Consorzio Agrario Siena

This is a great place to buy fresh local food items, from meat to pasta to wine. But for us, during our recent two weeks in Siena, it became our go-to place for lunch - pizza!

They make the pizza fresh all day, and one slice makes a really nice lunch. They have all different types and we were partial to the sausage and the ones with arugula on top.

We grabbed our slices and headed to the nearby square in front of the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena to sit and enjoy them in the shade.

It's a great alternative to sitting down to a long multi-course lunch if you just want a quick bite.

This is one stop for all who are looking for good Italian food items including, freshly made pasta, sauce, well known/regional brand of everything, cookies, biscotti, deli and wine and bakery.

There are some standing tables you can have quick bite including pizza (pretty good and not too salty) slices (only between 1.5 and 2 Euro) and freshly made amaretti (almond cookie) and similar to fried cream puff (donut ball with cream filling).

Stop by and get some cheese, prosciutto, bread, pizza and cookies with wine. You got yourself a great Italian meal under 20 Euro for 2-3 people.

Highly recommended.

PS: Open till 2030!!

During my visit in Siena I tried their pizza a couple different times, a sandwich one day, and one of their individual-sized fruit tortes. All good. The sandwich was decent, the pizza reeeally good, and the torte was tasty, including the crust - yummy and flaky. The pizza experiences bumped this to a 5 star for me. Several pizza options available, and like the sandwiches already made. Tons of other pastry and sweet options as well. Be sure to take a number and wait for your number to come up on the counter. ..otherwise you'll be there forever! Nice selection of meats, cheeses, and wines among other grocery type items.

Consorzio Agrario basically translates to food co-op, and should feel very similar to any local food co-op in the states. It's also feels similar to Whole Foods, as far as large corporations go, but the stores are quite small.

It's hard to get a feel for how their prices compare to other stores as a tourist, but I really enjoyed browsing the higher end items for souvenirs. They have a great selection of balsamic vinegar, oil, pasta, cured meat, cheese, and panforte.

They also have a deli section with a variety of meats and cheeses. I'd definitely recommend trying the Wild Boar sausage (look for Cinghiale on the packaging). The sausages have different ratios of boar to other meats, so ask someone behind the counter if you're interested.

Opposite the deli section is a separate bakery section, where you tear off a number from a roll and wait for it to be called. When your number is up, go to the counter and order from a variety of fresh pizza, baked bread, and schiacciata. I hadn't heard of schiacciata before, but it's a soft and chewy flatbread. It's delicious and absolutely worth trying, even if you struggle trying to order it in Italian!

The stores I went to were clean, well lit, well staffed, friendly, and busy. The only negative I can come up with would be price, but it's hard to be objective about pricing as a tourist. The balsamic vinegar gets expensive very quickly, starting around $15-20 Euro for average bottles and climbing to $70 Euro for 150ml for the good stuff. I wonder if I'll be able to notice a difference in quality whenever I get around to trying them!

Overall, excellent store and great shopping experience. I visited the Consorzio Agrario in Siena at least five or six times while I was staying there, and never got bored of poking around.

We ate here on our way to see the Piazza del Campo. The pizza was fresh, flavorful, and cheap. We also got some cookies, which were very good. This place has a lot more that we didn't get to try: cheese, meat products, walls and walls of wine, plus more mundane groceries and desserts. They have a public restroom as well.

Great quality with helpful staff. Excellent panini with a delicious vegetarian option. Simple and down to earth, this shop is perfect for special gifts for your foodie friends back home. Just Wonderful!

We were looking for great pizza and this place was recommended by some local Italian staff at the cathedral. Excellent! Hot, fresh, inexpensive, and lots of other amazing local food for sale as well. For a quick stand-up pizza, this is the place to go.