Da Nilo

Da Nilo, Cetona: The Verdict

At €€ pricing, it sits comfortably below the region's fine-dining tier while delivering the kind of honest, well-crafted cooking that earns repeat visits. If you're in Cetona and want authentic pici all'aglione and a plate of local cured meats without the formality of a tasting menu, book here. If you're chasing a starred experience in Tuscany, look elsewhere — but Da Nilo doesn't pretend to be that.

The Space

Da Nilo occupies the ground floor of a building fronting Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, Cetona's central square, the outdoor terrace is where the experience really lands. The seating area is framed by low hedges that create a sense of enclosure without cutting you off from the piazza's ambient life. Tables are spaced to allow conversation, the overall atmosphere reads as a well-kept village restaurant that takes its setting seriously without turning it into theatre. For a solo diner or a couple, a table on the terrace at midday or early evening gives you the square as a backdrop — that's the spatial argument for coming here. For groups of four or more, the indoor room offers a more settled environment, particularly useful if the weather is unreliable.

The Food and Drinks

The cooking at Da Nilo is grounded in Tuscan tradition and executed without shortcuts. Michelin's own notes single out two things specifically: the selection of local cured meats and the pici all'aglione. Both are worth ordering as your entry point. Pici, a thick, hand-rolled pasta local to southern Tuscany, with the garlic-tomato aglione sauce is the dish that separates restaurants doing Tuscan food properly from those doing a tourist approximation of it. Da Nilo does it properly.

On the drinks side, expect a wine list orientated around the region. Cetona sits within the broader Orcia DOC zone, any honest Tuscan trattoria at this level should be pouring local Sangiovese alongside the better-known Brunello and Montepulciano bottles from neighbouring appellations. The bar program here is functional rather than destination-worthy on its own: this is a food-first room, the drinks exist to accompany the meal. There's no evidence of a standalone cocktail program, so if aperitivo culture or creative mixology is a priority, pair your visit with a stop at one of Cetona's bars, see our full Cetona bars guide for options. What Da Nilo does well is match direct Tuscan wine choices to the food at a price point that doesn't punish the diner for ordering a second glass.

Booking and Timing

Booking at Da Nilo is rated Easy. Given Cetona's status as a relatively quiet hill town outside of peak Tuscan summer travel (July and August), you can generally secure a table with a few days' notice for most of the year. In summer, particularly on weekends, the terrace fills and booking a week ahead is sensible. The Michelin Plate recognition will have added a modest volume of food-focused visitors to the regular local clientele, but this is not a restaurant where you need to book three months out. Walk-in chances are reasonable on weekday lunches outside of summer. For a weekend dinner in July or August, book ahead.

Reservations: Book a few days ahead standard; one week minimum in July and August. Dress: Smart casual, Cetona is a relaxed hill town but this is a restaurant on a public square. Budget: €€, making this one of the more accessible options for a full Tuscan sit-down lunch or dinner in the area. Location: Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 31/34, 53040 Cetona SI, Italy.

How It Compares

Da Nilo's competition in the immediate Cetona area is thin, which is partly why it carries the weight it does for visitors passing through southern Tuscany. For broader context on where to eat in the region, see our full Cetona restaurants guide. If you're staying longer and want to explore Tuscan dining across price points, Caino in Montemerano holds Michelin stars and represents the fine-dining step up, while L'Asinello in Castelnuovo Berardenga offers another angle on regional Tuscan cooking. Neither replaces Da Nilo for the simple, well-priced trattoria experience in a proper village square setting.

At the national level, Tuscan and Italian restaurants with significantly higher ambitions include Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence and Osteria Francescana in Modena, but these are different conversations entirely, both in price and format. Da Nilo is not competing with starred restaurants; it's competing with every trattoria in Tuscany that claims to do the classics well. Its Michelin Plate recognition and 4.6 rating suggest it wins that comparison more often than not.

For those exploring the broader Italian dining circuit while in the region, Pearl also covers Uliassi in Senigallia, Piazza Duomo in Alba, and Le Calandre in Rubano for serious Italian dining at the top tier. Locally, also consider checking our Cetona hotels guide, our Cetona wineries guide, and our Cetona experiences guide to build a fuller visit around your meal.

Who Should Book Da Nilo

Book Da Nilo if you want a reliable, well-priced entry point into southern Tuscan cooking, pici, cured meats, regional wine, in a setting that actually looks like Tuscany rather than a restaurant designed to look like it does. The Michelin Plate is a credible signal that the kitchen is consistent. At €€, this is also the kind of place you can return to on a multi-day stay without it feeling like an occasion you need to plan around. Food and wine enthusiasts visiting the area to explore the Orcia and Chiana valleys will find it a natural stop. Those looking for a tasting menu format, creative technique, or a dedicated bar program should look to other venues in the wider Tuscan or Italian circuit, see Enrico Bartolini in Milan, Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli in Verona, or Dal Pescatore in Runate for those formats.