The best cheap places to eat in Pisa sit a few streets away from the Leaning Tower rather than right next to it. Pizzeria Il Montino is the classic stop for pizza by the slice and cecina, L’Ostellino near Piazza dei Miracoli makes big panini for well under €10, and the streets around Borgo Stretto and Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II have pasta, coffee and gelato at normal Italian prices.
Every place on this list was checked in November 2026. Three of the original picks have closed for good and two more could no longer be confirmed as open, so they’ve been swapped for places that are trading now. Below you’ll find what to eat in Pisa, ten budget spots with addresses and opening hours, and a few ways to keep the bill down. Pisa pairs well with Florence, Lucca and the Tuscan coast, so if you’re planning a longer trip, our Italy travel guides are a good place to start.
What to eat in Pisa on a budget
Cecina is the snack to try first. It’s a thin, salty flatbread made from chickpea flour, baked in wide trays and eaten hot, sometimes tucked inside a piece of focaccia. You’ll find it at many pizza a taglio counters in town, and it’s one of the cheapest hot snacks you can eat in Pisa.
Pizza a taglio (pizza by the slice) is the go-to cheap lunch. You point at the tray, they cut a piece, weigh it or price it by the square, and warm it up for you. It’s quicker and cheaper than a sit-down pizzeria, and the locals mostly eat it standing up.
For pasta, look out for Tuscan dishes such as pappardelle with wild boar ragù (pappardelle al cinghiale) and pici, a thick hand-rolled spaghetti. Trattorias often chalk up a pasta of the day at lunchtime, which is usually the cheapest way to get a proper plate of it.
Panini are the other budget staple. A good sandwich shop will fill a schiacciata (Tuscan flatbread) with salami, pecorino or grilled vegetables while you wait. If Florence is your next stop, our list of food to eat in Florence that isn’t pizza or pasta picks up where this one leaves off, and we’ve done the same for cheap restaurants in Rome and budget restaurants in Venice.
10 cheap places to eat in Pisa
Opening hours were checked in November 2026, but small places in Pisa change their hours with the seasons and often close for a few weeks in August, so check Google Maps before you go.
1. Pizzeria Il Montino
Il Montino is a small, no-frills pizzeria in the old centre and one of the best-known places in Pisa for cecina. Gambero Rosso, Italy’s best-known food guide, lists it among the city’s pizza a taglio spots. Order a slice or two of pizza at the counter, add a wedge of cecina, and eat it hot. Friday evenings are the busiest time, so come at lunch if you want one of the few seats.
Location: Vicolo del Monte 1 (Via del Monte 1), city centre.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10.30am-3pm & 5.30pm-10.30pm, closed Sun.
2. L’Ostellino
L’Ostellino is a tiny sandwich counter a few minutes’ walk from the Leaning Tower, which makes it the best cheap lunch near Piazza dei Miracoli. Panini are made to order with Tuscan cured meats, cheeses and vegetables, and there are vegetarian fillings too. Guides and reviewers put most panini at roughly €5.50 to €8 (checked November 2026). There’s a queue at lunchtime and hardly any seating, so plan to eat on the go.
Location: Piazza Felice Cavallotti 1, Santa Maria.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am-4.30pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm.
3. Lo Sfizio
Acting as a bar, restaurant and café, Lo Sfizio is one of the most popular spots on Pisa’s well-trafficked Borgo Stretto. The menu here boasts a wide mix from coffees and pastries to pasta dishes and the ever-present gelato. Whether you stop here for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or just for a quick coffee, you’ll find a welcoming atmosphere and equally welcoming prices.
Location: Borgo Stretto 54, Santa Maria.
Opening hours: Daily, 7am-2am.
Good to know: Table service comes with a cover charge (coperto) of almost €3 per person, so stand at the bar if you only want a coffee.
4. Restaurant Duomo
Close to the Piazza del Duomo, the outdoor tables here offer a glimpse of Pisa’s stunning cathedral. A vast menu is offered, including Italian staples like spaghetti and veal, with a huge range of other dishes to choose from too. To save some money, check out the specials and meal deals offered. Tables can be found both inside and outside the restaurant, and this popular spot is often quite busy.
Location: Via Roma 70, Santa Maria.
Opening hours: Daily, 10.30am-10.30pm.
Good to know: Expect a table charge of about €2.50 per person.
