Traditional places to eat in and around Ancona

Ancona is one of those Italian cities which doesn’t often end up being in a regular trip itinerary plan or among those “top to visit in Italy” locations. However, it is a city boasting history and culture, a port from which lots of people pass through each year, mostly directed to the other shores of the Adriatic sea or Greece, and a strong and proud culinary tradition. Knowing the stories of authentic and historic places to eat in and around the city might be a motivation to spend some extra time in Ancona. 

Caffè Giuliani

Caffè Giuliani is located in the heart of the city, close by the port and the "theater of Muses", in a historic building of the 1800s. The interior is decorated in classic style. The wooden counter and cabinets showcase quality and craftsmanship. The floors are made of marble and granite. Already from the early 1800s, it cheered the mornings of the people from Ancona with their coffee, soft drinks, and pastry products of high quality.

Panificio Branda

Located in a palace built in the second half of the 1600s, it was one of the buildings that formed the convent of the Clarisse nuns.   The interior still preserves the original structure as well as the original ceiling. It started as a bakery with a wood-fired oven selling bakery products, food, and fresh pasta. The business has been passing on from generation to generation for more than a century. Nowadays, family Branda is still the one running the place. It is well known in the city thanks to its proximity to the theater of the Muses.  

Taverna degli Archi Restaurant

It is located in an alley in the historic center, and inside it has beaming ceilings in old wood and terracotta tiles, with vaults and arches. In one of the rooms, a visible a sixth-sharp stone medieval arch impresses the visitors instantly. A large size tavern is accessible from a stone staircase. The place is completed with its outdoor space, with supports, armchairs and a dresser. Many ancient objects are visible in the dining rooms: a stove, rifles, and pots in copper. According to historical reports, the place existed in 1720, when it was a tavern that welcomed locals and neighboring guests for snacks and board games. Then with time, it turned firstly into a tavern serving wine and dishes and then, in the 1950s, in a dairy serving sliced pizza, local roast chicken, cold cuts and local wine.

Bar Manganelli

Initially, it was located laterally to the old port's warehouses and was used as a saline deposit. A flood in 1959 led to the demolition of the building. As a result, the bar was moved to its current position, next to the Portella Santa Maria- in front of the former maritime station, close by the port area. In 1972, when a violent earthquake shook the city, the city authorities requested that the bar remained open for 24 hours a day, to provide useful support both to people displaced from their homes and to the many rescuers.