One day in Siena – My city guide

I’ve studied for five years in Siena at the University. I would run in the morning to my classes, head down and neck tucked in my scarf in winter, a slower pace in summer, always in the shade to avoid the scorching sun. I loved Siena, as I love Florence, but I remain a country girl at heart.

I don’t belong to Siena as I don’t belong to Florence, but I learnt to appreciate their different characters: the first markedly Medieval, with its life revolving around the contrade and the Palio, the second shining in its Renaissance glory. I live happily in between Siena and Florence, there are days when I crave for the Florentine life, the walks along the Arno river and the lively life of Santo Spirito and San Niccolò, other days where I feel attracted by Piazza del Campo, the red bricks of Siena and the grilled meat feast you can enjoy during a dinner in a local contrada.

This is a list of personal favourites collected throughout the years, a food oriented city guide of Siena, something I’ve been meaning to share for a while.

How to reach Siena and where to park

It is quite simple to drive to Siena, a medieval town completely surrounded by the city walls with big gates, the ancient porte, which let you in. There are many car parks around the walls, most of them are payment parkings. My favourite one is the parking inside the Fortezza, next to the Stadium, which is the closest to the city centre. Visit this page for directions and tariffs, while here you find a list of more parking lots and rates in Siena.

Next to the Fortezza there’s also a free car park where you can leave your car for free for the whole day, if you are quite lucky or you are visiting Siena in low season. I strongly suggest you to check this car park first!

If you come from Florence, the bus is a good idea, too, as in slightly more than an hour it will leave you just a few steps from Il Corso, the main, mainly pedestrian, street which crosses Siena. Take the bus Siena Rapida from the Santa Maria Novella bus station in Florence. Check here the timetable.

 

The best period to visit Siena

I tend to answer October to this question for almost every area of Tuscany, as the countryside shines with its brightest colours, the weather is usually warm and sunny, with colder nights which cover the hills with a misty blanket in the morning. Most importantly, you get into the low season, so you are likely to find less tourists crowding museums, streets, shops and restaurants. Siena makes no exception.

Yet, if you are adventurous and if you can stand the summer heat, July and August are the months when you can enjoy the festive atmosphere of the Palio di Siena. Read more about it here.

My favourite cafés

Torrefazione Fiorella, in Via di Città, serves one of the best coffees in Siena. They have also remarkable pastries to transform your coffee break in a second breakfast: Italian croissants with several fillings, doughnuts and rice pudding tartlets if you have a sweet tooth, otherwise delicate sandwiches and tiny panini with salmon and butter, anchovy paste and butter and the more traditional prosciutto crudo and cotto. Here you can also buy coffee beans and coffee powder to bring home the toasted aroma of a breakfast in Siena. www.caffefiorella.it

Bar Pasticceria Nannini, Via Banchi di Sopra, 24. It doesn’t get more traditional than this. The Nannini family is part of the history of Siena, their name strongly connected to pastry art and coffee. www.pasticcerienannini.it

Pasticceria Buti, Viale Vittorio Emanuele II. If you search for the typical Sienese seasonal sweet treats as pan co’ santi, panforte, ricciarelli and cavallucci, this is the place to visit. Just outside Porta Camollia, it is also famous for their caramellato, a shell of puff pastry glazed in caramel and filled with chantilly.

Tea Room, Via Porta Giustizia, 11. Cookies and cakes baked daily, all with that genuine look of homemade desserts, are displayed on the counter, set against decorative backsplashes covered with glass bells. Ilario, manager of the Tea Room for twenty years, will guide you through the impressive selection of teas and herbal infusions—more than one hundred types from around the world. The Tea Room is also perfect for a late-afternoon snack or a slice a cake and cup of tea after dinner. Be sure to make a reservation if you’d like to sit at one of the small sofas or tables after dinner. [Temporary closed]

  

Where to have an aperitivo

Morbidi. A delicatessen and gourmet shop spread over three floors in Via Banchi di Sopra 75, a cave of wonders, where you can purchase speciality food and wine to take home. You can also enjoy a meal or an aperitivo at Morbidi Gourmet, where you can order wine, artisanal beers and cocktails accompanied by a generous spread of tastings of local recipes and products. Good quality and good prices.

Gino Cacino, in Piazza del Mercato 31. You’ll love dearly this deli where you can sit on high stools and enjoy enormous boards crammed with cheese, charcuterie, spreads and morsels made with the most unique products. The cheese is mainly from Tuscany, with a few incredible blue cheeses from France and England, the fruit compotes and spreads are all homemade, and the pairings are imaginative, brave and impeccable. Their long list of panini can satisfy even the more curious gourmand. It usually closes down at 8pm: it is, therefore, the perfect spot for an aperitivo, even though I doubt you’ll be able to sit for dinner after one of Angelo’s taglieri!

