Where to Eat in Perugia: My Favorite Restaurants as a Local
I moved to Perugia in 2022, and I’ve eaten my way through this city ever since. Trattorias, pizzerias, wine bars, sandwich counters, the places locals guard and the places that only exist for tourists. At this point I’ve eaten at more restaurants in Perugia than most people who were born here.
Perugia is getting a lot more attention lately, which means a lot more people are about to land here and Google “where to eat in Perugia.” Most of what comes up is either outdated, written by someone who spent one afternoon here, or a list of whatever has tables on Corso Vannucci.
This is the list I actually give friends when they visit. You’ll get:
- Where to go if you only have one night
- What Umbrian food actually is, and what to order
- My favorite restaurants, pizzerias, and sandwich spots, with the specific dishes I order
- The places I’d skip, and the ones that are fine but overhyped
Prices are as of fall 2026. Menus here change often, so treat my dish picks as “what I’ve had” rather than a guarantee.
Quick Answer: One Night in Perugia
If you only have one dinner here, book Osteria a Priori first. If it’s full, go to Trattoria Oberdan or Civico 25. All three serve real Umbrian food at fair prices, and all three need a reservation.
Reality Check Before You Eat in Perugia
The tables on Corso Vannucci aren’t where locals eat. Most restaurants with tables out on the main street, especially in the warm months, cater to tourists. You can get a decent meal there, and I’ll tell you which two I’d pick, but you won’t find the most typical food. The good stuff is usually a few steps off the Corso, down a side street or under a stone arch.
Book ahead. The best places in Perugia are small. Osteria a Priori literally prints a note on its menu that the kitchen is tiny. A Friday night walk-in at a popular spot usually ends with a “sorry, we’re full.”
Menus change constantly. A lot of my favorite places cook with the season and rewrite the menu every few weeks. If a dish I mention isn’t there, ask what’s good tonight. That’s usually the right move anyway.
Expect a coperto. Most sit-down restaurants charge a cover of around €2 per person for bread and service. It’s normal, not a scam.
Don’t fill up on the table bread. Like in Tuscany, the bread that lands on your table in Umbria is pane sciapo: unsalted, bland, and honestly uninspiring. Not worth the calories. The bread worth eating here is torta al testo, Perugia’s griddle flatbread. If it’s on the menu, order that instead.
Steak is priced by weight. If you order a fiorentina or costata, the price on the menu is per 100 grams. A 1 kg steak for two adds up fast, so ask the weight before they cook it.
What to Eat in Perugia: Umbrian Food 101
Every region of Italy has its own food, and my rule is simple: eat the regional food. Umbria is landlocked, hilly, and built on pork, truffles, legumes, and handmade pasta. It’s not the Italian food most Americans grew up on. If you walk in looking for carbonara, you’ll miss the best part.
You don’t need my restaurant list to eat well here. Learn what’s on this list, and you’ll know what to order anywhere in the region.
Antipasti (starters)
- Tagliere with torta al testo: a board of local cured meats (prosciutto di Norcia, wild boar salami, salsiccia secca) and cheeses (pecorino, caciotta), served with torta al testo, the Umbrian flatbread cooked on a griddle. Every restaurant has its version. Think of it as the region’s edible handshake.
- Uova strapazzate al tartufo: soft scrambled eggs with shaved black truffle. The cheapest way to taste the real thing. Give me this and some warm bread and I’ll never leave the table.
- Barbozzo: cured pork jowl, often on bruschetta. Most visitors have never heard of it. Order it.
- Soufflé di pecorino con cipolla di Cannara: pecorino soufflé with sweet caramelized Cannara onions. Salty, sweet, decadent.
- Panzanella: bread salad with tomato, onion, olive oil, and basil. Summer only.
Primi (pasta and soup)
- Strangozzi / stringozzi / umbricelli: thick, chewy handmade pasta. If you see one of these on a menu, order it.
- Al tartufo nero: black truffle on strangozzi or tagliatelle. The classic Umbrian first course.
- Alla norcina: crumbled sausage, cream, and sometimes truffle. On pasta or gnocchi. Heavy in the best way.
- Al rancetto: tomato, guanciale, and pecorino. Simple and one of my favorite sauces in the region.
- Ragù bianco: slow-cooked meat ragù without tomato, usually on pappardelle or tagliatelle. Rich and peppery.
