In Tuscany, it is generally easy to find vegetarian food. Still, I recommend to load the HappyCow app on your phone. In case you come from another planet (just joking, of course) please remember that in Italy service staff are considered humans. If you prefer to be served instantly by robots, please visit the Dawn Robot Cafe in Tokyo. Impatience, loudness, profanity are considered impolite. Italian hosts want you and the people around you to enjoy the meal and also want to enjoy themselves while serving you great food. Few Italians are ready to work only for money without enjoying what they are doing. Many waiters speak English. You’re not expected to tip, but if you are satisfied a tip of EUR 5 or 10 is appreciated. Credit cards are accepted at most restaurants except when the Internet fails… Keep a few bills in your purse!
In Volterra, there is one dedicated vegan restaurant: Life Bistrot. Beautiful restaurant with sophisticated menu.
The restaurants I visit regularly all have vegetarian items on the menu:
Un Sacco Goloso… sit outside on the piazza XX settembre with a view to my older brother’s house and terrace. Nadia and Toffee offer pizza, pasta, salad, soups… everything is fresh and tasty, see the picture above. Very reasonable prices. Call to reserve!
Ombra della Sera… very good food. Try the radicchio al forno! This is a family run upscale restaurant with seating inside and outside near a small church. Call to reserve!
Trattoria il Poggio… try the zuppa volterrana! Good pizza, very friendly place in historic servants’ quarters. This is where the locals go when they are hungry. Call to reserve!
Ristorante Enoteca Del Duca… the best (and most expensive) restaurant in Volterra. It has an interior courtyard with outside seating. Interesting menu with vegetarian options, large wine list, professional service. Please call in advance to reserve a table!
Porgi l’altra Pancia… We often eat there because my (non-vegetarian) friends like the (non-vegetarian) lasagne. The vegetarian fresh noodles with truffles are good. I like the vegetarian spelt soup and the fresh salad with burrata mozzarella. Hundreds of wines on offer.
Two more places where you will not leave hungry are La Mangiatoia for pizza and the Osteria Pace for local food.
There is also a vegan 5-star agroturismo near Volterra: Il Cerreto. The food smells great but the place is run by La poupée qui fait non. I was hungry and there was vegetarian food ready but the computer said NO. It is a long winding road, call first to make sure that you will be served. I will not try again.
Another vegetarian place of the same ilk is La Cerreta Terme, where, at least, finally, we were fed. It is a long winding road too, call first to make sure that you will be served. I will not try again.
Microsoft Copilot says there are 87 restaurants in Volterra and 17 pizzerias… don’t take my word for it. I haven’t yet found a bad restaurant in Volterra. If you suddenly get hungry, there are three pizza al taglio (pizza by the piece take-away) shops in the mainstreet, follow your nose! Diah Verai prepares delicious custom sandwiches.
If life feels pedestrian, drive to Borgo Pignano. My sister-in-law is a fan. She also likes Il Paradiso di Berignone. Please call first to discuss what you would like to eat… and to open the gate to the Berignone Natural Reserve.
La Hasa 