Liberamente Osteria, Piazza del Campo, 27. When I want to enjoy a drink in the piazza, I go to Liberamente Osteria, a cocktail bar with a special view, ideal for watching the world pass by. They make excellent classic cocktails and mocktails, accompanied by platters of carefully selected local products. The same care is taken with the choice of wines, liquors, and mixers used in their cocktails.  Try their weekly spritz options, inspired by the changing seasons: a great excuse to return to Liberamente Osteria often!

  

Where to have a quick lunch

Te ke voi, in Vicolo San Pietro 4, just a few steps from Piazza del Campo. A tiny spot with just a few tables, they do not accept reservations, so be there early in the evening for dinner. Te ke voi? is a transposition of the slang of young people and means literally what d’ya want? Burgers made with local chianina cow meat, local cheese, fragrant bread, real fried potatoes, cheese and charcuterie boards, fried dough and pizza. When local producers meet the take-away philosophy.

Osteria Il Grattacielo, Via dei Pontani, 8. Il Grattacielo is a rustic and lively Sienese osteria in operation since opening as a wine bar in 1840. Students, professors, working professionals, laborers, and tourists all come together here, especially at lunch time, when the place fills with folks on break from their jobs in the Siena town center.  Don’t look for a menu. Rather, dishes are presented directly at the table by the three owners, with a detailed description of the care used in sourcing and selecting the finest local products. www.osteriailgrattacielo.it

Prètto Prosciutteria, Via dei Termini, 4. Prètto is an osteria, a prosciutteria and deli shop, a cozy place to stop for a glass of wine and charcuterie board, or a more substantial lunch. Here you can also try bruschette with a selection of organic olive oils. Definitely not to miss is the prosciutto platter, served with bread or focaccia, for a taste of various types including Nero dell’Amiata and Cinta Senese breeds. Also worth trying are two unusual dishes: Simmenthal and Chianti “tuna”. The first is veal served with a fresh and colorful salad, while the second is pork meat cooked until tender and preserved in oil, taking on the look of tuna. Among the noteworthy starters are the crostini di milza (spleen pâté) and anchovies in pesto. www.prettoprosciutteria.it 

Where to sit down to enjoy a meal

Salefino Vino e Cucina, Via degli Umiliati 1. Grab a coffee in the morning, sit down for lunch or for dinner or pop in for an aperitivo, you won’t be disappointed. The atmosphere is elegant and modern, not the rustic feeling you would get from the classic Tuscan trattoria, but the food is honest and excellent ingredients shine in every course. You’ll be greeted with a gin and tonic, to start things off well. The dining room is run by young people who’ve grown up together at Salefino (they gladly define themselves as a family) who will explain the menu and ingredients. The menu here does not distinguish between starters, first courses, or second courses, but rather presents the chef’s selections, about twenty, to be paired with the daily specials (see the blackboard), and then the wines and craft beers. Salefino offers traditional Sienese cuisine, yet also features unusual, little-unknown ideas and ingredients—a modern, open philosophy.  Fish and vegetarian dishes are also available, making this a restaurant everyone will find reason to love.

La sosta di Violante, Via Pantaneto 115. This is likely one of my favorite restaurants in Siena, my go-to when I’m craving traditional Tuscan cooking that is never boring, made with quality ingredients and good dose of comfort. If I had to choose one dish to order every time I come here it would be, without hesitation, the pici pasta with a knife-cut pork neck meat sauce— a hearty and filling dish that delivers immediate joy. Aside from the pici pasta, dishes like pappa al pomodoro with Cinta pork cheek and the cacio e pepe risotto with crumbled Cinta Senese sausage are two “comfort dishes” to definitely try.

L’orto dei Pecci, Via Porta Giustizia. It is not far from Piazza del Campo, though it’s like being in the countryside. L’orto dei Pecci is the perfect place for families with children who love to play outside, there are animals to pet and a medieval garden with herbs and vegetables. Simple honest food, incredible view and friendly atmosphere.

Osteria il Vinaio di Bobbe e Davide, Via Camollia, 167. Yellow paper napkins, wine by the glass, and the casual, loud surroundings will transport you to an authentic vinaio (an establishment where wine is both sold and consumed). The walls are decorated with images of the Palio and the Eroica bike race, cycling t-shirts, along with cured meats hanging from the ceiling, drawings and compliments left by customers. Upon entering, have a look at the counter as you begin to consider what to order from among the cured meats, frittatas, meatballs, and oil-preserved vegetables. If you’re not sure what to order, try the gran piatto, comprised of the very best of what Bobbe and Davide have to offer.