- Cinghiale: wild boar ragù, usually on pappardelle.
- Zuppe: lentil soup with good olive oil, or imbrecciata, a mixed legume and spelt soup. Peasant food at its best.
Secondi (mains)
- Tagliata: sliced grilled steak, often Chianina beef, sometimes topped with truffle. Served rare unless you insist otherwise. Don’t.
- Porchetta: herb-packed roast pork, sold in sandwiches from vans and kiosks or plated in restaurants.
- Rabbit with olives: skillet-cooked, an Umbrian country classic.
- Lamb: herb-crusted, roasted, or as torcinelli. Sunday lunch territory.
- Trippa: tripe stewed Perugian style. A winter dish for the brave.
Dolci (dessert)
- Tozzetti with vin santo or Sagrantino passito: crunchy almond biscotti dipped in sweet wine. Everywhere, and never pretentious.
- Anything with Perugina chocolate: Perugia is the home of Baci, and it shows up in desserts all over town.
- Crostata: rustic jam tart. Always available.
What to drink
- Sagrantino di Montefalco: Umbria’s big, tannic red. Made for red meat and aged pecorino.
- Rosso di Montefalco: the easier-drinking red, a blend with Sangiovese.
- Grechetto and Orvieto Classico: crisp local whites. Good with antipasti or as an aperitivo.
- Local craft beer: look for Birra Perugia, Birra Flea, or Le Canapaie, a small farm brewery making hemp beers.
- After dinner: a grappa di Sagrantino, or Varnelli, an anise liqueur from nearby Marche that’s popular here.
Seasonality
- Black truffle: fresh from October to March. White truffle: October to December. Outside those months it’s preserved or imported. Still good, but not the same.
- Panzanella and caprese: summer only.
- Offal (trippa, coratella): mostly winter.
- Porchetta: year-round, especially at summer sagre (food festivals).
Tourist-trap signals: photo menus in five languages, someone outside waving you in, and a menu built around carbonara and spaghetti bolognese. None of that is Umbrian.
Before You Eat: Do the Taste Perugia Food Tour
My friend Susan runs the Taste Perugia food tour, and I’d book it before you do anything else food-related in the city. Do it on your first day or two, then use the list below for the rest of your meals.
She took our group to spots I’d walked past a hundred times without a second look, including what’s believed to be the oldest door in Perugia, where royals used to dispose of the bodies of underperforming servants. Dark history, but that’s Perugia.
The tastings are genuinely good, the spots are local, and you’ll leave understanding Umbrian food in a way that eating your way through restaurants won’t give you. Susan is the best food tour guide in the city. Tell her Anthony sent you.
Book the Taste Perugia food tour here
The Best Traditional Umbrian Restaurants in Perugia
This is where I’d spend most of my meals if I were visiting. Real Umbrian cooking, fair prices, and very few tourist menus.
Osteria a Priori
My number one. It’s popular with both locals and tourists, and for good reason: the ingredients come almost entirely from small Umbrian producers, the prices are fair, and the cooking is honest. It’s also a shop, so you can buy a bottle of whatever you liked on the way out.
What to order:
- Lightly scrambled eggs with black truffle (€12)
- Maltagliati with zucchini, pancetta, and Pecorino di Norcia (€9.50)
- Stringozzi with black truffle (€16)
- Rabbit with Taggiasca olives and roast potatoes (€16)
- Free-range chicken with rosemary and sage, served with torta al testo (€15)
Let them pick your wine pairing. Trust me on this one.
Good to know: Reservation almost certainly required. The kitchen is tiny, and they tell you so on the menu, so be patient.
Trattoria Oberdan
Newer, a little more modern, still good prices, and very friendly staff. I go here a lot. Reservation suggested.
Trattoria Oberdan map · Enoteca Oberdan map
What to order:
- Pollo alla cacciatora (€14). This is the one. It’s so damn good.
- Bruschette with barbozzo (€8)
- Truffle scrambled eggs (€13)
- Pappardelle with wild boar ragù (€14)
- Strangozzi al rancetto: tomato, guanciale, pecorino (€13)
- Strangozzi alla norcina (€13, €18 with truffle). Good, just heavy. Split it if you’re also getting a main.
Good to know: Same owners run Enoteca Oberdan, with a similar menu. It’s a solid backup if the trattoria is full. They’re also behind Bottega Oberdan (see sandwiches below).
