Restaurants in Siena

This romantic restaurant adjoins the medieval city walls, and dining in its vaulted Etruscan caverns is much like eating in an Etruscan tomb. The menu is Tuscan with a twist, so starters include bruschetta with fresh tomato, or liver-encrusted crostini (topped toasted bread). Florentine steak, fried courgette flowers and wild boar might follow, but more creative is the polenta and chestnut tart with black truffle. The truffle-tasting menu features truffles from the Crete Senesi area, the moonscape south of Siena. Try the Parmesan risotto with truffle shavings or the potato gnocchi and truffles.

This is the perfect Sienese inn, combining a mellow atmosphere with old-school Tuscan food. The 'tavern' is convenient for the Campo and set in a softly-lit brick-vaulted dining room. This being Siena, there are also medieval and Etruscan wine cellars. The cavern-like space showcases robust Tuscan home-cooking, and typical dishes include authentic ribollita, a hearty peasant soup, beef stew, and Florentine steaks. Pasta is another strength, whether chunky pici or the ribbon-like pappardelle, which are often served with wild boar. A cosy but casual setting is matched by friendly service.

Just off the Campo, this gastronomic inn serves light, creative takes on Tuscan classics. The restaurant is set in an old-world pharmacy and herbalist's shop, with an authentic dark-wood and marble interior. Regulars particularly appreciate the antipasti and pasta first courses, such as ravioli with mint and Tuscan pecorino cheese. Other popular dishes include duck and fennel, stuffed guinea fowl, pigeon terrine, and the imaginative vegetable dishes. Expect an excellent wine list featuring prominent Tuscan plonk, including award-winning bottles from the owner's Montalcino estate.

This minimalist, chic spot is unusual for Siena but Dolceforte successfully straddles several camps. By day, it goes from being a breakfast bar to a tearoom, then a good-value lunch spot, with a dish of the day. Evening brings a full menu but also caters for grazers happy with antipasti and organic wine. Typical dishes include chicken-liver bruschetta, lasagne, vegetarian pilaf and leek and courgette pie. Steak, swordfish and seafood pasta are also on offer. Smooth service and background jazz complete the picture.

This reliable inn and wine bar is about the mood as much as the food. Exposed brick walls set the tone for a place that incorporates a medieval tower. Open until late, the inn is laidback and welcoming, and although it has a changing menu, the food always revolves around traditional Tuscan recipes. Regulars come for filling antipasti, pasta, grills and local Chianina steak. Another popular dish is pici al ragu, meat sauce with the chunky spaghetti favoured in Siena. The inn prides itself on not imposing a cover or service charge.

On the surface, Osterie Le Sorelline is an unpretentious neighbourhood trattoria, but the quality of the cooking takes it to another level. Confident Tuscan dishes are turned out with a smile as lovers of pasta praise the ravioli with butter and sage and the tagliolini noodles with black truffles. In autumn, choose the pici pasta with mushrooms, especially the porcini mushrooms. Other winning choices include the grilled pecorino cheese (a hard cheese made from ewes), the wild-boar dishes or any of the steaks. If you can't face the no-frills interior, then dine outside.

This delicatessen and snack bar Is handy for a tasty lunch on the run. Set near the Campo, on one of the city's prettiest squares, Gino Cacino is run by an affable Tuscan foodie. The specialities include meat or cheese-filled paninis, washed down by a glass of wine. Gino's devotion to cheese means he's dubbed the 'King of Parmesan and Pecorino.' Try the cheeses before you decide, but don't miss the gorgonzola or Taleggio (a semi-soft, crusted cheese). Other fillings include Sienese salami and porchetta (pork roast), or artichokes and tomato salad.

Farewell to the days of nibbling on a few olives instead of dinner, this convivial, bare-brick wine bar is not afraid to turn its hand to decent Tuscan food. It started with well-sourced cheeses and cold cuts, along with bruschetta and crostini (topped toasted bread), but hot dishes have recently popped up on the menu. Depending on the day, it could be filling ribollita (hearty bread and vegetable soup), roast meats or wild boar stew. Wine is still the raison d'etre here, so even the Chianti will be a well-priced Chianti Classico.

This well-run, quaint trattoria serves simple but full-bodied Tuscan dishes. Tuck into cured meats, Florentine T-bone steak and pork casserole. Osteria Il Carroccio proudly offers meaty home-cooking, with a Slow Food ethos. Round off a meal with pear and chocolate tart or with Sienese ricciarelli biscuits (almond cookies) and Vin Santo dessert wine. This is as far removed from faddish 'creative' cuisine as you can get, and surprisingly convenient for the Campo.