5. La Borsa
If you want somewhere comfortable where you can sample some of Italy’s famous gelato, then pull up a chair at one of the many table spread outside La Borsa. This pleasant café serves up a mouth-watering array of colourful ice-creams in a variety of flavours. Popular with both locals and visitors, it also serves a great selection of cakes, coffees, sandwiches and more.
Location: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 1, Sant’Antonio, about two minutes’ walk from Pisa Centrale station.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am-8.30pm, Sat-Sun 8am-8.30pm.
6. La Taverna di Pulcinella
La Taverna di Pulcinella makes Neapolitan-style pizza with a soft, puffy crust, and Frommer’s rates it as a good-value lunch stop. There are vegan options, and you can order pizza to take away, which is handy if you’d rather eat back at your hostel. Service can be slow when it’s full, so don’t come in a rush.
Location: Via Garofani 10, Pisa.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-2.30pm & 6pm-10.30pm, closed Sun.
7. Caffe Gambrinus
Thanks to its strong coffee and delicious pastries, this café and bar is a great spot for breakfast. It also offers a selection of sandwiches and snack foods, and a very pleasant afternoon can be spent sitting at the tables outside as you sip on a drink and munch on some crisps. At night, it morphs into a buzzing wine bar, with a huge selection of drinks available.
Location: Viale A. Gramsci 2, Sant’Antonio.
Opening hours: Open daily, 24 hours.
8. Osteria dei Cavalieri
Osteria dei Cavalieri costs a bit more than the rest of this list, but it’s the place for a proper sit-down plate of Tuscan pasta a short walk from Piazza dei Cavalieri. Frommer’s recommends it, and the menu sticks to local dishes. It’s popular, so book ahead for dinner, and check the hours before you go because they change through the year.
Location: Via San Frediano 16, Santa Maria.
Opening hours: Lunch and dinner, closed Sun, no lunch on Sat, closed for most of August.
9. Alle Bandierine
Alle Bandierine is a small trattoria in the centre with homemade pasta at reasonable prices for Pisa. The spaghetti with mussels is the dish people come back for. It only opens in the evening, so save it for dinner.
Location: Via Mercanti 4, San Francesco.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7.30pm-11.30pm, closed Sun.
10. Pizzeria Trattoria Toscana
Quite close to the Field of Miracles, this restaurant gets a lot of traffic thanks to its location. It also gets a lot of repeat business, and that’s thanks to the quality of its food. A great selection of both pizzas and pasta dishes make up just one section of the large menu. Staff try and tempt passersby from the entrance to the outdoor seating area, which is covered and heated in winter, with set menus and daily offers. Now called Trattoria Toscana dal 1976, it also does takeaway.
Location: Via Santa Maria 163, Santa Maria.
Opening hours: Thurs-Tues 8am-11pm, closed Wed.
How to eat cheaply in Pisa
Walk a few streets away from Piazza dei Miracoli before you sit down. The restaurants facing the tower charge for the view, while places on Borgo Stretto, around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and near the university cost less for the same food.
Check the menu for the coperto (cover charge) before you sit. It’s normal in Italy, usually a couple of euros per person, and you’ll pay it at almost any place with table service. Coffee at the bar is cheaper than coffee at a table.
Make lunch your big meal. Trattorias often chalk up a cheaper pasta of the day at lunchtime, and you can fill up on pizza a taglio or a panino for under €10 before an evening of sightseeing.
Travelling solo? Use the Hostelworld app to join your hostel’s chat or the City Chats for Pisa and find people to share a pizza with. Hostels often run group dinners through Linkups, and if you haven’t booked a bed yet, a Social Pass opens up the chats anyway. For festivals and food fairs during your stay, have a look at the Hostelworld Events pages, and the city’s official tourism site, Turismo Pisa, lists what’s on too.
Where to stay in Pisa and where to go next
Most budget travellers stay in the centre, between Pisa Centrale station and Piazza dei Miracoli, where you can walk to every place on this list. Compare prices on hostels in Pisa, or browse all hostels in Italy on Hostelworld.
Pisa is an easy day trip or overnight from hostels in Florence and hostels in Lucca. Heading south afterwards? Read our guide on where to stay in Rome for the first time, then plan the coast with where to stay in Sorrento. If you end up in Naples, don’t miss the city’s obsession with Diego Maradona.
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