Civico 25
One of the most sought-after tables in Perugia. Small, beautiful inside, walls full of wine, and a menu that changes constantly. The owner is Venetian. Seating is split between the ground floor and a little loft upstairs.
What I’ve had:
- Truffle scrambled eggs with toasted bread (€15). I think theirs is the best in town.
- Strangozzi with pioppini mushrooms (€15)
- Veal ossobuco alla Marcella with mashed potatoes (€18)
- Baccalà mantecato with polenta chips (€12)
The menu turns over so often that you may not see any of these. Ask what’s on that night and go with what sounds good.
Good to know: If you’re into natural and organic wines, including the funky, stinky-feet kind, this is your place. They have normal bottles too. Book ahead.
Il Cantinone
A classic sit-down restaurant with brick-vaulted stone dining rooms, and a quiet outdoor terrace on a side lane in the warm months. Their truffle dishes are only served when fresh, good-quality truffle is in, which tells you something about the kitchen.
What to order:
- The potato and red onion tortino with Leccino olives and cheese fondue (€12). This is the one I keep coming back for.
- Homemade tagliatelle with white lamb ragù, wild fennel pesto, and lemon zest
- Any truffle dish, when it’s on
Al Mangiar Bene
A classic for Umbrian staples and fresh pasta, made in-house with organic flour. At dinner you pick your pasta shape and your sauce separately. At lunch the pairings are set. The organic house wine is €7 for half a liter.
What to order:
- Pappardelle al ragù bianco (€13)
- Cacio e pepe (€10)
- Norcina: cream, sausage, truffle sauce (€13)
Good to know: Their truffle is listed as frozen at origin, so I’d come here for pasta and classics and save truffle for Osteria a Priori, Civico 25, or Il Cantinone. Pizza is dinner only.
Bottega del Vino
A proper sit-down restaurant with a serious wine list and a quaint upstairs room. The menu is small and changes often, so ask what’s on.
What I’ve had: tagliatelle with white ragù, a salumi and cheese plate, and pork belly on toast.
La Fame, Vineria e Cucina
One of my favorites for a long night. Excellent and very particular wine selection, a menu that’s always changing with unique dishes, and the owner, Giuseppe, is a genuinely friendly guy. They have live jazz most Sundays.
This is not the place for Aperol spritzes. Come for wine, and let them steer you.
When You Want Something Different
After a few days of strangozzi and torta al testo, you might want a break. These are the two places I go when I want great food that isn’t Umbrian.
Amaranto
One of my favorite restaurants in Perugia. It’s run by a couple: he’s from Perugia, she’s from Colombia, and the menu blends both. Beautiful room, great options, and they do brunch too. They’re friends of mine, so tell them Anthony sent you.
What to order:
- Arepitas with soy chicken and chive yogurt cream (€10). Addictive. You’ll want a second plate.
- Tagliatelle del bosco with mushrooms, Marsala, and cumin (€14)
Brunch has Colombian touches too, like huevo perico with arepas.
Antica Trattoria delle Volte
Sicilian food in the middle of Umbria, and it’s really good. For some reason it’s almost always empty. I don’t understand why, but it means you can usually get a table.
What to order:
- Spaghetti with mussels
- Spaghetti alle vongole
- Pasta alla Norma
- Grilled tuna steak with caponata
- The cannolo. Save room. It’s one of my favorite desserts in the city.
Best Steak in Perugia
Locanda del Bartoccio
If you’re going for meat, this is where I go. It’s right on Piazza Matteotti, and the steaks come from free-range animals.
What to order:
- Cuberoll tagliata (€25)
- Fiorentina, priced by weight at €6.50 per 100 g. A roughly 1 kg steak for two lands around €65.
Best Pizza in Perugia
Perugia has had an influx of new pizzerias in the last few years, mostly Neapolitan style. Toppings are personal, so for most of these I’m not going to tell you what to order. Get what sounds good. The dough is the point.
Medì Pizzeria Mediterranea
One of my favorites. Neapolitan style, and consistently good. Order whatever you like.
Verace
Neapolitan style with a puffy, leopard-spotted crust. Reservations needed, it fills up. Order whatever toppings sound good.
Pizzeria Mediterranea Tre Archi
Great pizza near Corso Garibaldi, and good value. A margherita starts at €6.
