Viterbo is one of the most popular and visited cities in Tuscia , the Italian area which includes part of the territories of Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria. In addition to being known as the City of the Popes , for having hosted the papal seat in the thirteenth century, Viterbo is sought after for the numerous free spas located around its urban fabric, for the popular manifestation of the Machine of Santa Rosa ( celebrated in honor of the patron saint, every beginning of September) and for the dishes of the culinary tradition.
Where to eat in Viterbo: cheap restaurants, typical bars and street food
1 – Buongusto Piadineria
Staying on the subject of street food, we recommend this place, small but welcoming, ideal for a quick lunch. All the wraps are made at the moment and only 0 km products are used . Excellent value for money. The two owners, a couple of boys, are witty and very attentive to the requests of their customers.
- Address : Piazza del Plebiscito, 17 – Get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 3936619127 – facebook page
- House specialty : piadina stuffed with chicory, olive cream and dried tomatoes; piadina with grilled aubergines, mozzarella, tomato sauce, parmesan flakes and basil cream; piadina with porchetta from Tuscia and chicory;
- Average price per person : around € 15.00
2 – At the old clock
Very characteristic local, with exposed peperino , which offers a menu of typical dishes. At Paolo Bianchini’s old clock it seems to be one of the best restaurants in the city of Viterbo. Finding it will not be difficult: it is located in the heart of the City of the Popes.
- Address : Via Orologio Vecchio, 25 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 335337754 – Facebook page
- House specialty : Osteria appetizer of local meats and cheeses; pork fillet with honey and saffron from Tuscia; among the pizzas, the “GuanciaMia” is recommended.
- Average price per person : around € 25.00
3 – Sale Nero Restaurant
Delicious family-run restaurant, with high quality and high quality preparations . Regular customers warmly recommend the fish-based dishes, always very fresh, and the various first courses that are offered. If you are undecided, ask the waiters for help: they will certainly find a way to amaze you.
- Address : Via Bottalone, 5 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 0761325045 – facebook page
- House specialty : Tortelli with porcini and bottarga infusion; sea ​​bass with lemon compote; sea ​​ravioli stuffed with scallops and prawns.
- Average price per person : around € 25.00
4 – Il Ghiottone Do
you want pizza
Then Il Ghiottone is the place for you: informal atmosphere, very kind staff and a wide choice of pizzas , all good and super cheap.
- Address : Via A. Solieri, 1 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 0761326343
- House specialty : pizza by the slice, regardless of the flavor you prefer
- Average price per person : around € 10.00
5 – Osteria del Vicolo
Specializing in meat main courses, the Osteria del Vicolo is characterized by a fast and friendly service and excellent quality dishes. All framed by a rustic and slightly romantic atmosphere.
- Address : Via San Vito, 10 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 3277118600 – facebook page
- House specialty : fillet with caramelized onions; entrecot accompanied by porcini mushrooms; bujone
- Average price per person : Fixed menu at € 15.00
6 – Rossi Signature sandwiches
Mediterranean recipes with the freshest ingredients , abundant and tasty sandwiches and an air of conviviality. How can you say no to a lunch break in the simple (but very organized!) Rossi sandwich shop
- Address : Via Duilio Mainella, 16 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 338 3562277 – facebook page
- House specialty : Bansky salad; salty croissants with salmon and cheese; sandwiches filled to taste.
- Average price per person : the price is around € 10.00 per person
7 – Street Food by Tony Crock
Described as the wizard of street food by his loyal patrons, Tony Crock is the place to go if you are looking for tasty stuffed sandwiches with slightly unusual and original ingredients . You can find it near the historic center, just right to indulge in a tasty snack after visiting the city.
- Address : Via Cardinal Pietro la Fontaine, 7 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 347 5007366 – facebook page
- House specialty : beef burger; horse burger; Chianina hamburger stuffed to taste
- Average price per person : about € 10.00
8 – Porta Romana
Because you can’t miss this restaurant with its 80s interiors
Primo, for its genuine and simple but tasty dishes. Second, for the owner who makes you feel like one of the family. In short, a bit like being at grandma’s house!
