Best Restaurants in Cortona: Where to Eat in 2026
The best restaurants in Cortona go well beyond the tourist menus you’ll find near the main piazza. This is a town with serious culinary depth — from fine dining in Renaissance palaces to creative plant-based cuisine tucked down medieval alleyways. Here’s our insider guide to where to eat in Cortona.
Preludio — Fine Dining in the Heart of Cortona
Preludio is Cortona’s benchmark for fine dining. Set in a beautifully restored historic building on Via Guelfa, just steps from Piazza della Repubblica, it has built a well-deserved reputation across Tuscany over more than 25 years.
The menu is rooted in Tuscan tradition but elevated with skill and creativity — expect seasonal ingredients, beautifully presented dishes, and the kind of attention to detail that makes a meal feel like an occasion. Dinner typically begins with a complimentary glass of rosé prosecco and ends with a homemade limoncello — a detail that says everything about the hospitality here.
Best for: Special occasions, fine dining, wine lovers
Price range: €€€
Address: Via Guelfa, 11
Website: ilpreludio.net
Insider tip: Book ahead — this is Cortona’s most celebrated restaurant and fills up fast in summer. The prix fixe menu is excellent value for the quality on offer.
La Dispensa del Preludio — Rustic Tuscan, Brilliantly Done
Next door to Preludio, La Dispensa del Preludio is the more casual, more accessible sibling — and for many visitors, it’s the best meal they have in Cortona. The setting is extraordinary: hand-painted frescoes, wooden beams, local stone walls, and custom-made furniture by Tuscan craftsmen.
The food is rooted in km0 ingredients — much of the produce comes from their own garden. The pici, the ossobuco, the charcuterie boards, the handmade limoncello — all exceptional. Gluten-free options are genuinely well-handled here, a rarity in Tuscany.
You can also eat and drink more casually — a sandwich and a craft beer, or a cocktail made with Tuscan spirits — or shop for local products to take home.
Best for: Lunch, casual dinner, local products, gluten-free diners
Price range: €€
Address: Via Guelfa, 5-7
Website: ladispensa.it
Insider tip: Check their online shop — they deliver Tuscan products across Italy and make excellent gift boxes. The craft beer is brewed in-house.
Ristorante La Loggetta — Classic Cortona, Iconic Setting
Ristorante La Loggetta has been welcoming guests since 1972 — and it’s in the Michelin Guide, Gambero Rosso, Rick Steves, and Lonely Planet for good reason. The restaurant occupies the cellars of a 13th-century building, with terracotta floors, brick arches, and ancient frescoes on the walls. In summer, the outdoor terrace overlooking Piazza della Repubblica is one of the finest places to eat in all of Tuscany.
Chef Marco Frivoli’s menu is a masterclass in seasonal Tuscan cooking. All pasta is handmade daily — the duck pici and the ribollita are both outstanding. The Chianina tagliata is the best in town. The wine list is serious and well-priced.
Best for: Traditional Tuscan cuisine, romantic dinners, the outdoor terrace
Price range: €€€
Address: Piazza di Pescheria, 3
Website: laloggetta.com
Insider tip: Request a table on the terrace when you book — it overlooks Piazza della Repubblica and is one of Cortona’s great dining experiences. Book well in advance in summer.
Scara e Beo — The Best Plant-Based Restaurant in Tuscany
If you think vegan cuisine means compromising on flavour, Scara e Beo will change your mind. Tucked down Vicolo Fierli — one of Cortona’s most beautiful medieval alleys — this 100% plant-based restaurant has earned a near-perfect 4.9-star rating across hundreds of reviews, and has built a following among both vegans and committed carnivores.
The menu is creative, seasonal, and genuinely surprising — dishes are beautifully plated and built around produce handled with real skill. The atmosphere is elegant and intimate, with traces of ancient frescoes alongside contemporary design touches. The cocktail list, made with Tuscan spirits, is exceptional.
Run by two brothers with Chef Paola in the kitchen, Scara e Beo is one of the most distinctive restaurants in Cortona — and arguably one of the finest plant-based restaurants in Tuscany.
Best for: Vegetarians, vegans, curious omnivores, cocktail lovers
Price range: €€
Address: Vicolo Fierli, 7
Website: scaraebeo.it
Insider tip: The tasting menu is the best way to experience the kitchen. Closed Tuesdays.
Beerbone Art Burger — The Best Burger in Cortona
Don’t let the name fool you — Beerbone is not a fast food joint. Set on Via Nazionale, Cortona’s main street, it has built a loyal following among locals and visitors alike by doing one thing exceptionally well: taking the finest local meat and turning it into something genuinely memorable.
The burgers are made with Chianina IGP and Cinta Senese — two of Tuscany’s most celebrated breeds, both sourced from local farms. The bread is baked in-house, the sauces are handmade from scratch, and the produce comes from their own farm. The result is a burger that tastes unmistakably Italian — rich, honest, and made with the same care you’d expect from a trattoria.
The craft beer selection is excellent, and the atmosphere is young, informal, and welcoming. If you’re travelling with children, or simply want something different after a few days of pasta and bistecca, Beerbone is the answer.
Best for: Casual lunch or dinner, families, burger lovers, craft beer
Price range: €€
Address: Via Nazionale, 55
Website: beerbone.it
Insider tip: Try the Chianina IGP burger with truffle — the Tartufone. It’s the most Tuscan burger you’ll ever eat. Gluten-free bread is available on request.
Caffè del Torreone — The Only Pizza Worth Eating in Cortona
Ask a local where to eat pizza in Cortona, and they’ll tell you: Caffè del Torreone. Set just five minutes from the historic centre at Località Torreone, surrounded by greenery, this is where Cortona’s residents go when they want the real thing.
We’ll say it plainly: this is the best pizza in Tuscany. Proper Neapolitan-style, made with genuine craft, eaten at outdoor tables surrounded by woodland. The menu also includes traditional Tuscan dishes, but the pizza is the reason to come — and reason enough to visit Cortona.
Best for: Pizza, casual dining, families, outdoor eating
Price range: €€
Address: Località Torreone, 10
Insider tip: This is a MyTuscanDays partner — find out more about Cortona’s best experiences at MyTuscanDays.
Quick Guide
| Restaurant | Best for | Price |
| Preludio | Fine dining, special occasions | €€€ |
| La Dispensa del Preludio | Rustic Tuscan, casual lunch | €€ |
| Ristorante La Loggetta | Classic Tuscan, iconic terrace | €€€ |
| Scara e Beo | Vegan, plant-based, cocktails | €€ |
| Beerbone Art Burger | Burgers, craft beer, families | €€ |
| Caffè del Torreone | Pizza, outdoor dining | €€ |
Insider Tip
Cortona’s best restaurants all share one thing: they take their ingredients seriously. This is Chianina beef country, truffle territory, and one of Tuscany’s finest olive oil zones. Whatever you order, ask what’s local and seasonal — the answer will almost always point you to the best thing on the menu.