What I’ve had: sausage, eggplant, and purple potato cream (€11), and a classic diavola (€8). Get one adventurous, one classic.
Margherita Lab
If you want Roman-style pizza, thin and crispy, this is the place. It’s in Elce, a bit outside the center and a bit of a walk, but Roman pizza this good is worth it. Only go here if you really want a different style pizza and have time to kill and the ability to walk a bit.
La Romantica
Not my personal favorite, but a lot of people love it, so it’s on the list. The crust is a more modern style, not traditional Neapolitan. Good value, and very popular. Get what you like.
Skip: L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
The famous Naples chain opened in Perugia recently, and it’ll probably be one of the first pizzerias you notice. I think it’s entirely overrated. You’re in a city with better pizza, made by people who live here. Go to one of the places above instead.
Best Sandwiches and Quick Lunch in Perugia
For lunch on the go, skip the sad panini in the bar display cases. Fillings are personal, so pick what you like at all of these.
Testone
If you try one Umbrian thing for lunch, make it torta al testo, the local griddle flatbread stuffed with cured meats, cheese, or greens. Testone is a popular Umbrian chain that does exactly that. It’s a chain, but I don’t think that makes it any less good. You can get sandwiches, taglieri (boards of cured meats and cheese), or meat plates.
La Bottega di Perugia
The local sandwich pick in the center.
Bottega Oberdan
From the same family as Trattoria Oberdan, and great when it’s open. The hours are hit or miss, so don’t build your day around it.
Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916
If you want the famous Umbrian porchetta sandwich, this is the kiosk-style stand in Piazza Matteotti. I’ll be honest, I don’t love porchetta. But it’s popular, and it’s a classic for a reason.
La Prosciutteria
This is a Tuscan chain, and the fact that Stanley Tucci went here on his show about regional Italian food tells me that episode wasn’t researched very well. The sandwiches are good, not great. Fine if you want to stay right in the center.
If You Want to Eat on Corso Vannucci
Let me be clear: these aren’t the places I’d send an Italian friend. But I know most people reading this are visiting from abroad, and a lot of you want to sit outside on the main street, people-watch, and be right in the middle of it. That’s a fair thing to want, and it matters more to some travelers than finding the most local-only dish in town.
If that’s you, these are the two I’d pick. I’ve eaten at nearly all the restaurants on the Corso, and I’ve had dishes I genuinely liked at both.
Mezzaluna
Get the thick handmade pasta (I believe it’s umbricelli) with guanciale, fava beans, and pecorino. It’s so good.
Il Bacio
They do pizza and a bit of everything. The pizza is pretty decent, and you’re in the middle of the action.
Key Takeaways
- Book Osteria a Priori first. Then Trattoria Oberdan or Civico 25. Reserve all three ahead.
- Order Umbrian. Strangozzi, truffle eggs, rancetto, barbozzo, torta al testo. Leave the carbonara for Rome.
- Walk one street off the Corso. That’s where the real food in Perugia is.
Final Thoughts
Perugia is not a food city that shows off. The best meals here happen in small rooms with short menus, run by people who care a lot about what lands on your plate. If you eat where locals eat and order what’s actually from here, you’ll eat better in Perugia than in a lot of more famous Italian cities.
For drinks before or after dinner, see my guide to [PLACEHOLDER: link to Best Bars and Aperitivo in Perugia]. And if you’re still figuring out logistics, read [PLACEHOLDER: link to How to Get to Perugia].
Planning a trip that includes Perugia? Get my free Italy Trip Reality Checklist before you book anything. [PLACEHOLDER: checklist link]
Already have a draft itinerary? I’ll review it and tell you what to cut, what to move, and where you’re overloading days. [PLACEHOLDER: Itinerary Review link]
Personal Insight
I’ve lived in Perugia since 2022, and some of the people behind these places are now friends. That’s the part nobody tells you about eating in a city like this: go back to the same spot a few times and you stop being a customer. You get the extra plate, the wine they didn’t put on the list, the conversation at the end of the night.
You won’t get that in one visit. But you can start it. Be a good guest, say hi, and tell them Anthony sent you.
Still planning the rest of your trip? Grab my free Italy Trip Reality Checklist. It’s what I wish I’d had before my first trip here: the stuff that actually goes wrong, so you can plan around it.