Photo of yrabota. A healthy, good cuisine that reflects the true Tuscan tradition. For years, in fact, customs and recipes have been perpetuated that are still loved today by its inhabitants, and not. Many of the typical dishes originated from the peasant tradition , a poor cuisine prepared with simple ingredients and which come mainly from the vegetable gardens and the countryside. An example is the bordatino, soup with beans and cabbage, pasta and chickpeas, and the castagnaccio, prepared with chestnuts. Among the meat-based dishes we find the typical cut of Pisan mucus and tripe, while the very important fish-based dish is grilled cod or stewed stockfish. A unique city, where warmth and conviviality are the masters.
Here are the10 things to eat in Pisa and where !
SEE ALSO : What to see in Pisa
1 – Bordatino alla pisana
One of the most typical examples of poor cuisine , made with few ingredients, including dried or fresh beans, black cabbage and yellow flour, in some cases even with the addition of rind, lard or ham. It can also be flavored with aromatic herbs such as catmint or thyme. It is an ancient dish typically winter but also enjoyed in other seasons.
The word bordatino may derive from the fact that the soup, given its simple preparation, was mostly prepared on board ships and fishing boats.with the catch of the day; in the countryside, however, it was prepared with vegetables from the garden and lard. The Tuscan bordatino was therefore prepared on the basis of the products available in the various localities of the region, creating different variations. However, the Pisan recipe par excellence seems to be the vegetarian version of the soup, also similar to the farinata with cabbage, mostly prepared in the Tuscan hinterland.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €12.00
- Main ingredients : beans, black cabbage, lard, rind, yellow flour
2 – Pasta e ceci
Photo by photobeps. A typical first course of the Pisan tradition, also prepared with a few simple ingredients: short pasta and whole chickpeas. Among its variations there is the chickpea puree with chard or prawns. The origin of the pasta and chickpea soup is clearly peasant , given that legumes were a very substantial iron-based food capable of replacing meat, which few could afford to eat.
Over the years, this dish has become increasingly sought after and widespread in all Italian restaurants, thanks to the unique taste of pasty legumes together with rosemary and pork rigatino (a sort of Tuscan pancetta), excellent to combine with a good glass of wine.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €10.00
- Main ingredients : short pasta, chickpeas, rosemary, pork rigatino
3 – Pallette
Photo by alex9500. A sort of polenta , a semi-liquid cream made from ground corn flour. It is then served in layers with beef and pork ragu, rabbit giblets and mushroom sauce, such as morecci or pioppini. In some versions, leeks are also used. The dish is completed with a little grated Parmesan cheese.
A dish that is usually prepared from September onwards .
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : 10.00
- Main ingredients : beef and pork, mushroom sauce, rabbit giblets
4 – Tripe alla pisana
Photo by photology1980. A dish of the popular tradition , very substantial and protein. A dish based on veal tripe with tomato.
The tripe in question derives from one of the three stomachs of the beef , the sack and the hundred skins, while the lampredotto is typical of Florentine cuisine. Absolutely to taste!
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €12.00
- Main ingredients : tripe, onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste, aromatic herbs
5 – Tagliata al mucco Pisano
Photo by vasiliybudarin. The Pisan cow is the result of a cross between the local Podolica cow, the Chianina cow and the Alpine brown cow. Its meat is particularly tender and with a strong flavor. The cut of beef was born in the 80s from an idea of ​​the chef Sergio Lorenzi, owner of the “Sergio” restaurant in Pisa, a sort of re-interpretation of the Florentine steak.
The Pisan cow meat is a quality of meat raised for five centuries in the area near the Natural Park of Migliarno Massaciuccoli and San Rossore.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €15.00
- Main ingredients : Pisan cow meat, courgettes, peppers, parsley
6 – Pisan
stockfish Photo by Degroote.Stock. Another of the dishes belonging to the poor Tuscan cuisine. Today, however, it is considered a refined dish and enjoyed by even the most delicious palates.
The Pisan recipe provides that the stockfish is cooked in stew with chopped potatoes, more or less spicy, depending on your taste.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €18.00
- Main ingredients : stockfish, potatoes, tomatoes, chilli
7 – Baccala
coi porri Photo of viewfrommypoint. The cod was consumed mainly in the Tuscan hinterland; fresh fish was difficult to find due to poor means of transport and unsuitable conservation methods. The salty cod was preserved in an optimal way, if many could afford it and was usually consumed on Friday.
