II Bocconcino — Restaurant in Siena

Rating: ★★★★★

Il Bocconcino in Siena might just serve the best sandwich I've ever had in my entire life. I ordered #3: Wild Boar Mortadella, Black Truffle and Olive Sauce, Stracciatella, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and from the very first bite, I was absolutely floored by the flavors. The combination of the rich wild boar mortadella with the black truffle and olive sauce, alongside the creamy stracciatella and the punch of sun-dried tomatoes, created the perfect balance of flavors—truly an unforgettable experience.

What really made the experience even better was the super nice guy who served us the sandwich—probably the owner. He sliced everything fresh right when we ordered, so nothing was left out waiting, making the sandwich taste even more incredible. Every ingredient was high-quality, and the freshness really came through in each bite.

I also got a glass of wine that they kindly poured into a plastic cup, which meant I could easily take it, along with my sandwich, and walk over to Piazza del Campo. The location of Il Bocconcino is perfect, just steps away from the piazza. It was so convenient to grab my sandwich and wine and enjoy them while soaking in the beauty of one of the most stunning squares in Italy.

If you’re in Siena, do yourself a favor and stop by Il Bocconcino—whether it’s for a quick lunch or a leisurely meal. I can’t recommend this place enough, and I’ll definitely be back the next time I'm...

Once upon a time, the word spread that Il Bocconcino was running out of produce.

Without any care for their safety, people from all around the area hoped on their horses and galloped to be the first ones there, just in case this was true.

Horses slipped. Riders fell. Bones cracked. Somebody even fell face first on a steamy pile of horse poop. But tears only came to people’s eyes when they arrived and found out that Il Bocconcino was still open and up for business. Happy tears, of course.

That is the true (unofficial) story of how the Palio di Siena begun. The winner is actually given a #19 with extra pesto (the key ingredient for eternal glory).

Now, going out of the historical part of this review: simplicity turned extraordinary, in the shape of a sandwich. Plus, affordable pricing.

Totally worth falling head first into a pile of horse poop. I don’t regret it at all and would do it again any day of the week.

This paragraph is an annex to the original review: I’ve been touring the Tuscan region for some days now, trying many sandwich joints in many towns. I will be reviewing and writing “once upon a time” stories for some of these, since they were very good. But I want this to be clear: Il Bocconcino is by far the best. It is playing in a different league: Il Bocconcino is playing the Serie A and the Champions League all by itself, with all the rest, with some luck, is competing in the Serie B and the...

I've had cheaper panini in Italy - €8-€10 won't break the bank but it's more than I usually pay. However I was plenty happy to pay this as the food was incredible.

Just minutes after ordering I was presented (after handing in my buzzer which made the process much less confusing than normal) with a massive sandwich, made with lovely soft oily bread, generously stuffed with porchetta. It was delicious, probably enough for two people with small appetites!

My partner's sandwich was likewise fantastic - she didn't receive what we thought we ordered but that was probably due to my terrible Italian (they clearly speak good English, I just like testing myself). There were some good veggie and vegan options too.

FYI there is no seating - grab and plonk nearby....