Osteria del Teatro

First of all, let me just say the wine list is incredible. There seems like 50 pages to their wine menu. So be prepared to spend a lot of time deciding what you're having for wine. Not a bad problem to have! The dinner options are also extensive. There are so many things to choose from. I am not a vegetarian or vegan but I do enjoy eating meals on occasion without meat. Osteria del Teatro has plenty of options without animal proteins. And I loved when I asked for meatless options, they were completely accommodating and were not at all surprised or offended that I wanted Italian food without meat. The service is excellent and filled with pride. Very patient. My particular server was helpful guiding me on the different types of wines and helping me translate the menu so I didn't have to bring out my phone. A highlight of my meal this night was the baked carmelized onions. Apparently they take 24 hours to prepare. They were immaculate.

We went as a group, and honestly, there were so many dishes it’s hard to remember them all — but the photos speak for themselves. Every plate was a delight, beautifully prepared and full of authentic Tuscan flavor. The staff was wonderful: warm, friendly, and genuinely charming, making the whole evening feel relaxed and enjoyable. Also, they were well prepared about the dishes, which I always appreciate. Despite the elegance of the food and atmosphere, the prices are very reasonable — proof that you can eat traditional, high-quality Italian without breaking the bank. The setting adds even more magic: just up the atmospheric staircase, there’s a tiny terrace with only two tables, perfect for an intimate dinner. The rest of the dining is indoors, with a cozy, authentic vibe that feels like true Cortona. A place to taste real Tuscan tradition, enjoy excellent service, and feel right at home. Divine food, great value, and absolutely worth a visit.

It can’t get any better than this! Located in the heart of Cortona but still off the beaten track, this restaurant convinced us with delicious and authentic Tuscan cuisine. The staff members were welcoming and very attentive. Although they were fully booked, we still got a table outside close to the entrance where we could have a view of the alley.

It was the start of our honeymoon and the staff prepared a lovely romantic table for us. We enjoyed all the food especially the truffle fondue and the pastas! The deserts were really interesting and inventive, we absolutely loved the tiramisu. We definitely recommend.

Cute restaurant, the walls are filled with photos of movie stars. Our waiter was very friendly and gave good recommendations. The eggplant and rabbit appetizer was delicious and I was very happy with the ravioli and the filet with foie gras was also very good. If you’re not a fan of saffron skip the gnocchi

Excellent restaurant. We enjoyed our dinner very much - the service, food and vibe was fantastic. Such a great night here!

All dishes are great. They are slow in bringing each dish out. May want to enjoy their book thick wine list instead. Excellent price and quality ingredients. I had the followings: 1. Tortelloni Ricotta e Spinaci w/ grated truffle. 2. Baccalà - lightly battered skin on with celery sauce, topped orange zest. 3. Charlotte al Mascarpone - innovated way. 4. House glass of local Sauvignon Blanc.

Fantastic food, great service, and very cute terrace seating, located in a quiet side street. Great value for the money. Strongly recommend.

Enjoyed this dinner in Cortona. We sat in the garden and had good service and food, I had the gnocchi eggplant and loved it. They had a huge wine list that was awesome. We did find it funny they wouldn't seat us later than 7pm when the restaurant was entirely open.

This was a great experience. We were made to feel right at home, My pici was very tasty and my wife's fish was perfectly cooked and delicious. The mixed salad was huge and full of very fresh greens. Recommended!

unfortunately dinner at one of my favorite restaurants was not up to par. perhaps just a matter of poor choices. plus a large group of americans were next to us ( we are american) were so loud. folks should research customs before visiting a different country.

Our B&B host was able to get us in last minute and we could not have been more pleased. The staff was amazing and so gracious and funny. The food was incredible. I had the cacio e pepe gnocchi and my wife had the risotto with licorice and artichokes. We had a beautiful bottle of local Syrah and desert wine with a cheese plate. The ambiance was comfortable and interesting. Top dining experience in Cortona.

The truffle cheese fondue is what I will dream of for all my days. It was heaven. Amazing wine selection, 5 stars is not enough!!!! So many delicious things to eat!!!

The food was AMAZING and priced very reasonably. My mom and I wanted to try multiple things and when we told them we were splitting, they split it for us and brought it out on two different plates. Service was incredible as well!

Absolutely horrible experience. Do not waste your time here. We ordered wine and an appetizer; the appetizer was not delivered. After we received the primi piatti (first course) we realized no one was checking on us anymore, and we never got our appetizer. When we asked about this, they told us we had never placed the order. They eventually brought it with the secondi piatti (second course), but did not follow up with us for anything. They never asked if we needed more water, wine, or checked back on us. All the staff were avoiding eye contact with us. We had to flag them down to order more wine. We were feeling so uncomfortable with how they were treating us that we wanted to leave. Even still we could not get someone to bring us the check. Finally we asked the staff if we did anything to offend them, and everyone said no. Will not recommend or be back.

