Veronese cooking is hearty and wine-soaked: rice, slow-braised meat, gnocchi - all made to meet a glass of Valpolicella.
Look for risotto all'Amarone, pastissada de caval (a slow-braised horse stew), bollito with pearà - a peppery bread-and-marrow sauce - and the city's famous gnocchi. Wine is the real Veronese religion: Valpolicella, Ripasso and big, dark Amarone from the hills just north of town.
A historic osteria in a cobbled courtyard, serving Veronese classics and an excellent regional wine list.
Fine dining inside a 17th-century palazzo on the market square, with a menu rooted in Veronese tradition and a celebrated wine cellar.
A convivial wine bar and kitchen under the medieval riverside arcade, perfect for a glass of Valpolicella with cured meats and cheese.
A legendary wine shop and tavern in business since the late 19th century, pouring regional wines alongside traditional dishes.
A warm, modern trattoria where seasonal ingredients meet Veronese recipes in a relaxed setting.
The blocks immediately around the Arena are tourist-trap territory: menus with photos, 'tourist menus' in four languages and laminated dessert cards. Walk five minutes in any direction - towards Piazza delle Erbe, the Sottoriva arcade or along the river towards Castelvecchio - and prices drop while quality jumps. On opera nights (June-September) restaurants near the Arena fill early; book or eat before 7.30pm in the Bra district.
Piazza delle Erbe has hosted the city market since Roman times - today it's part produce stalls, part souvenir stands, but the mornings still bring fruit vendors and local cheesemongers. For a self-made lunch: Monte Veronese (a mountain cheese from Lessinia), salame d'oca traditions, grappa-tinged sweets from the pasticceri on Via Mazzini, and a bottle of Valpolicella Classico from any wine shop. Carry it to the riverbank under Castelvecchio or up to the Castel San Pietro viewpoint for sunset.