Discover Pisa, one taste at a time

Pisa
in tavola

The authentic flavours of our tradition

Thirteen specialities from bakeries, local shops and family tables.

Illustrazione generata della pizza pisana al tegamino, tagliata a quarti

To get to know Pisa, begin at the table.

From fresh bread to garden recipes and coastal flavours, Pisa tells a simple, generous story. We have gathered dishes to look for and places to start, whether you are wandering the old streets or settling in for a leisurely lunch.

Always ask what is available today: menus and baking times change. Each entry explains what has been documented and what to confirm directly with the venue.

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO COLLEGIO FERDINANDO · PISA IN TAVOLA

01 / From the ovens

A Pisan pause.

Hot cecina and pan-baked pizza: two small rituals to enjoy between walks.

Cecina

Fresh from the oven

Cecina

Chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt become a golden pancake, soft in the middle and crisp at the edges. Part of the family of chickpea specialities found along the Tyrrhenian coast, cecina is an everyday Pisan treat, best eaten hot with freshly ground pepper.

Order it by weight, or tucked into a small focaccia, perhaps with aubergines. Ask at the counter which fillings are available.

Pizzeria da NandoCorso Italia, 103, Pisa

Cecina is documented in the local press; ask about today’s baking times.

Pizzeria Il MontinoVicolo del Monte, 1, Pisa

Recommended by Gambero Rosso; ask at the counter about availability.

Pisan pizza

Pan-baked, served in quarters

Pisan pizza

Small and round, baked in a generously oiled pan for a crisp, flavourful base. The classic topping brings together tomato, anchovies, capers and grated cheese. For the version we suggest, ask for Parmigiano and have it cut into quarters: a snack to share as you explore Pisa.

Nando’s online menu includes mozzarella; ask for your preferred classic version. Il Montino lists grana cheese.

Pizzeria da NandoCorso Italia, 103, Pisa

Pisana is documented; confirm the ingredients of the version served at the counter.

Pizzeria Il MontinoVicolo del Monte, 1, Pisa

The online menu lists tomato, capers, anchovies and grana cheese.

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO PISA IN TAVOLA

02 / A Tuscan snack

Good things between two halves.

Buy it plain, fill it at home or choose a ready-made sandwich: savoury schiacciata.

Savoury schiacciata

Enjoy it plain or filled

Savoury schiacciata

Olive-oil schiacciata is a Tuscan favourite from family kitchens and neighbourhood bakeries: risen dough, a dimpled surface, olive oil and salt. Delicious on its own while still warm, it can also be split and filled with cured meats, pecorino, fresh cheese or vegetables. This is the savoury bread, distinct from the sweet Easter cake.

Buy it plain to eat straight away, or take it home and fill it with prosciutto and pecorino, or grilled vegetables and fresh cheese.

Panificio di Laginja NataliaVia l’Arancio, 3, Pisa

The bakery is listed at this address. Our recommendation for plain schiacciata; confirm the current shop name and availability.

I Porci ComodiPiazza Evangelista Torricelli, 8, Pisa

The ordering website confirms sandwiches with cured meats, cheeses and vegetables. Schiacciata bread is not specifically confirmed: ask at the counter.

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO PISA IN TAVOLA

03 / Recipes passed down

Memories from the kitchen.

Bread, vegetables and patient cooking: dishes that tell the story of everyday life and family tables.

Zuppa pisana

Giving bread a second life

Zuppa pisana

Day-old Tuscan bread, beans and cavolo nero tell the story of rural cooking that transformed leftovers into a generous meal. Passed down in family kitchens, with different proportions and vegetables from house to house, the recipe also found its way to village festivals and local food shops. A drizzle of raw olive oil finishes the dish.

Ask about the soup of the day: ingredients and texture may vary with the season.

I Vecchi SaporiVia Domenico Cavalca, 27, Pisa

Zuppa pisana is mentioned in reviews; an up-to-date official menu was not found. Ask before visiting.