This shocked us how great it was. Not that we didn't expect to enjoy a popular place in Tuscany with good online reviews, but this was one of our favorite meals from our trip. We started with the gazpacho with eggplant pie and burrata, followed by the chianina & porcini pici and cappeletti with truffle shavings, then the tagliata and white beans. We finished with three flavors of gelato (chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio) and their pistachio ice cream cake. Everything was really amazing, but the pastas in particular blew us away. We also really appreciated the perfect portion of Florentine steak with their tagliata dish. Highly recommend this place. Also, Cortona itself is a cool town that is worth the visit in itself.

Amazing lunch! Wonderful risotto and steak. This is a gem! You should consider this and (not a paid review!)

Up until I stepped in this place my favorite restaurant in Italy was in Portifino (Mog). This is the new champ. We had some of the best pasta (duck ragu on tagliolino and fagottini stuffed with goat cheese and pears with walnut pesto.). The wine by the glass was excellent and the salad fresh and also had stuffed zucchini with ricotta. We didn't even order a second course as the potions were ample. Heard the steak here is legendary. Excellent homemade gelato. It was $90 with 6 glasses of wine, exceptional value, quaint and charming by any standards. Has a Michelins star. Do not miss this place if you are in Cortona or nearby.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. An old world Italian restaurant with a short but varied menu and a huge wine list with a large number of moderately priced wines.

We dined at Osteria del Teatro on a rainy Sunday night. We were one of the first tables to be seated around 8pm, but the restaurant was very full by the time we left (9:15?). Service was lovely. Everyone spoke English and was friendly, and additionally was very helpful with menu suggestions. Craving some veggies, I ordered the Insalata as a starter. The portion is LARGE and comprised of only the freshest lettuce varieties and some of the ripest, sweetest tomatoes we tasted in Tuscany. The salad was served plain and I dressed it with just some local olive oil. We tried the Fagottini as a primi. What an absolute treat! Homemade raviolis filled with creamy cheese and walnuts, topped with fresh pears.... I'd say this is the ultimate fall dish - but I'd eat it during any season! Ordered at the server's suggestion, the Filletto Della Rossini was a slab of grilled bread topped with a perfectly cooked and extremely tender local beef fillet, which was further topped with a generous portion of foie gras and what can only be described as a pile of truffle shavings. The dish was ringed with a fruit-based puree (strawberry, perhaps). It was unexpected in many levels and arguably one of the richest meals I tried in all of Italy. Just...WOW. For dessert I again ordered at the server's suggestion and so glad I did! These folks know their stuff! The millefleur was a thick custard topped with a thin layer of what I'd describe as basically a praline flavor, but still somehow liquid, and candies oranges. Sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy all at once - highly recommended.

My partner and I went to Teatro for dinner on recommendation by a friend, and it was a delicious meal! During the summer, this restaurant is hard to get reservations for. We had to wait for about an hour and then something became available. The wait was worth it. The bowtie pasta that we had was absolutely delicious and some of the best pasta I had in Italy. That's saying something! My partner and I both had two beef dishes, both of which were tasty. Service was very friendly, and the waiter recommended a very good wine for us and I did not feel gouged. Wine list is adequately priced. Overall, this is a very good option if you are dining in Cortona.

The ossobuco was flavorful and well prepared but the desert; was incredible. The shaved pistachio chocolate was worth the price of admission and we thoroughly enjoyed our wines.

First off the service was excellent... but they are clearly understaffed. There seemed to be only 1 waiter for whole area. But the real problem is in the kitchen. Food was not coming out to anyone. Slow food is only a good idea if the food is good. The food was...ok. The truffle fondue was good. But the steaks were a huge disappointment. Below Outback Steakhouse quality in America. We got a 60 day aged steak Fiorentino and two filets with truffles. All were over cooked and tasted like nothing. The people seem nice and it has a good reputation. Maybe we just hit a bad day but it is hard to imagine them ever getting a steak correct. We would have sent the steaks back but we were already 2 hours and 2 bottles of wine in and figured best to just choke it down.

Best pasta I've had in Italy thus far. We walked in around 1945 and got a table for two immediately. I had the tortellini with truffles which was amazing. My husband had the duck tagliolini which was also fabulous. We split the zucchini and mint gazpacho appetizer which we were both pleasantly surprised by. Good service. Great wine. Highly recommend.

One of the best restaurants in Italy. You will also find the Michelin guide will agree as well. Some of the most creative dishes using fresh, local and handmade ingredients. This is a slow cooked food restaurant and they do it to perfection. Came here for a three course lunch and was blown away. The reputation this place has is well deserved. The staff were amazing and each dish ordered by myself or a member of my group was a work of art. Highly recommend any of the hand rolled pastas and of course their steak. The staff helped to make the meal one of the best I've ever had in Italy. Be sure to order chocolate for dessert, and save room for three courses of dessert being brought to your table.

