The best way to get to know a place is to get travel tips by a local guide. Here is a list of a not to be missed eateries around Pisa and some treats you cannot pass on while visiting the town of the most famous leaning tower in the world.
The Best Ice Cream Place: Gelateria De'Coltelli, Lungarno Pacinotti, 23, Pisa
The owner of this ice cream place claims to descend from the inventor of ice cream itself, Procopio De' Coltelli. This famous chef from Sicily created the process behind the modern ice cream in the XVII century and opened a cafe' in Paris where he obtained a regal patent from Louis XIV granting him the monopoly on the production of gelato. The gelateria De'Coltelli offers only the best and simplest ingredients, all locally grown and all in season, without adding any artificial preservatives or flavoring and creating a wonderfully simple yet original combination of flavors.
The Best Coffee Drink: La Casa della Panna, Via dei Mille, 18, Pisa
A short walk away from the famous leaning tower there is this small coffee place who can boast the absolute best whipped cream and coffee drinks in town. The cream is freshly whipped everyday and the inventive owners have created around it some delicious coffee drinks, like the tall Cappuccino: a mixture of chocolate syrup, coffee, steamed milk, heavy cream and whipped cream.
The Best Chocolate: Cioccolateria De Bondt, Lungarno Pacinotti, 5, Pisa
Recognized among the top 15 chocolatier in the world, De Bondt sells handcrafted chocolate creations that have won numerous international awards. Their store looks more like a jewelry than anything else and, even though their treats are definitely not inexpensive, one cannot say to have tried chocolate until he has tried one of their productions, all created with passion by the two owners in their own laboratory starting from raw handpicked ingredients.
The Best Cecina : Il Montino, Via del Monte 1, Pisa
Cecina is a kind of pie made of chickpeas that is exclusive to some towns of Tuscany and Liguria, under different names and with slight variations. What is sure is that it is impossible to get a better one than at the Montino, and if visiting Tuscany a tourist must try at least once a Focaccina with Cecina, a sort of flatbread stuffed with a thin Cecina and seasoned with salt and pepper. The place is a local celebrity and customers should be prepared to be in line for a while around lunch time.
The Best Aperitivo: Piazza delle Vettovaglie, Pisa
Aperitivo is an Italian staple: the customer pays for a drink and gets to eat anything he want from a buffet full of appetizers. In Piazza delle Vettovaglie is where it is possible to find the most authentic atmosphere where to enjoy the aperitivo, a slightly simple, less classy atmosphere. The Piazza itself is a beautiful square surrounded by portici where the vegetable market is held every morning since most likely the Renaissance. In the evening it becomes the vibrant center of the Pisan nightlife and very often it is possible to listen to some live jazz trio while sipping on a glass of good, and quite cheap, wine.
Gabriella Vagnoli - I was born and raised in beautiful Tuscany, Italy, and I moved to the Midwest two years ago. I have a Masters in English Language and ...
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