Pisan-style tripe

The cooking of earlier generations

Pisan-style tripe

A dish of patience and everyday tradition: strips of tripe, gently fried aromatic vegetables and tomato, simmered until the sauce becomes rich and comforting. It belongs to the tradition of using the whole animal, giving less expensive cuts their moment at the table. Every kitchen has its own balance of flavours.

For a traditional lunch, ask whether tripe is among the day’s dishes.

I Vecchi SaporiVia Domenico Cavalca, 27, Pisa

Recommended by the house; confirm tripe directly, as no online menu confirmation was found.

Trattoria da StelioPiazza Dante Alighieri, 11, Pisa

Tripe is documented in local guides and reviews; the website does not confirm daily availability.

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO PISA IN TAVOLA

04 / From the countryside

Flavours of the land.

Locally rooted beef and a classic of Tuscan home cooking.

Mucco Pisano

A taste of the local countryside

Mucco Pisano

The name refers to beef associated with Pisan farming traditions, including cattle raised around San Rossore. It is an ingredient rather than a single recipe: it may be served as ragù, peppery peposo stew or another meat dish. It offers a way to discover the area through the origin of its ingredients and the work of local farmers.

Before booking, ask which Mucco dish is available and where the beef comes from.

Osteria In DomoVia Santa Maria, 129, Pisa

The website mentions Mucco Pisano peposo. Confirm today’s preparation and availability.

Il MercanteVia Mercanti, 14, Pisa

Mucco ragù and peposo appear on the OpenTable menu dated 4 September 2026; confirm with the restaurant.

Roast or braised rabbit

Around the family table

Roast or braised rabbit

Roasted with aromatic herbs or slowly braised, rabbit is part of Tuscan home cooking, rooted in small farms and kitchen gardens. Olives often accompany the braised version. These are two ways to rediscover the familiar flavours of a family lunch.

Rabbit with olives is reported at Sant’Omobono; the roast version has not been confirmed.

Trattoria Sant’OmobonoPiazza Sant’Omobono, 6, Pisa

Rabbit appears in reviews, and rabbit with olives in food guides; ask for the day’s menu.

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO PISA IN TAVOLA

05 / Flavours of the sea

From garden to coast.

Cuttlefish with chard and spaghetti with arselle: two ways to discover the Pisan coast.

Cuttlefish with chard

Where the sea meets the garden

Cuttlefish with chard

Cuttlefish and chard cook slowly together, bringing the flavour of the sea to vegetables from the garden. This traditional Pisan and coastal dish belongs to the family of leafy-green stews known as zimino. Keep some Tuscan bread to mop up the sauce.

Look for it when you fancy a seafood lunch beyond the familiar fried fish.

Buca di San RanieriVia Gian Battista Queirolo, 25, Pisa

“Seppie e Bietole” appears on the official standard menu consulted; ask about availability on the day.

Spaghetti with arselle

Flavours of the Pisan coast

Spaghetti with arselle

Tiny wedge clams, a light sauce and spaghetti that capture the taste of the sea: arselle, also known as telline, are part of the cooking of Pisa’s coast. This simple dish recalls the beaches and tables of Marina di Pisa, keeping the shellfish at the heart of the plate.

Ask for spaghetti with arselle, including the shelled version if offered. Catch and availability may vary.

Ristorante L’ArsellaVia Padre Agostino da Montefeltro, 37, Marina di Pisa, Pisa

The official menu lists spaghetti with arselle or razor clams, as well as shelled arselle. Ask which version is available.

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO PISA IN TAVOLA

06 / Coastal traditions

Stuffed shells and slow cooking.

Stuffed mussels and Pisan-style stockfish: family recipes shaped by the sea.

Pisan-style stuffed mussels

A coastal tradition

Pisan-style stuffed mussels

In Pisa, mussels are also called muscoli. In the Pisan version, the filling combines seafood with home cooking: bread, herbs and, in the documented traditional recipe, pork and pecorino. Preparing each shell takes care and patience, preserving a dish shared by coastal families.

