Although Siena has a swathe of
places at which to
eat
well, the city feels
distinctly provincial after
Florence. The main action of
an evening is the passeggiata
from Piazza Matteotti along
Banchi di Sopra to the Campo -
and there's not much in the
way of
nightlife to
follow. For most visitors,
though, the Campo, the city's
universal gathering place,
provides diversion enough,
while the presence of the
university ensures a bit of
life in the
bars.
Restaurants
Siena used to have a poor
reputation for restaurants but
over the last few years a
range of new, imaginative
osterie has signalled a
general rise in standards.
Local specialities include
pici (thick,...
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Sweet treats
Most Sienese buy ice
cream at one or the
other end of the passeggiata
- either at the Nannini
Gelateria at the
northern end of Banchi di
Sopra, or La Costarella
, where Via di Città meets
Via dei Pellegrini. Siena is
also famous for a whole
range of cakes ,
including the trademark panforte
- a dense and delicious
wedge of nuts, fruit and
honey - and biscuits like cavallucci
(aniseed, nut and spice) and
ricciarelli (almond).
All are best brought fresh
by the etto
(hectogram - 100g) in any of
the bakeries or pasticcerie
along Banchi di Sopra; the
gift-packaged boxes aren't
as good.
Bars and cafés
There are pleasant bars
all over town. L'Officina
, Piazza del Sale 3a, has
around a hundred bottled
beers and others on tap. Of
the terrace cafés
ringing the Campo, Bar
Fonte Gaia stays open
later than most, but
otherwise they're much of a
muchness. The garden of the Palazzo
Ravizza hotel, Pian dei
Mantellini 34, is a lovely
tranquil spot for a cup of
tea on a hot afternoon. The Enoteca
Italiana inside the
Fortezza (Mon noon-8pm,
Tues-Sat noon-1am) is the
country's only national wine
collection. Its cellar
stocks and exhibits every
single Italian wine (almost
a thousand of them) and
there's a bar - at
its best in the early
evening - where you can
order by the glass or
bottle. At various times of
year it stages promotions
highlighting particular wine
regions, and even hosts the
odd concert.