This was perhaps my favorite meal of my life. We had lunch here and the pear ravioli with a cheese that I believe may have been a percochini was incredible. So sweet and savory and delicate. The wine suggestions were perfect. In a city of great food- go here.

This is the first place we went to in Italy, that we LOVED the food. Being from the states, everything is usually bland in Italy. This place was the opposite. Wonderful food, service, and ambiance. We are soooo glad we came!

Very good restaurant and kind waiters who made place on the very nice terrace for us (2 adults and 2 children of 8&5y) Appetizers: selection of the restaurant + tartare of red salmon, very nice! Main course Filetto with trufles and foie gras, very good. Side dishes spinach and rosemary potatoes, excellent! Very good wine too. We come back here next year or when we are near Cortona ;-)

Recently spent a week in Tuscany and Umbria and this was easily the best dinner we had! Fantastic use of local and seasonal ingredients for inspired variations of traditional dishes of the region. If you are near Cortona, you must go! Reservations are recommended. If you are driving, park outside the old city walls and walk in (its not too far!). Maximillion was our waiter and very patient with all our American questions and fussiness :) Thanks for an amazing experience!

I actually broke on of my cardinal rules never to go back to a restaurant twice when traveling because there's always another one to explore. This restaurant was so charming and welcoming and attentive and the food SO very good that I just couldn't see why I wouldn't go back. Check it out if you're in the area. You won't be disappointed.

One of our favorite places in all of Italy. We owned a home in Umbria and do frequent there several times a year still. Cortona is a town we take in for a quick trip. We love the restaurants in Cortona but Osteria del Teatro is the tops. Great taste, wine list top notch, innovated and good staff.

First off the outside seating was too difficult to get around, hence our table and the end seat being knocked around every time the water went by. The wait staff was not professional or attentive. The food was at most , specially by Italian standards where you can walk into any neighborhood restaurant and have a fabulous meal, average. In fact my husband had a most inedible dish of Tuna that he ended up getting ill from. Don't waste your time! Instead go to Michelin restaurant La Bucaccia Romano - in contrast it is magnificent food, professional and attentive wait staff and the ambience is elegant and authentic.

Great service and great food. We got the Steak Florentine and it was cooked to perfection without them even needing to ask. Also had a great pasta dish and a stuffed rabbit appetizer. Would definitely recommend!

Good but nothing amazing. Staff was friendly and helpful but food was just ok. The nightly appetizer special was wonderful as was the pasta with pears and walnuts. However everything else was so-so at best. The risotto with porcini and saffron was horrible and the fillet with porcini was well cooked but extremely bland. Nice enough but would not come back if I found myself in Cortona again.

We went to this restaurant based on the recommendation of a group traveling from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, whom we'd met at a different restaurant the prior evening. Having gone there, we see why they liked it. The experience was much more similar to an American fine dining restaurant although the quality of food was only generally good. You'll receive yor food quickly, and you won't have to wait long between courses. The chef won't be offended and will do his best to customize yor meal, leaving it something here because I don't like it, something there because it's too fattening. But, the key to excellent dining in Italy is not to do this, and rode true food as the chef wants to prepare it. That and the speed are one reason why thisnrestaurant seems to rate well with the Americans, I believe - that is the experience you'll have in American restaurants. The food itself was only average. Although we started with an exceptional fondue, amd an okay second, our main courses were universally disappointing. The meat was flavorless and tough. The ratings for this restaurant are definitely inflated by American tourists who appreciate a familiar experience.

This is a superb place. Very friendly and always accommodating servers. Cozy and light atmosphere. Food was excellent. If sharing a plate they divided it for you. Wine selection very Good and the wait staff very helpful in choosing. A night to remember. Five plus stars!

Lovely space, great food, great atmosphere, off the beaten path, extensive wine list. We were a group of seven and had an extensive part of the menu. Bistecca alla Florentina was wonderful, as were the various filets, and the Chianina & Porcini Repini was great. Desserts were outstanding,

Always our favorite dinner spot in Cortona!! Menu is seasonal so be sure to go at least every season.

We were in Cortona the 3rd week of May 2012. This restaurant has an excellent vibe. With barely audible Opera playing in the background, candlelight and nicely furnished dining room, it definitely felt like Italy. The staff was very helpful and we had a long dinner. No rush which was nice. The dishes were nicely done and if you want to try more courses don't be afraid to share. Only wish we could have sat outside but it was a little chilly that night.

great food and service! we had the truffle fondue and pasta dishes. everything was delicious and we enjoyed the wines that the server recommended. to our surprise everything was really well priced! looking forward to our next visit.

This was my husband's favorite meal during a month long trip through Italy. Everyone loved the steak Florentine. Somewhat nouvelle Italian with many interesting items. The only disappointment was the fois gras with the filet Rossini was actually a fois gras pate. Service was great. In a charming group of rooms off a side street. Check out the women's bathroom. We cannot decide if it was cute or creepy.