Fillings vary: ask how the restaurant prepares them. The traditional version may contain meat as well as shellfish.

La Sosta · also known as Sosta dei CavalieriVia San Frediano, 3, Pisa

Also known as Sosta dei Cavalieri. Stuffed mussels were listed by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina: check whether they feature on La Sosta’s current menu.

Ristorante Pizzeria NeccioVia Livornese, 122, Pisa

“Cozze ripiene alla Pisana” appears on the official menu. Ask about availability on the day.

Pisan-style stockfish

A comforting slow-cooked stew

Pisan-style stockfish

Stockfish, cod preserved by drying and then soaked before cooking, becomes a hearty Pisan stew with potatoes, tomato, onion and herbs. Simple ingredients and slow cooking bring it together: the potatoes absorb the sauce while the fish remains the centrepiece, in a recipe passed down through Tuscan homes.

Enjoy it with Tuscan bread to soak up the sauce. Ask about the house recipe and availability on the day.

Osteria dei CavalieriVia San Frediano, 16, Pisa

The official website presents Pisan-style stockfish among its dishes. Confirm the day’s menu.

Ristorante GalileoVia San Martino, 6/8, Pisa

The official menu lists stockfish with potatoes. Check availability and preparation.

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO PISA IN TAVOLA

07 / Traditional sweets

A taste of celebration.

Chocolate, rice and pine nuts; then chestnut flour and rosemary: two sweets to discover.

Torta co’ bischeri

Pisa’s celebration cake

Torta co’ bischeri

A pastry shell holds rice, chocolate, pine nuts, raisins and candied fruit. The bischeri are the little folds of pastry around the edge. Associated with Pontasserchio and its festival on 28 April, this family and village recipe has become one of the most recognisable flavours of the Pisa area.

Ask for a slice, or take a whole cake away. For whole cakes, it is best to enquire in advance.

Dolce PisaVia Santa Maria, 83, Pisa

Production was documented by La Cucina Italiana in 2023; confirm current availability and sizes.

Pasticceria FrangioniVia San Francesco, 61, Pisa

The cake was documented in the food press in 2022; ask about availability and ordering.

Castagnaccio

The scent of autumn

Castagnaccio

Chestnut flour, water and olive oil: castagnaccio comes from the countryside and mountains of Tuscany, where chestnuts were a precious staple. Thin, dense and only mildly sweet, it is enriched with pine nuts, raisins and rosemary, with variations from one family to another. In Pisa, too, it is a traditional treat, especially in the cooler months.

Try it plain, warm or at room temperature, to appreciate the chestnut flour. Ask when it is made.

Pizzeria Il MontinoVicolo del Monte, 1, Pisa

Castagnaccio is listed among the shop’s specialities on its website and by the Touring Club Italiano. Ask at the counter about today’s availability.

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO PISA IN TAVOLA

COLLEGIO RECOMMENDATIONS · EVENING

Two places for dinner.

From our own selection: two restaurants for an evening meal in central Pisa.

A pasta dish at Peperosa, with squid and cherry tomatoes — A pasta dish at Peperosa · photo from the restaurant’s TheFork listing · Peperosa

COLLEGIO RECOMMENDATIONS · EVENING

Peperosa

A small restaurant for dinner, with meat, seafood and combinations to discover. Check the current menu.

Via Renato Fucini 10 · Pisa

Explore the restaurant

A dish served at La Sosta restaurant — A dish at La Sosta · photo from the official website · La Sosta

COLLEGIO RECOMMENDATIONS · EVENING

La Sosta

For a special dinner: a contemporary interpretation of Italian and Tuscan traditions, near Piazza dei Cavalieri.

Via San Frediano 3 · Pisa

Explore the restaurant

COLLEGIO FERDINANDO PISA IN TAVOLA