Arezzo sits at the junction of four Tuscan valleys - Casentino, Valtiberina, Valdarno, and Valdichiana - and its food reflects all of them. This is proper working Tuscan cuisine, not the curated restaurant experience of Florence.
What to Eat
Bistecca alla Fiorentina - the T-bone steak from Chianina cattle, raised in the Valdichiana. Arezzo arguably has better access to the genuine article than Florence. Sold by weight (per etto), served rare.
Acquacotta - a peasant soup made with stale bread, seasonal vegetables, and olive oil. The Maremma and Sienese hills around Arezzo are its heartland. Topped with a poached egg in many versions.
Pappardelle al cinghiale - wide ribbons of egg pasta with wild boar ragù. Boar is hunted extensively in the surrounding forests; the sauce is rich, dark, and slow-cooked.
Ribollita - the Tuscan bread and bean soup, twice-cooked (ribollita = reboiled). Better in agriturismi and family trattorias than in tourist-facing restaurants.
Scottiglia - a mixed meat stew (pork, rabbit, chicken, lamb) braised in tomato and wine. Aretine in origin, rarely found elsewhere.
Bringoli - thick, hand-rolled pasta from the Valtiberina, similar to pici but chunkier. Often served with garlic, olive oil, and pecorino.
Tartufo nero - the black truffles from the Valtiberina and Casentino forests are significant. Autumn menus often feature truffle on fresh pasta or bruschetta.
Where to Eat
The best eating is in the upper town, away from the train station. Look for trattorias on the side streets between the Piazza Grande and the Duomo - the main squares have the worst tourist-ratio pricing.
The surrounding countryside is the best source of authentic cooking. Agriturismi in the Casentino and Chianti colli aretini serve meals cooked from their own produce - usually better and cheaper than the town.
Drinks
The Colli Aretini DOC produces Sangiovese-based reds that don’t have the profile of Chianti Classico but drink well. Local wine lists in the better trattorias include producers from Cortona (Syrah and Merlot), which is 30 kilometres south.
Arezzo has good coffee. Bars in the historic centre serve it correctly - standing at the counter, short, without milk after 11am.
Named restaurants
Trattoria Il Saraceno (Via Mazzini 6) - Tuscan standards at fair prices. Pici, ribollita, Chianina beef tagliata. Mains approximately €10–14 as of 2026. Closed Wednesday.
La Torre di Gnicche (Piaggia San Martino 8) - A wine bar-restaurant in the old town with a strong local wine list (Colli Aretini, Cortona DOC). Taglieri of Tuscan salumi, pici al ragù, cheese plates. Mains approximately €12–16. The terrace has views over the valley.
Logge Vasari (Piazza Grande 18) - Dining under Vasari’s loggia on the main square. Tuscan cuisine with a view. Mains approximately €14–18. Particularly atmospheric during the antique fair weekends.
La Buca di San Francesco (Via San Francesco 1) - Near the Piero della Francesca frescoes. Traditional Aretine cooking since 1929. Acquacotta, pappardelle with wild boar, grilled meats. Mains approximately €12–18. Closed Monday evening and Tuesday.
Practical tips
Arezzo is significantly cheaper for eating out than Florence or Siena - a full dinner with wine costs approximately €25–35 per person. The antique fair weekends (first Sunday of each month and preceding Saturday) bring extra restaurants and food stalls to Piazza Grande. The Valdichiana plain south of Arezzo produces Chianina beef - ask for it specifically at any grillhouse. The wine to drink with Aretine food is Chianti Colli Aretini DOCG - less well-known than Chianti Classico but excellent value, typically approximately €15-25 per bottle in restaurants. For a sit-down food experience, the restaurants around Via Cavour and the streets behind the Duomo tend to be more reliable than those on Piazza Grande, which serve the tourist and antique fair crowd. The Saturday morning food market on Piazza Sant’Agostino has seasonal produce, cheeses, and salumi from local farms. Guided food and wine tours in Arezzo can be a good way to access the surrounding Chianti Colli Aretini estates and local producers.
Back to the full Arezzo travel guide for Piero della Francesca, the Piazza Grande, and transport connections. For things to see and do in the city - the Legend of the True Cross and the antiques market - see things to do in Arezzo. For day trips to Cortona, Sansepolcro, and Siena, see day trips from Arezzo. For Arezzo accommodation, see best hotels in Arezzo. The broader Tuscan food tradition - bistecca, ribollita, Chianti - is covered in our Tuscan food guide.