- Address : Via della Bonta, 12 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 0761307118 – facebook page
- House specialty : herb soup; pork knuckle; side dish of local mushrooms
- Average price per person : around € 25.00
9 – Monastero BiPizza
Spartan atmosphere, large portions and stratospheric pizza: this is what awaits you at the Monastero BiPizza pizza restaurant. It seems that the favorite specialty of customers is precisely the double-flavored pizza (traditional taste followed by the variant of the pizza maker) which has made the place famous in the city. Attention, however: if you do not take reservations by phone, you should go there early so as not to risk getting in line!
- Address : Via Fattungheri, 8 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 0761324346 – facebook page
- House specialty : double pizza with double taste
- Average price per person : from about € 10.00
10 – The Antica Latteria
Finally, we come to talk about sweets. The Antica Latteria is one of the most popular ice cream parlors in Viterbo , thanks to the vast offer of ice cream … so vast that it will really please everyone! Inside the restaurant, moreover, there are several tables and it is possible to take advantage of the free Wifi service: perfect for those who need a … greedy break!
- Address : Via della verita, 25 – get directions
- Contacts : Tel (+39) 0761344285 – facebook page
- House specialty : ice cream, in every possible flavor you can think of; artisanal cream; Modica chocolate.
- Average price per person : it is difficult to exceed € 10.00
Viterbo specialties and typical dishes
The cuisine of Viterbo , due to the particular geographical location of the city, has undergone over time the culinary influences from the neighboring regions, so much so that the typical dishes are born from a mixture of flavors and ingredients belonging to the Tusciano world. Among the first courses, the inevitable spaghetti with cheese and pepper and the Rieti fregnacce constitute two bastions of the gastronomic tradition, not to forget the stracciatella alla romana , served especially during the Christmas holidays.
As for the latter, however, we find a rather varied set of land and sea products: the Bolsenese pikeit goes with turkey all’arrabbiata , the very tasty carnation (stewed beef flavored with cloves) with abbacchino alla cacciatora (lamb meat).
Finally, the typical sweet par excellence of the whole area are the tozzetti of Viterbo , prepared with hazelnuts from local crops.
If you are a lover of street food , however, you will find many places able to satisfy you with the proposals of simple, but tasty and quality foods. Some examples
The wraps with artichoke cream , or lightly seared slices of bread accompanied by a cucumber sauce with cream. To make aquolina come into your mouth!
1 – Acquacotta
Photo by Giorgio Minguzzi. It is the most traditional dish of the gastronomy of Tuscia , so tasting it is a must! It is a soup , which is composed of four fundamental ingredients and which must not be missing: stale bread, field chicory, mint and extra virgin olive oil added raw, egg or cod.
It is an ancient recipe, which in Viterbo and throughout Tuscia is still prepared according to tradition. Acquacotta has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site !
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €7.00
- Main ingredients : stale bread, field chicory, mint, extra virgin olive oil, egg or cod
2 – Chestnut and chickpea
soup A soup made with chickpeas and chestnuts , perfect on cooler days and during the autumn period. This is in fact the typical dish that is served during all festivals , for example that of the chestnut. Furthermore, it was once the traditional first course of Christmas Eve lunch. Very often, the soup is accompanied with dumplings.
The chestnuts used are the famous chestnuts of the Cimini Mountains , where its cultivation has very ancient origins. They have always been a fundamental ingredient for the peoples who lived in this area, as they have a high protein value. Nowadays, their cultivation is controlled and followed by very strict rules.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €7.00
- Main ingredients : chestnuts from Monti Cimini, chickpeas, rosemary, extra virgin olive oil
3 – Lombrichelli alla Vitorchianese
In the first courses, the pasta is strictly handmade. Umbrichielli are fresh pasta made with flour, a pinch of salt and water , there are no eggs. They have the shape of spaghetti, but are coarser. This is an ancient tradition, which was handed down from mother to daughter. Pasta was, and still is, seasoned either with a simple tomato sauce or with rich and tasty sauces, such as ragu sauce or viterbese sauce, with sausage and red wine .
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner, breakfast, snack, always
- Average cost : €9.00
- Main ingredients : water, flour, a pinch of salt
4 – Fieno di Canepina
It is a type of handmade pasta similar to tagliatelle , but cut much thinner. To prepare it, water, flour and eggs are used and once drained, it is dried on hemp cloths. It is generally seasoned with sauces such as meat or wild boar ragu, with a generous sprinkling of pecorino on top.
