WOW! If you want to feel warm and welcomed then you must go visit Emma, at Bar 500. Her…read morerestaurant is in the heart of downtown Cortona and offers inside and outside seating. Her restaurant is quaint, charming, and cozy. Emma will treat you like one of her family. My wife and I found her one night while she was closing and asked if we could get dessert and coffee to go. She could have said "no" very easily but instead welcomed us and prepared two hot coffees with cookies and a tart to go. We liked her so much, we made reservations for dinner the next night before we walked out. OBTW, the coffee and desserts were fresh and tasty. Our dinner and service the next evening was great. Emma and her associate do everything. They seat you, hand out the menu, take your order, cook and serve you the food, and then bus the tables. All along the way, you get to talk with Emma. My wife and I had salads to begin our meal and then pasta dishes with ragu. Our meals were cooked fresh, served hot, and the portions were generous. If you looked around, all of her customers were laughing, smiling, and enjoying themselves. The prices were very reasonable considering her location. Emma has quite a selection of tasty and fresh desserts, especially the cookies with the chocolate strip. There are plenty of options in Cortona but if you want to feel like you are entering into someone's home, go visit Emma. You will not be disappointed. Don't forget to make that reservation because you will need it!

The breakfast here is delicious. The eggs are cooked perfectly and comes with cappuccino and orange…read morejuice. The eggs were our favorite in town. My husband also enjoyed the pancakes.

Wow! What can be said that hasn't already been said. The place is beautiful. Everything you…read moreexpect when you dine in Italy. The white table clothes the amazing staff with great recommendations. Although to be honest. I don't think they can make a mistake. The food was absolutely delicious, with just the right size portions. We went for it with antipasto, primi's , Secondi's and dessert. Everything was spot on. If and when I go back to Cortona, this will be a reservation I make. Also The staff seemed to know when to approach and when to give you space. It was truly a first class experience. Make a reservation, because this is one place in Cortona you don't want to miss.

So good, we ate here twice! The fondue was outstanding. We loved the meat selection on the…read moreappetizer dish. We ordered the t-bone both nights and it was easily the best steak we ate in town. Lovely place, lovely service!

My favorite restaurant in Cortona- the pizza is incredibly fresh with elevated flavors. They have…read moremany options of soup, sandwiches and delicious salad. The fungi fritte was delicious. And the tiramisu was exquisite. We will definitely make this our number one stop in Cortona.

Probably the best home made meal we had in Italy. Run by a husband and wife, it appears, and I get…read morea sense it is downstairs from their home. The salad was extremely crisp and fresh. Once we tasted that we said please bring us one plate of your favorite pasta, when we saw her making pappadella. It was incredible as was the pizza. Truly a gem

We enjoyed our dinner so much that we returned the next night. We had the steak with a bottle of…read moreSangiovese, the first wine on the menu. It was perfect. The ambiance is beautiful. The first night we sat inside to enjoy the air conditioning, and the second night we sat outside. It felt more special and unique inside. The Syrah that we ordered the second night was disappointing. It upset both our stomachs and gave us headaches, we could not enjoy the food. I drink red wine all the time and rarely does it give me a headache. That's why I am giving four stars instead of five.

Always our first meal when arriving in Cortona. always have pasta with truffles. always have house…read morewine. what can I say? if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

We stopped into Osteria del Teatro the day of and asked if they happened to have any availability,…read morefully expecting the answer to be no. As luck would have it, they were hosting a special tasting menu featuring wines from Montepulciano, which was perfect since we had spent the day exploring the region itself. They graciously found us a table on the patio, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals of the entire trip. The evening began with a fried zucchini blossom stuffed with ricotta and basil, which was delicate, light, and absolutely delicious. The beef carpaccio was outstanding. We also loved trying gigli pasta for the first time, served with a rich wild boar ragù that felt quintessentially Tuscan. The duck breast with wild fennel was cooked beautifully and paired wonderfully with the wine selection. Dessert beautiful and phenomenal. What really stood out was how generous the portions were despite it being a tasting menu, along with the exceptional wine pairings throughout the evening. Between the hospitality, the patio setting, the regional wines, and the celebration of local Tuscan cuisine, this was easily one of the most memorable dining experiences of our time in Italy. Thank you to the sweet lady owner!!

NOTE: This is a review from 8 years ago. I posted photos then and got an alert that people are…read morestill checking it out. I tried to see if i did a review back then but only found below: Upside : Very polite/super friendly staff Fancy ambience Free wifi Downside: Ragu Pici was a tadtoo salty Steak too rare Risotto serving was heavy Cortona is amazing tho! I'm sure they are 5 stars on other days! Also the creepy bathroom is epic!

Wow! This was our first night in Cortona and it did not disappoint. Everything was amazing as soon…read moreas we walked in. Service was great, the restaurant is a small space but the food is packed with flavor. We had such an incredible experience here. We will definitely be coming back for more during our stay. We got lucky and were able to be seated without a reservation. We came right around 7 pm as we just beat the start of the dinner rush. Pictures do not do it justice. I can't wait to try more items. If I can give more than 5 stars I would. Pastas were cooked perfectly and the tiramisu was to die for.

We overheard a local recommending Trattoria Dardano in Cortona. The pasta with traditional ragu was…read morethe best I've ever had. Hubby had ravioli with ricotta in a butter and sage sauce. Devine. All the food was scrumptious and the prices all very reasonable. The service was prompt, friendly and efficient. I highly recommend this restaurant. 10/2025

What a great find. The very friendly owner, Mara, welcomed…read moreus as locals. The food was fantastic. The staff was prefect. The restaurant was clean and well maintained. All at a very reasonable price! If you visit Cortana, and don't stop here, you have missed out!

5 stars for service and ambiance. 4 stars for food. We were in town for the day and looking for a…read morelunch spot. Many restaurants were booked or told us that there'd be a long wait. This restaurant was full outside, but we were told a table would be available in 10 minutes. Another couple arrived and tried to take our table, but staff informed them we were next. Our server spoke English well and was professional and helpful. The house wine was good. The pear/cheese souffle didn't have much of a pear flavor, but it was cheesy and delicious. The pork with pistachio pesto was also delicious and came with tasty rice, but seemed a little overcooked. My partner enjoyed the grilled shrimp salad. I thought it was a little fishy. Note: they claimed their credit card machine was down and we had to pay in cash. FYI there just happens to be an ATM next to the seating atea.

Appertivo on the street of Cortona! Wonderful staff, so welcoming! A fun establishment to enjoy a…read morecup of cafe, or sip on a Negroni and watch the passaggiata nightly. This is the place. They make a mean Manhattan. We enjoyed the inside tables as well.

Love this place! If ever you go to Cortona try this place! Food was divine and I love the outdoor…read moreseating which includes free wifi. Service was excellent too!!

This Michelin Restaurant in Cortona Italy is worth the climb! Located on a hillside cobblestone…read moreroad in the heart of Cortona. Beef Florentine was the focus of the visit and they did not disappoint! Perfectly cooked to my temperature. Delicious and savory.

Another great unplanned dinner. The quality of the food combined with the expansive wine list and…read moreboth indoor and outdoor dining made this a perfect experience. If you have not been to Cortona before, take a cab, they can drive you up the hill into the main plaza so you don't have to do the hike, at least the first time, and especially when it's getting dark out.