Osteria Nonna Gina

Had a wonderful meal with great house wine and homemade amaretto and grappa! The staff were very friendly, and the food was amazing. The gnocchi with the secret sauce was divine! Rich, but Devine! Also had the cacio Pepe which was very good. For second I had the chicken cacciatore… it was so tasty. Chicken was moist and sauce was very tasty! Definitely recommend!

We were staying down the street at Piazza Paradiso and the owner suggested Nonna Gina as we finally made our way out for dinner. If not for the recommendation we likely would have missed it. I’m sure glad we didn’t.
We had kind of a late start by heading to dinner at 8:30 which was more in line with when the Italians eat. We walked into a packed restaurant as a result. It seemed like all eyes were on us as we jammed into the small entry, but we were quickly led into the back of the restaurant and seated immediately. We know a little Italian and they knew a little English and so there were a lot of smiles and nods but we felt like we were regulars.
The hotel manager suggested the gnocchi and we all ordered that except for my nephew who ordered rabbit. The gnocchi was incredible but I was a little envious of my nephew as he raved about his dish. The bruschetta was amazing as well.
You can never go wrong with house wine in Italy and this was no exception. The complementary Amaretto and Grappa was unexpected and appreciated. My nephew and I developed our taste for the Grappa while the ladies sipped the Amaretto. By the time we left we were feeling pretty good and I slept like a baby that night, turning the corner on the insomnia that normally accompanies my jet lag.

Hubby and I saw other reviews on Unilocal and had to stop in. Best decision we made in Siena! We had bruschetta for an appetizer – lots of yummy oil, salt, pepper, cheese and tomato – and spaghetti alla carbonara for dinner (we weren’t that hungry). Delicioso! Best carbonara I’ve ever had. We had a half liter of the house white wine (a very reasonable € 3.50) which was a nice dry white. Plus complementary grappa and amaretto made on site (the amaretto is SOOOO GOOD). Love this home style Italian restaurant. Delicious dinner and so reasonably priced. We’re definitely coming back!

Totally agree with other comments and yes walked past this gem too and very glad we stopped for dinner.
Good home style cooking and yes it doesn’t have many tourists. When offered as is the custom in this part of the world take the amaretto.

Nonna Gina! What a lady, wish she was my grandma. You MUST get the gnocchi, I get gnocchi everywhere I go, and this gnocchi was top 3 forsure. Ricotta stuffed in the most delicious, thick, creamy sauce. The pici was also fantastic, in a very nice meat pesto sauce. The bruschetta and chicken heart crostini were delicious although nothing extraordinary. For secondi we had tagliati (grilled local pork) which was very simple and delicious. Also ordered the chicken cacciatore which was amazing, probably the best roasted chicken dish Ive possibly ever had — very tender. Dessert was good nothing extraordinary, the tiramasu and homemade panna cotta were a little too sweet. I prefer a firmer panna cotta made with vanilla bean, but still decent. Reasonable prices, dinner was about € 85 for 2 people + 4 courses + espresso + 1 bottle of wine. This meal would easily be $ 100 a person in the US. Perhaps the restaurant has lowish ratings because it is fairly casual. Like eating at grandmas place not the fufu, trendy, white glove waiter type of place. Not that those places are bad, but the food here is probably better for far less €.

We stumbled in this little gem while strolling the streets on our way to our hotel. We ate at the Osteria Nonna Gina twice; it was so tasty, convenient, and reasonably priced. We didn’t have a reservation but were seated promptly when we showed up at 7 and 8pm on another night. Perhaps we would been offered a better table– farther away from the bathroom– with a reservation. There were a few other tourists but mainly locals in the quaintly decorated warren of rooms.
We understood and spoke a bare minimum of Italian, but the waitress offered to answer simple questions in English. The menu was handwritten in Italian.
We enjoyed lovely fresh lettuce salads and were given salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar to dress them at the table. The side of spinach was tasty, though maybe previously frozen. The meatball dish (perhaps a mixtuure of beef, pork, and veal?) with tomato sauce and cheese was comforting, and the spaghetti carbonara was rich and delicious. We were both especially delighted with the carbonara). The chicken cacciatorre was also a highlight. The dark meat practically fell off the bones, and it was flavored with a delicious, savory sauce with onions and herbs. The tiramisu and pannacotta deserts were heavenly. The meal ended with complimentary grappa and amaretto. It was also nice that the proprietor kindly gave us a mild and creamy cheese with honey for antipasto when we requested it one night, though we found it under the desert section. This was uncouth of us, but we had admired those cheeses the night before when another table had ordered them.
One night we enjoyed a flavorful bottle of Moltepulciano. Another night we had the easily-​drinkable house Chianti in a half bottle.
Each night a delicious, multi course dinner for two for around or under 50 euro–
One tip– be sure to ask for the bill or you may find yourself waiting for quite a bit– we were still a little puzzled by Italian restaurant customs at the time.
Grazie, Osteria Gina Nonna!

Amazing food. Get the gnocchi! And the amaretto is to die for! Best if all, very local and very few tourists.