Where to eat at Easter in Arezzo and surroundings. The 6 best restaurants chosen by Gambero Rosso

It gave birth to the writer and poet Francesco Petrarca, Giorgio Vasari, painter, architect, and writer, to Pietro Aretino, writer, and playwright. It is famous for the works of Piero della Francesca and the Crucifix by Cimabue. It is the city of antiques, fashion, and goldsmith art. But the attractions of Arezzo do not end here; they also include cuisine, drawing from the rich resources of the territory, from Casentino to Valdarno and Val di Chiana, with Chianina beef in the lead and a high-level wine production, with 8 DOC and DOCG wines.

Where to eat at Easter in Arezzo

Le Chiavi d'Oro

Restaurant. In the heart of the city, a place of sober elegance, minimalism played on wood, beautiful and tranquil outdoor space. The dialogue between tradition - the family had a trattoria - and modernity guides the cuisine that revisits, attentive to seasons, products, and territory, dishes of land and sea. The Easter menu is well balanced: egg, smashed potato, guanciale bread, and artichoke chips; asparagus flan, pecorino fondue, and mushrooms; pici, broad bean pesto, guinea fowl ragout, and candied tomatoes; lamb and spinach (or slow-cooked cheek, Jerusalem artichoke puree, truffle sauce, and pak choi), chocolate profiteroles, and pistachio. A wine cellar with a regional focus, but curated with original proposals also looking to Piedmont, Trentino, Lombardy, and France.

Le Chiavi d’Oro – piazza San Francesco, 7 – 0575 403313 – www.ristorantelechiavidoro.it

Osteria Grande

Restaurant. Young, ambitious, and with clear ideas, Fatjon Goga, chef, and patron, has been working in high-level restaurants since he was a boy, managing then kitchens of hotel structures and finally opening his own venue - also a cocktail bar - in one of the most beautiful squares of Arezzo. For Easter, there is no predetermined menu, but the proposal remains articulated in 4 tasting courses: La Vita è Bella (named after the masterpiece film by Roberto Benigni) at 130 euros, L'Antiquario (in homage to the city's antique tradition) at 95, Il Pescatore at 95, and Il Contadino at 85 (all with the availability of wine pairings), but dishes can also be chosen à la carte. Local ingredients worked with modern techniques mark dishes with personality and taste. International breadth wine list.

Osteria Grande – piazza Grande, 28 – 348 6910306 – www.osteriagrande.it

St. Gregory Temptation Bistrot

Bistrot. A "young" venue, both in activity and management, which has quickly carved out its place in the sun. Cozy, welcoming, with background music, stylish furnishings, shelves full of wine bottles, chef Marco Cacioli works at the stoves, who certainly does not lack ideas and skills. His proposal for Easter, at 45 euros per person, is available both for lunch and dinner: thousand-crunch potatoes from Cetica, poached egg, 76-month aged Parmesan foam, and truffle; caramelized onion on basil foam and Nebrodi ham; taste of tradition, tortellini in broth; treasure chest stuffed with ricotta and spinach on aglione sauce and carta di musica crisp; Rossini-style fillet and tempura spring onion; colomba charlotte, mascarpone cream, and hot chocolate. A well-balanced wine list completes the picture.

St. Gregory Tentazione Bistrot – via Fiorentina, 239 – 0575 042657-338 1988276 – www.stgregorybistrot.it

Where to eat at Easter in Bibbiena (AR)

Tirabusciò

Restaurant. Reliable over twenty-year-old sign on the ground floor of an ancient palace in the city center. At the table, the territory and its best products are celebrated, according to the season, thanks to the skilled hands of chef Alberto Degl'Innocenti (patron together with his wife Marinella). For Easter lunch, there is a 6-course menu at 60 euros per person: the savory "sandwich", Casentino Grey salami, and quail egg; chicken liver pâté, brioche bread, and caramelized onions; black cabbage gnudi, pecorino cream; little pheasant ravioli, pigeon sauce, butter, and thyme; Casentino lamb baked in the oven, grilled chop, sformatino di gobbi (or duck breast with orange and mixed baked vegetables); colomba zuccotto, ricotta, Santa Maria Novella Alkermes. For Easter dinner, instead, à la carte; the same goes for Easter Monday. Wines up to the task.

Tirabusciò – via Rosa Scoti Franceschi, 12 – 0575 595878 – www.tirabuscio.it

Where to eat at Easter in Capolona (AR)

Terramira

Restaurant. The two young brothers Scapecchi, Filippo chef, and Lorenzo sommelier, are at the helm of this venue in a historic building in the old town, renovated and furnished in a warm and welcoming way. In the room with a glass window overlooking the Arno, you can choose between two tasting menus at 120 (5 courses) and 130 euros (6 courses), or (booking in advance) there is a vegetarian proposal at 100 euros. For Easter day, there is no dedicated menu, but among the dishes to mention are broccoli and raw pink shrimp; artichoke, Val di Chiana aglione, buffalo Grana, and mint; potato gnocchi, turnip tops, Casentino pig sausage with fennel, and raviggiolo; pigeon: roasted breast, fried thigh, pâté of its liver, pumpkin, and bay leaf. A well-selected wine list, with a broad look also beyond the borders.

Terramira – piazza della Vittoria, 13 – 0575 420989 – www.terramira.it

Where to eat at Easter in Cortona (AR)

Osteria del Teatro

Restaurant. Thirty years of activity for this sign, which offers a repertoire of typical dishes enriched with touches of originality. In a historic 16th-century building, among intimate spaces and more characteristic areas, you can sit in one of the three rooms or, in good weather, at one of the tables on the little terrace in front of the entrance. The menu changes with the seasons, between classics and variations, with excellent meat as a focal point. For Easter Sunday, there is a special menu: poached egg on pea sauce and breadcrumbs; cheese-stuffed artichoke on spinach sauce; straw and hay tagliolini with pigeon ragout on a bed of red onion; Chianina-filled pillows with lemon and asparagus; roasted lamb with pine nut potato layers; strawberries, cream, and Champagne; chocolate board with bread. A valid wine list focused on Tuscany.

Osteria del Teatro – via Maffei, 2 – 0575 630556 – www.osteria-del-teatro.com