Mantuan cuisine was born where the Gonzaga court met the countryside between the Po and the Mincio. The result is unique: sweet and savoury in the same dish, pumpkin, rice, Grana cheese and mostarda.
This itinerary follows a food lover’s day, from the morning market to dinner, with the dishes not to miss and the souvenirs to take home.
At a glance: half a day · on foot · food lovers
The stops
1. Thursday market
The weekly Thursday market fills the squares of the centre: fruit and vegetables from the countryside, cured meats, Grana cheeses and stalls of every kind.
2. Tortelli di zucca (pumpkin tortelli)
The city’s signature dish: fresh pasta filled with pumpkin, amaretti biscuits and mostarda, dressed with melted butter and Grana. Also try agnoli in broth and capunsei, bread dumplings typical of the Alto Mantovano (northern Mantua province).
3. Risotto alla pilota
Vialone Nano rice cooked “dry” (not creamy like a classic risotto) and dressed with seasoned minced pork: a dish born among the rice fields of the lowlands.
4. Luccio in salsa (pike in sauce)
Lake fish, poached and served with a green sauce of parsley, capers and anchovies, alongside polenta. It’s the freshwater cuisine of a city surrounded by lakes.
5. Sbrisolona and mostarda
Sbrisolona is a dry, crumbly cake made with cornmeal and almonds, meant to be broken by hand. Mantuan mostarda, made with quinces or pears, is served with boiled meats and cheeses. They are the most popular souvenirs.
Visit Mantua luggage-free
Leave your suitcases, backpacks and bags at Mantova Locker and travel light: we are at Via Solferino e San Martino 4, just a short walk from the railway station, open 24 hours a day. Find out how it works, our prices and where to find us.
Practical tips
- Many trattorias are small: book at weekends.
- Bought sbrisolona, mostarda and wine to take home? Leave them in storage and pick them up before you leave.
- In autumn, menus fill up with pumpkin: it’s the best season for tortelli.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mantua’s typical dish?
Tortelli di zucca, filled with pumpkin, amaretti and mostarda, dressed with butter and Grana.
What cake should you buy in Mantua?
Sbrisolona, a crumbly cake made with cornmeal and almonds. Torta Elvezia and torta delle rose (“rose cake”) are typical too.
When is the market in Mantua?
The main weekly market is on Thursday morning in the centre.
More Mantua itineraries
- Mantua in one day: a walking itinerary through the Gonzaga masterpieces
- A weekend in Mantua: what to see in two days of art, theatre and lakes
- Mantua in half a day: what to see between trains
- Mantua on the water: lakes, boat trips on the Mincio and lotus flowers
- Mantua by bike: the lakes loop and the Mantua–Peschiera cycle path
- Palazzo Ducale and the Camera degli Sposi in Mantua: a visitor’s guide
- Palazzo Te in Mantua: what to see in Giulio Romano’s villa
- Sabbioneta from Mantua: a day trip to the Gonzaga ideal city
- Mantua with kids: things to do among castles, boats and nature
- Mantua for free: what to see without spending a penny
- Around Mantua: 6 villages and places for a day trip
- Mantua in 3 days: a complete itinerary of the city, the lakes and Sabbioneta
- How to get to Mantua: train, car, plane and getting around town
- When to visit Mantua: the best time, season by season
- Mantua by night: sunset over the lakes, aperitivo in the piazza and theatres
- Musical Mantua: Teatro Bibiena, Mozart, Monteverdi and Rigoletto
- Mantua in the rain: museums, palaces and arcades for an indoor day
- What to see in Mantua