In this Tuscan version, cod is usually cooked on the grill and accompanied by leeks.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €18.00
- Main ingredients : cod, leeks, peeled tomatoes
8 – Cantuccini col Vin santo
Photo of yrabota. Vin santo is traditionally produced in Tuscany, and a dessert wine derived from Trebbiano or Malvasia grapes. There are various theories on the origin of the name. It is said of a Franciscan friar who in 1348 treated the victims of the plague with a wine with miraculous properties, precisely “holy”. Another theory tells that, during the council of Florence in 1439, the Greek metropolitan Giovanni Bessarione, intent on drinking wine, said: “This is the wine of Xantos!”, Suggesting that the drink had miraculous properties. The most accredited origin is however that of the wine used during the mass.
Tuscan cantucci are the perfect dry biscuits for vin Santo; the dough is prepared with flour, sugar, eggs, almonds and pine nuts. Their elongated shape is given by the diagonal cut of the loaf after cooking. The name derives from “canto”, or corner, or from “cantellus” which means slice of bread.
- Recommended for : always
- Average cost : 6.00
- Main ingredients : wine, flour, sugar, eggs, almonds, pine nuts
9 – Castagnaccio
Photo of Wine Dharma. A chestnut flour cake typical of the Pisa area, prepared with raisins, walnuts, pine nuts and coarsely chopped rosemary. Despite having several variations in many other regions of Italy, castagnaccio has increasingly become a typical Tuscan dessert.
A dessert born as a dish for the poor farmerswho easily found chestnuts in the countryside. Already in the 16th century, the castagnaccio was already well known; an Augustinian father, in fact, mentions him in a writing by him. The inventor of the castagnaccio seems to have been the Tuscan Pilade da Lucca, quoted in the “Commentary on the most notable and monstrous things in Italy and other places”, written by Ortensio Orlano and published in 1553 in Venice. The addition of raisins, pine nuts and rosemary began in the 19th century and his recipe was exported throughout Italy.
- Recommended for : always
- Average cost : €5.00
- Main ingredients : chestnut flour, raisins, pine nuts, vinsanto
10 – Torta co ‘bischeri
Photo of freepik. A tart prepared throughout Tuscany and, in particular, in Pisa, where it is stuffed with rice and chocolate and enriched with candied fruit, pine nuts and dried fruit, according to taste.
In Tuscany the word bischero means “silly”, “not very smart”, but, in this case, the name of this cake seems to derive from the shortcrust pastry spouts that are made on the surface of the cake.
- Recommended for : always
- Average cost : €5.00
- Main ingredients : flour, dark chocolate, pine nuts, raisins
Where to eat in Pisa: cheap restaurants, typical bars and street food
The most touristic restaurants in Pisa are located in the Campo dei Miracoli area , usually more expensive for the suggestive view. The other areas where you can find good typical restaurants are Piazza Dante Alighieri, Piazza del Mercato and Piazza delle Vettovaglie, in the latter area there are numerous bistros, bars for aperitifs and bars for all price ranges.
Also recommended are the areas of Borgo Stretto and Largo, up to Bagni di Nerone with typical bars and bistros, also suitable for the youngest. the other most famous areas where you can also eat are Corso Italia (shopping street) perhaps with more informal clubs and street food, Via dei Mille and Piazza dei Cavalieri. For a more international cuisine, Piazza della Pera (or Chiara Gambacorti) is more suitable with ethnic restaurants and bars open until late at night. Finally, in Via San Martino, you can find more classic restaurants that have also made the history of Pisan cuisine.
