concentration of traditional eateries, while locals favor the quieter streets near San Domenico and the Fontebranda neighborhood for more authentic, less touristy options. The Mercato area on Via Pianigiani offers casual lunch spots frequented by Sienese workers, and the streets radiating from Piazza del Mercato showcase family-run establishments serving traditional Senese fare.
• Essential Senese Dishes: Pici all'aglione (thick pasta with tomato-garlic sauce), pappardelle al cinghiale (wide noodles with wild boar ragù), ribollita (twice-cooked bread and vegetable soup), bistecca di Cinta Senese (steak from the indigenous black pig), crostini di milza (spleen crostini), and ricciarelli (almond cookies) represent the core of Senese gastronomy. Autumn brings porcini mushroom dishes and white truffle specials, while winter features acquacotta (traditional peasant soup).
• Price Ranges and Meal Costs: A traditional trattoria meal costs €25-40 per person including primo, secondo, and house wine, while more refined osterie charge €40-65 per person. Casual lunch at an enoteca with crostini and wine runs €12-18, and a full tasting menu at upscale establishments reaches €70-100. The coperto (cover charge) typically adds €2-3.50 per person, and a carafe of house Chianti Colli Senesi costs €8-14.
• Seasonal Dining Calendar: July 2nd and August 16th (Palio dates) transform dining into contrada-specific celebrations with neighborhood dinners requiring advance connections to attend. Autumn (September-November) is peak season for porcini, chestnuts, and new wine (vino novello), while truffle season runs November through January. Summer sees outdoor dining in hidden courtyards, and winter brings hearty soups and game dishes.
• Unique Senese Dining