Try also Taverna di San Giuseppe, in Via Duprè 132, for an unforgettable dinner in a historical building which dates back to the 1.100, Osteria Castelvecchio, in Via di Castelvecchio 65, if you feel like having fish, Grotta Santa Caterina da Bagoga, in Via della Galluzza 26, for typical and historical dishes, and Osteria del Gatto in Via San Marco 8, where you can taste the famous bistecca fiorentina, the thick beef steak you are supposed to eat al sangue.

  

My favourite shops

Where to have a walk off the beaten track

Vicolo degli Orefici. You must look for this tiny back alley, as it is a cul-de-sac, so you won’t find yourself here unless you are specifically searching for it. It’s like being somewhere else, the alley is completely decorated with plants, quiet and slightly eerie. Listen to the people talking in the houses, smell what they are cooking and imagine how it would be to live here!

Vicolo delle Carrozze. Another tiny and charming back alley, it dues its name (carrozza is a carriage) to the fact that it was used as a parking for the coaches and carriages of gentlemen staying in a nearby hotel.

La Fortezza. On the top of the sixteenth century fortress you can enjoy a breathtaking view over the medieval city and the countryside that surrounds it. It’s a great place for a walk or a run. In summer there’s the cinema sotto le stelle here, an open air cinema.

Where to find a souvenir

Alvalenti is a local artist, illustrator and cartoonist. The shop and art gallery is covered with his colourful and happy drawings. Siena la città magica (the magic city) is my favourite drawing. Find his shop in Via Beccheria 7.

My favourite bookstores

In Via di Città 62, the Libreria Senese is an independent book store where you can buy art books, photography books, novels, books for children and a good collection of books in foreign languages and cookery books. Yes, you can find here also my book, I love Toscana (wink wink).

Libreria Mondadori, in Via Montanini 112, has a good selection of books dedicated to Siena and Tuscany, including many interesting cookbooks. Here you can buy all my recents cookbooks. Ask Filippo for advice! 

A seasonal treat

From the beginning of Carnival to the 19th of March, St. Joseph, there’s a mixed smell of fried food and sugar in the thin winter air. This festive smell is due to the rice fritters stall, a wooden and mountain-like structure, which appears in the scenery of the Campo’s square for a month or so, selling those that to me are the most delicious rice fritters in the world. Read more about this here.

Outside the city walls

The countryside surrounds Siena and its medieval walls, you can see olive groves, vineyards and gardens all around the town. It is therefore easy to leave the paved streets and the red brick walls to lose yourself into the countryside. 

If you don’t feel like driving and appreciate some light exercise, rent an eBike at Siena Bike Shop and ask them which is the best itinerary to enjoy the countryside around Siena. I’m not a sportive person, but I found the whole experience extremely enjoyable and liberating. They have also proper bikes for serious cyclists who are not scared by the Chianti ups and downs.

Ride to La Taverna di Vagliagli, in Via del Sergente 4, Vagliagli, a lovely restaurant we discovered almost by chance, with a super interesting Tuscan menu, chicken liver crostini to die for, a hearty serving of pici and, most importantly, a fireplace where to grill chicken, spiedini and Fiorentina steak. 

If you feel like exploring the Chianti area by car, you might want to consider a wine tasting at Querceto di Castellina, a family-run organic winery and agriturismo high on a hilltop in the Chianti Classico. 

 

Un post condiviso da Giulia Scarpaleggia (@julskitchen) in data: 30 Apr 2017 alle ore 09:20 PDT

Siena WithGusto – A foodie guide

Siena is a town devoted to tradition, who was help to re-invent itself after the crisis of the last years. Forget about hipsters places and Instagram friendly faces with a fake shabby chic vibe, here still exist place dug in tuff caves, bakeries that mark the rhythm of the year with the alternation of typical sweets, and a Christmas market in Piazza del Campo that with its atmosphere brings you several centuries back.
This guide is a journey in a land of trattorias and taverns, of vinai (places where wine is sold and where you can also have a bite of something), of restaurants that carry on the local tradition: chopping of cheeses and sliced meats, pici, wild boar, Cinta Senese.

Our foodie guide to Siena made with Travel with Gusto is finally out in English. You can buy it on line on Kobo or on Amazon.
And if you’re planning an Italian trip, have a look at the Florence with Gusto guide, written by our friend Valentina, and the Rome with Gusto guide, written by our friend Rossella.