In Cortona, a meal begins before you sit down. Streets fall away from the central squares towards the Valdichiana, a reminder that the territory behind the dishes extends beyond the town walls. Menus speak of grain, pecorino, meat and cured meats; the difficulty for a visitor is separating a specific offer from a general promise of Tuscan flavours. Two restaurants close to the centre help you do that: La Bucaccia da Romano on Via Ghibellina and Osteria del Teatro on Via Maffei.
La Bucaccia occupies the old Palazzo Cattani, a thirteenth-century building whose restored rooms give the meal an intimate scale. Romano Magi emphasises local suppliers, PGI Chianina beef, Cinta Senese and cheeses. The menu names bringoli served in a pecorino wheel, chestnut-flour ravioli and other fresh pasta dishes; it also lists finocchiona and fiocco di prosciutto. If cured meats are the reason for your visit, ask which pieces are available that day and where they come from before ordering a platter. Prosciutto names a product; it does not guarantee that the meat comes from Cortona.
Osteria del Teatro offers another interpretation. Open since 1994, it builds its cooking around handmade pasta, the season and a wine selection. Pici with Chianina ragù and porcini show how a dish can bring together a particular pasta shape and specific ingredients; the menu may also include Pienza pecorino or Casentino prosciutto. Dishes change, so a useful comparison does not mean demanding a plate seen in an old photograph. La Bucaccia is a better fit if cheese and cured meats are central to your meal; Osteria del Teatro if you want time for pasta, wine and seasonal specials.
Both restaurants draw visitors and locals, and positive accounts dwell on the food and setting. There are also comments about close tables, waits or bills higher than expected. You cannot assume a cheap meal without reading the current menu: ask about specials, cover charges and drinks. La Bucaccia lists lunch from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 7 to 10:30 p.m., closing Mondays only in winter; online reservations need confirmation. Osteria del Teatro lists Wednesday as its closing day. Check sittings before building your day around a table.
You can pass through Piazza della Repubblica, walk down Via Ghibellina and continue through the centre towards Via Maffei; the slopes set their own pace. If you have time for one meal, choose according to what you most want to taste and book it. If you have two, alternate approaches rather than repeating the same pasta. Cortona becomes more interesting when a dish prompts questions about its ingredient, producer and season, instead of letting an authenticity label decide for you.
Check current details and choose according to your budget, time and way of travelling.
Options to compare
These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.
La Bucaccia da Romano occupies part of the old Palazzo Cattani, a thirteenth-century building on Via Ghibellina. Among stone walls and intimate rooms, Romano Magi presents a kitchen that looks to producers in Cortona and the Valdichiana without treating tradition as a fixed list. The menu names PGI
Bringoli with pecorino, fresh pasta, Cinta Senese and local cheeses
A short distance from Piazza Signorelli, Osteria del Teatro has served seasonally minded Tuscan food since 1994. It occupies an old building on Via Maffei, with dining rooms on an intimate scale. Its menu includes handmade pici with Chianina ragù and porcini mushrooms, along with dishes using Pienza
Handmade pici with Chianina ragù, seasonal dishes and Tuscan wines
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
-
Official website of La Bucaccia da Romano ↗
Primary source
La Bucaccia · Accessed October 1, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
-
Official website of La Bucaccia da Romano ↗
Primary source
La Bucaccia · Accessed October 1, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
-
Official website of La Bucaccia da Romano ↗
Primary source
La Bucaccia · Accessed October 1, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
-
Official website of Osteria del Teatro ↗
Primary source
Osteria del Teatro · Accessed October 1, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
-
Official website of Osteria del Teatro ↗
Primary source
Osteria del Teatro · Accessed October 1, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
-
Official website ↗
Primary source
Visit Tuscany · Accessed October 1, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
-
Official website ↗
Primary source
La Bucaccia · Accessed October 1, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
-
Official website ↗
Primary source
Osteria del Teatro · Accessed October 1, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
-
Opiniones de La Bucaccia ↗
Secondary source
Wanderlog · Accessed October 1, 2026
Google 4,5/5, 1.591 reseñas mostradas el 1/10/2026; cocina y ambiente destacados, atención variable según algunas visitas.
-
Opiniones de Osteria del Teatro ↗
Secondary source
Wanderlog · Accessed October 1, 2026
Google 4,7/5, 1.707 reseñas mostradas el 1/10/2026; se destacan pasta, atención y salas, con reservas sobre precio y afluencia.