Food · Verona · Italy
What to eat in Verona
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Verona, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Risotto all'Amarone, Risotto al tastasal and Bigoli. In Verona a glass of wine is an 'ombra'; old-town osterie around Piazza delle Erbe and along Via Sottoriva pour local wines by the glass with small bites at the counter. Lunch runs from about 12:30 to 2:30pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; on opera nights many restaurants near Piazza Bra serve late.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Risotto all'Amarone
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 6
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving a few…
- Food experiences
- 3
11 foods to try
Dish · Vegetarian
1.Risotto all'Amarone
Risotto made with Vialone Nano rice from the Veronese plain, cooked with Amarone della Valpolicella and finished with butter and Monte Veronese or Parmigiano, turning a deep purple-red.
Where: Osterie in the old town and wine-estate restaurants in Valpolicella.
Dish
2.Risotto al tastasal
A risotto of Vialone Nano rice with seasoned minced pork (tastasal), originally made by pork butchers tasting the salt in their sausage mix. It comes from Isola della Scala in the rice-growing plain south of Verona.
Where: Traditional trattorie in Verona and Isola della Scala, especially during the autumn rice fair.
Dish
3.Bigoli
Thick, rough-textured spaghetti traditionally pressed through a bronze die; in Verona they are served with duck ragù (bigoli all'anatra) or with a sauce of anchovies and slow-cooked onions.
Where: Osterie and trattorie across the city.
Dish
4.Pastissada de caval
Verona's signature stew of horse meat marinated and slowly braised in red wine with spices, traditionally served with soft polenta or gnocchi.
Where: Old-style osterie and trattorie; it is less common in tourist restaurants.
Dish
5.Lesso e pearà
Boiled meats such as beef, tongue and cotechino served with pearà, a peppery sauce of breadcrumbs, beef marrow and broth that is particular to Verona; it is a winter and holiday dish.
Where: Traditional trattorie, mostly in the colder months.
Dish · Vegetarian
6.Potato gnocchi (Gnocchi)
Potato gnocchi are a Verona institution, eaten with butter and sage, tomato or pastissada. The city's Carnival is led by the Papà del Gnoco, who carries a giant fork with a gnocco speared on it.
Where: Trattorie everywhere, and especially in San Zeno on the Venerdì Gnocolar, the Carnival Friday before Lent.
Dish
7.Tortellini di Valeggio
Delicate, almost translucent meat-filled tortellini from Valeggio sul Mincio, about 25 km southwest, served with butter and sage or in broth; locals call them 'nodi d'amore' (love knots).
Where: Restaurants in Valeggio sul Mincio and nearby Borghetto, and some trattorie in Verona.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Pandoro
Verona's tall, star-shaped Christmas cake, made from a buttery yeast dough and dusted with icing sugar. It was patented in Verona by the confectioner Domenico Melegatti in 1894.
Where: Pastry shops sell artisan versions from November; boxed supermarket versions are sold for much of the year.
Snack · Vegetarian
9.Monte Veronese
A DOP cow's-milk cheese from the Lessinia plateau north of the city, eaten young and mild or aged and crumbly, often with mostarda or honey.
Where: Cheese shops and the cheese boards of osterie and wine bars.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Amarone, Valpolicella and Soave
Amarone della Valpolicella is a powerful red made from grapes dried for months before pressing; lighter Valpolicella and Ripasso, crisp white Soave and sweet Recioto all come from the hills around Verona.
Where: Enoteche and osterie in the old town, or tastings at estates in Valpolicella and Soave.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Spritz
The Veneto's orange aperitivo of prosecco or white wine with Aperol, Campari or Select and a splash of soda, served over ice with a slice of orange or an olive.
Where: Café terraces in Piazza delle Erbe and on the Liston in Piazza Bra.
Food experiences
An ombra at the counter
In Verona a glass of wine is an 'ombra'; old-town osterie around Piazza delle Erbe and along Via Sottoriva pour local wines by the glass with small bites at the counter.
Valpolicella tasting
Estates in Valpolicella, 20–30 minutes from the centre, offer cellar tours and tastings of Amarone and Recioto, usually by appointment; drying lofts full of grapes are a highlight from autumn into winter.
Lake Garda lunch
On a lake day, try Garda DOP olive oil and lake fish such as whitefish (coregone) in lakeside trattorie at Bardolino, Lazise or Sirmione.
Quick bites and street food
- Monte Veronese — Cheese shops and the cheese boards of osterie and wine bars.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 6 are usually vegetarian: Risotto all'Amarone, Potato gnocchi, Pandoro, Monte Veronese, Amarone, Valpolicella and Soave and Spritz. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch runs from about 12:30 to 2:30pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; on opera nights many restaurants near Piazza Bra serve late.
- A coperto (cover charge) is usually added per person; check the menu.
- Restaurants on the Liston in Piazza Bra charge for the view; the side streets, San Zeno and Veronetta are better value.
- Book dinner ahead on opera nights and during Vinitaly in April, when the city is full.
- Ask for wine 'al calice' (by the glass) to try several local wines over one meal.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buongiorno | Good morning / hello |
| Grazie mille | Thank you very much |
| Il conto, per favore | The bill, please |
| Un'ombra di rosso | A glass of red wine (local usage) |
| Un calice di Soave | A glass of Soave |
| Scusi | Excuse me |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Verona famous for?
Risotto all'Amarone, Risotto al tastasal, Bigoli and Pastissada de caval. Risotto made with Vialone Nano rice from the Veronese plain, cooked with Amarone della Valpolicella and finished with butter and Monte Veronese or Parmigiano, turning a deep purple-red.
+Is Verona good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Risotto all'Amarone, Potato gnocchi and Pandoro.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Verona?
Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated.