What to eat in Verona

Verona cooks with wine from its own hills — Amarone goes into the glass and into the pot alike — and keeps one speciality rarely seen outside the city. Pastissada de caval is a horsemeat stew tied to a legend about a battle on the Adige, and it sits on ordinary menus.

Horsemeat is slow-cooked in wine and vegetables until it falls apart, and served with polenta. A legend ties the dish to a battle near Verona in 489 AD, when fallen horses were used rather than left to waste, and today it is a local speciality on the menu. Within a fixed menu it's €26 (within the fixed menu: first + main course).

Where to stayWhich area has more of these places:Where to stay in Verona →

Amarone is made from grapes dried before fermentation, in the hills of Valpolicella north of the city, and it's strong and thick enough to cook with as well as drink. A risotto made with it turns dark red and is far heavier than a plain one, so it is served as a main course. A portion is €22.

Day tripsThe same wine, on the way to the wineries that make it:Day trips from Verona →

The Christmas cake shaped like a truncated pyramid was born in Verona and is now baked across Italy. A kilogram is €35–45 (1 kg), sold to take away.

Filled pasta from the nearby town of Valeggio sul Mincio appears on several menus in Verona. Read the price of a portion off each menu; as a yardstick for a whole meal, the set lunch is €12–20.

BudgetHow much a meal adds to the daily spend:What Verona costs →

2 daysWhere these dishes fit into the hour-by-hour plan:Verona in 2 days →

When to goWhich month to pick:The best time to visit Verona →

Hidden gemsWhat the guides skip:Verona across the river: the garden, the bridge and the theatre the centre loop skips →