Have you ever wanted to visit a place with restaurants that have managed to maintain the ancient recipes up to the present time? Then Pisa is one of those places that you must visit.
Restaurants in Pisa follow the tradition where the family-run trattorias use the food from the land around them to cook recipes passed down from generation to generation.
Under the shadow of the Leaning Tower, the city’s old center is a jumble of different places to eat a long Italian lunch.
In this ancient city in Italy, you can choose from rustic restaurants to high-end ones and even cheap student food as well.
One of the best things about going on vacation to Italy is getting to eat delicious Italian food. Finding places that aren’t just for tourists and trying foods that the locals eat every day make any visit even more special. Pisa is a great place to try some of the best Italian food you can eat.
11 Best Restaurants in Pisa, Italy
So, do you want to dine at the most famous restaurants in Pisa? Here are the 11 best Pisa restaurants that you can’t afford to miss!
1. Osteria di Culegna
Location: Via Mercanti, 25, 56127 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 576426
Osteria di Culegna is one of the most popular restaurants in Pisa. It is also the most recommended by the locals. But don’t come expecting your typical pizza and pasta plates. Osteria di Culegna serves traditional Tuscan dishes with a modern twist.
The proprietor is proud to serve her own dishes, which include a simple antipasto with rich flavors, a hot ricotta with a quail egg and asparagus sauce, and a velvety pumpkin cream soup. Don’t be put off by the handwritten Italian menu; the staff will be happy and patient to provide a detailed translation of everything from wines to desserts.
ALSO READ: The Best Italian Appetizers To Start a Meal
Osteria di Culegna is small and hidden on a narrow pedestrian street between the Arno River and the Piazza dei Cavalieri. The location can be challenging to find, but once you walk through the doors of this lovely restaurant, you will be rewarded handsomely.
Reservations are required. During summer visits, request a table outside on the terrace for an unforgettable meal.
2. La Spigolatrice
Location: Via Cagliari, 25, 56123 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 563151
With so many pizzerias in Italy, making a decision where to dine can be difficult. However, if you’re craving pizza and money is an issue, there’s only one option in Pisa. Get your pizza fix at La Spigolatrice and indulge with same great taste in a low-budget.
It is one of the few places in Pisa where you can get a delicious pizza, a cold beer, and a delectable dessert for a reasonable price. You’ll get a great deal on pizza, and La Spigolatrice is a great place to escape the crowds. The decor is simple, but the food is deliciously simple and delectable.
3. Numero 11 / Numeroundici
Location: Via S. Martino, 47, 56125 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 27282
Numero 11, or Numeroundici, is one of the most popular restaurants in Pisa.
Numero 11 serves rustic Italian food as good as Pisa. Hearty portions draw Italian families and students.
Long tables and chairs give Numero 11 a communal, Italian-family feel. Here you can chat with other diners while eating rabbit with aubergines or pork with potatoes. Numero 11 offers vegetarian dishes like aubergine in tomato sauce and vegan chickpea meatballs.
This restaurant will let you experience dining with a large Italian family. At Numero 11, you’ll order at the counter and clear your table. Numero 11’s prices are reasonable, making it a good choice for families.
4. La Grotta
Location: Via San Francesco, 103, 56127 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 578105
The location of La Grotta is as appealing as the food, making it in line of the best restaurants in Pisa.
The cave-like interior of La Grotta – which actually means “the cave” in Italian – resembles a real cave, with exposed brick and rough stonework, making it a very comfortable and alluring place to either have drinks with friends or a full-course meal with your sweetheart.
The menu is small, straightforward, and Tuscan. The locals are primarily concentrated in La Grotta.
Try their fantastic Pici, a hand-rolled thick pasta that resembles fat spaghetti. The meatballs with apples are an unusual but tasty dish. There are also hearty soups and delicious local cheeses. However, La Grotta’s codfish dish is the clear winner. After tasting La Grotta’s cod, no other fish will quite satisfy!
5. Antica Trattoria il Campano
Location: Via Domenico Cavalca, 19, 56126 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 580585
Antica Trattoria il Campano is located east of the University of Pisa in Pisa’s oldest and most colorful neighborhood, Piazza delle Vettovaglie.
One of the best restaurants in Pisa is one with delectable cuisines. Antica Trattoria il Campano serves traditional Pisan cuisine.
