Tried and Tested Restaurants & Bars in Livorno, Italy

Livorno, in the Tuscany region of Italy, has some nice options for restaurants and bars, including many that serve seafood. During our stay in the coastal city, we found plenty of places to dine out and stop for drinks.

My favourite meals in the city were both at Siamo Fritti, a seafood restaurant near the central market hall. Livorno was a great place to explore Italian cuisine further and try new things. My top dishes in the city were cacciucco, a seafood stew, and fritto misto.

The city has a selection of cafes and bars throughout, many of which are open from early morning until late at night. There, I enjoyed coffee, Italian beers, and pastries like delicious cornetti.

Tried and Tested Restaurants in Livorno

Siamo Fritti For Seafood

The best restaurant that we visited during our stay was Siamo Fritti near the market hall, which was handy for our hotel. Siamo Fritti specialises in seafood and cooks it Tuscan style. It seemed popular, especially in the evenings. The owner and staff were all friendly, made me feel welcome, and kept the beer flowing throughout my visits.

For my first meal, I had their fritto misto, which was the best and freshest I’ve tried. It had big chunks of deep-fried seafood. The dish included squid, prawns, cod, and anchovies, and they served it with fries. I enjoyed mine and took a takeaway meal for my wife.

On a subsequent visit we had their Cacciucco a local seafood stew. This contained Octopus, cuttlefish, dogfish, catch of the day, prawns, and mussels in a tomato and wine-based sauce. This was very tasty, and I highly recommend it when visiting the city.

PaninoSì!

In the city centre is PaninoSì!, a pleasant, informal place to dine out. I initially visited for a beer and to watch the city go by from their outdoor seating area, but after spotting the sandwiches being served to other diners, temptation got the better of me.

For drinks, they served a variety of Italian beers, including Ichnusa, which hit the spot. They also serve coffee, wine and other drinks.

Their food menu focuses mainly on sandwiches, hence the name. After reading their menu, I chose La Porchetta. This sandwich was brimming with pork and a very flavourful salsa verde. This hit the spot and filled me up.

Jambo

An eclectic restaurant we visited was Jambo in the city centre; we initially popped in for drinks, as we saw they did the 660 ml bottles of Peroni. Jambo is a cross between a sports bar, an Italian restaurant and a Chinese one. We sat outside: the beer was good and the service fast, so we opted to try their food.

My wife had their pizza, and I had seafood salad with bread; this included prawns and squid, which tasted good. The meal hit the spot and was suitable for a late lunch.

Cafes & Bars

Loups!

A very pleasant café where we enjoyed drinks before taking a boat trip was Loups! They are based in Fortezza Nuova, one of the city’s top attractions. The backdrop of the fortress from their outside seating area hit the spot for me.

They had a diverse drinks menu and a selection of pastries to have with your drink. We enjoyed a red beer, coffees and other soft drinks on our visit, accompanied by a pistachio cornetto.

Pasticceria Caffè Miró

On Via Grande, the city’s main street, is Pasticceria Caffè Miró, a popular spot for a croissant and coffee. I visited after a sunrise walk in the port and popped in as they opened early. They had a good selection of drinks and pastries. I ordered a Moretti and a pistachio-filled croissant and sat on their covered outdoor seating.

Caffetteria Cavallotti

A nice place for drinks and a light snack is Caffetteria Cavallotti, a short walk from the canal and market. They serve the usual range of coffees and some beers too. They also have a small food menu featuring paninis. On my visit, I sat on their pleasant outside seating area with a cold Moretti. I found the server here attentive and friendly.

Bar Tabacchi Antico Livorno

Right next to our accommodation was Bar Tabacchi Antico Livorno, a small cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. It was a good spot for a quick beer and to get my wife a takeaway doppio after my early walks. They also have a selection of cakes and pastries, which hit the spot for breakfast.