Osteria Del Gatto — Restaurant in Siena

I have no hesitation in recommending the Osteria del Gatto for good food and wine. I've eaten here on and off for many years and it has always been a good local osteria, unpretentious, authentic and patronised mainly by the Sienese themselves. Obviously you will see some tourists eating here, especially at lunch - this is in Siena after all, and the Gatto is on a small road into the centre from the San Marco car park, - but they are the lucky (or knowledgeable) ones because this is a great place to eat.

The fare is typical traditional tuscan, and there are occasional 'theme days' when a particular ingredient or style of cuisine will dominate the menu. But what raises the Gatto above the level of most similar establishments in Siena is the simple fact that Marco (the owner) is an excellent cook who takes great pride in his ingredients. All are high quality, seasonal and local - especially the fish and the game (he is a fisherman and a hunter so you will often be eating something that he has personally 'sourced').

The wine range, from the vini della casa upwards, is equally well chosen and very reasonably priced - I particularly like the rare tuscan wines that never get to the supermarkets in the UK - and if the unfamiliar names are a bit scary Marco is always willing to advise on what will go well with your choice of meal.

I have so many good memories of eating here that I've now made myself hungry by writing this review! What better recommendation could I give...

I was really looking forward to this, judging from reviews, but it was very disappointing, sadly. I don't know if chef had a day off on a Wednesday or what, but I paid €34 for very little joy, €10 extra in comparison to fab osteria Nonna Gina around the corner the night before. What made comparison so poor is that both nights I had Tuscan rabbit and here at Gatto it was old, dry, just about edible pieces, so dry I barely could chew them, in a pool of oil (see photo). Compared to stunning rabbit saddle roll at fabulous Bruscello Bistro, or half a rabbit on a plate at Osteria Nonna Gina, soft as anything, Osteria Gatto turned out to be a mega disappointment, and expensive one at that for what you get. Potato salad was old, cold, boiled potatoes completely unseasoned, with some tomatoes and red onions spooned on top. Service was kind and efficient, great location, just the food was completely off...

I can highly recommend Osteria del Gatto - Siena: Home baked bread (best so far), all dishes were local from local ingredients, seasonal and exceptional good quality. Off the beaten path, nearly no non Italian tourists (most don't like the walk I guess). Small, cosy place. Hand written menu and copied, so a bit hard to read, also because they use slang, waiter speaks a bit English but not much. Anything from the menu is good. The chef sometimes makes some time to come to the table and explain (his English is ok). There is no wine list, but a selection of bottles on a high shelf which you can choose from. We have been here a few times the last years and the quality hasn't changed. Prices for those who care: Incredibly low. The wine for instance was 29 euro. Online I checked 4 websites selling it between 24 and 30 euro. Dishes are also under priced. Not the standard limoncello,...