Locals and visitors alike enjoy Antica Trattoria il Campano. The rustic decor exudes Tuscan charm. The food is simple, authentic, and delicious, and the tantalizing aromas hit you as soon as you walk in. Truffles and homemade pasta, especially Pici with tomato-pepper-garlic sauce, are must-tries. The grilled sirloin with pecorino and chicory is also a standout.
Antica Trattoria il Campano has a wine cellar with over 400 labels, so don’t pass up the opportunity to imbibe!
Accordion players make music as they weave around the dining tables, adding to the Tuscan feel.
6. Ristorante alle Bandierine
Location: Via Mercanti, 4, 56127 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 500000
Ristorante alle Bandierine is at the top of locals’ list of the best Pisa restaurants for delicious, fresh, homemade spaghetti. This spaghetteria is hidden in Pisa’s town center, near the Ponte di Mezzo. But do not get fooled! Ristorante alle Bandierine is not idle. The locals keep the place hopping, so make a reservation.
However, just because spaghetti connoisseurs flock to Spaghetteria Alle Bandierine does not imply that bowls of pasta are the only options on the menu. Sliced steak is another popular menu item. And don’t forget to order the Panna Cotta with Strawberries as a delicious way to finish your meal.
7. Ristorante Osteria L’Artilafo
Location: Via S. Martino, 33, 56125 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 27010
Locals reserve a table at the elegant Ristorante Osteria L’Artilafo for a romantic, candlelit dinner.
Ristorante Osteria L’Artilafo provides an enchanting setting for a quiet dinner for two, with an attractive decor of warm colors and distinctive furniture pieces, such as vintage-style chairs and candelabras. There’s even a lovely garden.
Ristorante Osteria L’Artilafo’s current location was a grocery store and then a craftsman furniture shop, and the architectural details reflect that.
Ristorante Osteria L’Artilafo has been in business for 30 years and is one of the most creative and original Pisa restaurants. Antonella Breschi, the local chef, takes pride in her experimentation. It shows in her blend of classic Pisan fare with a modern twist.
Ristorante Osteria L’Artilafo is one of best restaurants in Pisa and even the whole Tuscany, serving high-quality food and boasting an impressive wine cellar.
8. La Buca 2
Location: Via Fiorentina, 528, 56121 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 980240
La Buca 2 is for those who enjoy seafood. Each fish dish has been created to let the sea’s bounty speak for itself. Crispy white bait and hand-cut chips are elevated with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
At the same time, the classic seafood pasta with juicy mussels, salty clams, and whole prawns is al dente and flavored with garlic and white wine.
This local favorite is a little off the beaten path, and the price reflects its location away from the main tourist drag.
9. La Pergoletta
Location: Via delle Belle Torri, 40, 56100 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 542458
This restaurant’s romantic setting is created by trailing botanica from pergola beams.
But the crowds aren’t just attracted by the atmosphere and environment; the significant portions of seasonal Tuscan food leave diners feeling warm and fuzzy as well!
The wild boar pasta is filling, and the seafood risotto is umami-rich and dotted with plump, juicy mussels in their shells. The show’s star has to be the leaning tower of pastry with a rich chocolate center. It’s a vast desert that looks like the city’s most famous landmark.
10. Pane e Vino
Location: Piazza Chiara Gambacorti, 7, 56125 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 347 531 4312
The charcuterie-sharing platters are the main draw of this tucked-away little wine bar in a quiet piazza. Garlicky mortadella, spicy salami, and mozzarella dripping with creamy moisture are piled high on wooden boards. The ingredients are sourced from the nearby Tuscan rolling hills and fully embrace the slow-food movement.
The wine list is ultra-regional, featuring the best Pisan vintages and full-bodied reds from Tuscany’s undulating terroir. Most of the seating is outside on the piazza, but there are a few bench seats and cozy nooks inside.
ALSO READ: Best Italian Desserts Everyone Should Taste
11. Trattoria Pizzeria Il Montino
Location: Via del Monte, 1, 56126 Pisa PI, Italy
Phone: +39 050 598695
Trattoria Pizzeria Il Montino is where the blue neon pizzeria sign points. This was the first pizzeria to open in Pisa. It is a landmark for all kinds of Pisans.
Situated in Pisa’s center, Trattoria Pizzeria Il Montino is cozy, simple, and casual. The tasty pizzas are cooked right before you in a wood-fired oven and served quickly.
Cecina (a type of pizza made with chickpeas and chestnut cake) and spuma (a sweet non-alcoholic drink) are some of the house specialties.
Even though there are seats inside and outside, it’s best to grab a slice of pizza and stroll around the busy neighborhood.