1 – Antica Trattoria da Bruno
- Description : regional Tuscan cuisine with the best Pisan homemade dishes from both land and sea
- Specialty : cod with leeks / stockfish with potatoes
- Average price : from € 25.00 per person
- Address : Via Luigi Bianchi, 12 – Get directions / tel: 050 560818
2 – The Ostellino
- Description : small informal floor with street food produced with 0 km ingredients and seasonal products
- Specialty : platter with typical cold cuts and cheeses
- Average price : from € 10.00 per person
- Address : Piazza Felice Cavallotti, 1 – Get directions / tel: 331 9431843
3 – Osteria dei Cavalieri
- Description : starred restaurant where tradition blends with innovation, with typical Pisan dishes revisited in a gourmet key in a welcoming place
- Specialty : tripe and sliced ​​beef
- Average price : from € 35.00 per person
- Address : Via S. Frediano, 16 – Get directions / tel: 050 580858
4 – Galileo Restaurant
- Description : typical and traditional cuisine based on long cooking and typical local products in an elegant and distinguished atmosphere
- Specialties : tortelli with Tuscan ragu and fresh handmade pasta
- Average price : from € 15.00 per person
- Address : Via S. Martino, 6 – Get directions / tel: 050 28287
5 – Jhonny Paranza Pisa – In the manner of Grace
- Description : first quality products for an exceptional fried food, second courses based on fish such as steak of tuna, but also first courses such as spaghetti allo scoglio.
- Specialty : mixed fried fish
- Average price : from € 10.00 per person
- Address : Vicolo del Poschi, 7 – Get directions / tel: 320 7717153
6 – The Comfortable Pigs
- Description : a very small place that is enormously successful, both among Pisans and tourists. The menu includes over 50 alternatives for sandwiches, as well as cristini, cutting boards and many other street specialties.
- Specialties : sandwiches, cristini and cutting boards
- Average price : € 8.00 per person
- Address : Via l’Arancio, 4 – Get directions / Tel. 392 989 3706
7 – Dispute Fund
- Description : diner a few steps from the Leaning Tower. With an excellent value for money, even in view of the location, it is possible to enjoy excellent typical street food. Also noteworthy are the excellent homemade desserts.
- Specialty : Lampredotto sandwich
- Average price : € 12.00 per person
- Address : Via Angelo Galli Tassi, 13 Get directions / Tel. 050 620 3820
8 – Mr. Sgabeo
- Description : restaurant specializing in the preparation of “sgabei”, a Lunigiana specialty consisting of leavened, fried and salted bread dough. It offers a wide variety of fillings, both sweet and savory.
- Specialty : Orciano Pisano (Sausage, Pecorino, Eggplant and Truffle Sauce)
- Average price : € 6.00 per person approximately (€ 3.50 per stool + € 2.50 per drink)
- Address : Via Carlo Fedeli, 2 – Get directions / Tel. +39 388 1108779
9 – Primo – Pasta & Street Food
- Description : A true paradise for those who love pasta. The customer can choose the pasta shape he prefers, the quantity and the desired seasoning. There are also some proposals for second courses
- Specialty : spaghetti with meatballs
- Average price : € 9.00 per person
- Address : Vicolo del Tidi, 24 Get directions / Tel. 334 349 0099
10 – Neccio restaurant
- Description : located in the south of the city a few kilometers from the center. In a friendly and welcoming environment it is possible to taste, with an excellent value for money, meat and fish dishes, Pisan specialties and pizzas.
- Specialties : baby octopus and cannellini beans
- Average price : € 20.00 per person
- Address : Via Livornese, 122 Get directions / Tel. 050 530677
11 – Trattoria La Ghiotteria
- Description : traditional trattoria. The first courses are very popular, among which the penne at Jack Daniel’s stand out, an innovative and tasty recipe.
- Specialty : penne at Jack Daniel’s
- Average price : € 15.00 per person
- Address: Vicolo delle Donzelle 9-11 Get directions / Tel. 348 406 4725
12 – Ancient Workshop of Pisa
- Description : restaurant with a genuine atmosphere and food a few steps from the Tower, in a quiet side street. Everything speaks Tuscan, from the style of the tables to the menu proposals, which range from classic croutons to stewed cod
- Specialty : wild boar alla cacciatora
- Average price : € 18.00
- Address : Via Santa Maria, 145 Get directions / Tel. 333 792 3705
13 – Pisan Refreshments
- Description : Homemade dishes prepared with local products. The house appetizer includes cold cuts, cheeses, croutons and pancakes, the meal is accompanied by excellent Pisan wine.
- Specialty : Sliced ​​meat
- Average price : € 12.00 per person
- Address : Via Santa Bibbiana, 1 Get directions / Tel. 392 701 6586