This pasta is typical of the city of Canepina , from which it takes its name, which is located just 13 kilometers from Viterbo. It is easily found in many restaurants and clubs and, together with the aforementioned chestnut and chickpea soup, it is one of the most loved and consumed dishes during local festivals.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €9.00
- Main ingredients : water, flour, eggs
5 – Gnocchi col ferro
They are a typical dish from Soriano nel Cimino , a town 20 kilometers from Viterbo. You will also find this dish served in all the restaurants and clubs in the area, as it is a real traditional recipe from Tuscia . Obviously, always strictly handmade, only water, flour and a pinch of salt are used.
There is an interesting story behind their name: they are called gnocchi col ferro, in dialect gnocchi made ch’i ferro, as a knitting needle is used during preparation to give them their shape . Once the dough is made, small pieces of dough are cut and turned over on the iron. They are served especially with meat sauce and porcini mushrooms.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €9.00
- Main ingredients : water, flour, a pinch of salt
6 – Frittelle
Pancakes are among the typical and most loved dishes of Tuscia ! Depending on the country or area, their names and ingredients change, but they are always delicious.
If you find yourself in Viterbo in winter and perhaps at Christmas, we absolutely recommend that you try the broccoli and borage fritters, a traditional recipe for the Christmas holidays . Borage is a spontaneous plant typical of the winter period and that grows in the fields.
- Recommended for : always
- Average cost : €5.00
- Main ingredients : flour, extra virgin olive oil, salt, borage, broccoli
7 – Pignattaccia
It is a traditional dish typical of the city. To prepare this stew you have to use less valuable cuts, and therefore also less expensive, of beef and various vegetables.
The name derives from the cooking technique: all the meats were in fact thrown into a pot, alternating them with vegetable strips , and the pot was then covered with paper straw and closed with a lid.
It is a hearty dish, of the peasant tradition, as it could be prepared at low cost.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €15.00
- Main ingredients : second choice cuts of beef, tail, tripe, vegetables, red tomato sauce, white wine and red wine, extra virgin olive oil
8 – Pike alla Bolsena
For all the second courses of fish in the area, fish from Lake Vico and Lake Bolsena are used and the most popular are pike, perch and whitefish.
As you can already understand from the name, this dish is typical of the area of ​​Lake Bolsena, but widespread throughout the Tuscia and you will not have difficulty finding it in the restaurants of Viterbo.
This dish is not difficult to prepare, you can also try it at home, but despite its simplicity it is a riot of flavors. The great protagonist of the dish is the pike . To prepare it, you need to brown the fillets in a pan with oil, garlic and a little chilli, deglaze with white wine and finally add the tomato sauce and capers..
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €16.00
- Main ingredients : pike, tomato sauce, capers, white wine, chilli, oil
9 – Fregnacce
It is now time to move on to the typical sweets of Tuscia. There are so many and all very good, we will limit ourselves to introducing you to the most famous, starting with the shit, the sweet pancakes typical of Viterbo ! Prepared during the carnival and loved by everyone, there is also a popular saying about them: “Le fregnaccie so ‘bone calle o chiacce”, that is, that shit is good both hot and cold.
They are similar to crepes , both in terms of preparation and in their final appearance. Once ready, they are stuffed with different fillings, the most common are that of mixed ricotta, cinnamon powder and sugar or with fruit jam. They are then rolled up, cut in half and covered with sugar, ready to be eaten!
- Recommended for : always
- Average cost : €3.00
- Main ingredients : flour, milk, eggs, powdered sugar,
10 – Tozzetti
These are probably the most traditional dessert in the whole of Viterbo and Tuscia . Originating from Soriano nel Cimino, the ingredients and preparation vary little according to the country in which they are prepared.
These are rustic and crunchy sweets, with a similar appearance to Tuscan cantucci , but instead of almonds, hazelnuts are used, exclusively from the Cimini Mountains . Very old recipe, they are traditional for Christmas and are enjoyed with vin santo. But you can find them all year round and they are perfect for breakfast to start the day on the right foot.
- Recommended for : always
- Average cost : €5.00
- Main ingredients : flour, Monti Cimini hazelnuts, sugar, milk, eggs
