Crostini in Siena: The Complete Guide to Tuscany’s Favorite Toast

Crostini are the most underrated food in Tuscany. Toasted slices of unsalted bread topped with spreads, they appear at every aperitivo, every trattoria table, and every family gathering. In Siena, crostini are not an appetizer — they are a ritual. Here is how to eat them properly.

Crostini di Fegatini: The Classic

Chicken liver pate blended with capers, anchovies, and wine, spread on toast. It sounds intense, and it is. The best versions are silky, not gritty, with a balance of iron-rich liver and bright acid from the capers.

Where to try: Trattoria Papei, Piazza del Mercato 6. Their fegatini crostini are made from a recipe unchanged since the 1950s.

Crostini al Tartufo: Luxury on Toast

Black truffle shavings over buttered toast. Available in autumn and winter when fresh truffles are in season. The rest of the year, truffle paste versions are common but less impressive.

Where to try: La Taverna di San Giuseppe. The truffles come from San Miniato, and the kitchen does not skimp.

Crostini con Salsiccia e Stracchino

A less traditional but increasingly popular topping: crumbled Tuscan sausage and stracchino cheese melted under a broiler. Rich, salty, and filling.

Where to try: Any modern wine bar. Enoteca I Terzi on Via dei Termini does an excellent version.

Crostini di Pomodoro: The Summer Alternative

Fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil on toasted bread. Essentially bruschetta by another name, but the bread matters. Tuscan unsalted bread lets the tomato sweetness dominate.

Where to try: Any cafe or bar in July and August.

The Bread

Tuscan bread is unsalted, dense, and chewy. When toasted, it becomes crunchy without shattering. The slight blandness of the bread is intentional — it acts as a canvas for bold toppings.

How to Eat Them

• Use your hands, not a knife and fork.
• One bite if possible. Crostini are designed to be popped into the mouth whole at aperitivo hour.
• Pair with a glass of Chianti or Vernaccia. The acidity cuts through rich liver or cheese toppings.

Our Crostini Crawl

For a full experience, map a crostini crawl across Siena: 1. Bar Pasticceria Nannini — classic fegatini at the bar counter (2.50 euros) 2. Trattoria Papei — rustic fegatini with a glass of house red (4 euros) 3. Enoteca I Terzi — sausage and stracchino with a Chianti Classico flight (12 euros) 4. La Taverna di San Giuseppe — truffle crostini as part of a tasting menu (included)

Total: Under 25 euros for the best snack tour in the city.

Our advice: Do not skip the fegatini because it sounds unusual. The chicken liver crostini is the definitive taste of Siena — more than panforte, more than pici, more than any single dish. Eat it twice before you decide.