Dario Cecchini: The Butcher of Panzano in Chianti

Dario Cecchini is an eighth-generation butcher working from the same shop his family has occupied in Panzano in Chianti since the 18th century. He is probably the most written-about butcher in the world — featured in Netflix’s Chef’s Table, Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, and countless food publications — but the reason people travel to Panzano is simpler than celebrity: the meat is exceptional and the experience around it is unlike anything else in Tuscany.

Antica Macelleria Cecchini

The shop at Via XX Luglio 11 operates as a working butcher’s counter where you can buy cuts to take away or eat on the spot. Cecchini’s philosophy is straightforwardly nose-to-tail — nothing is wasted, every part of the animal has a use and a recipe. The counter is typically stacked with seasoned meatballs, stuffed pork loin, marinated cuts, and house-made preparations alongside the fresh meat. Visitors who turn up during opening hours are usually offered a glass of Chianti and something to taste while they browse, which has been the custom here for decades.

Cecchini became internationally known in 2001 when, during the BSE (mad cow disease) crisis, he staged a funeral for the Florentine T-bone steak after EU regulations banned its sale. The protest — draped coffin, Dante recitations, the lot — was covered globally and established his reputation far beyond Tuscany. He still recites Dante while working.

The Restaurants

Cecchini runs several dining options from the same Panzano address, each with a different format and price point.

Officina Cecchini is the flagship evening experience — a set grill menu built around the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the thick T-bone steak cooked over open coals at the communal table. Dinner is a single seating at 7:30pm; the fixed price is around €50 per person. It is the most theatrical of the options and the one that requires the most advance booking, particularly in summer. Reservations by email at [email protected] or by phone on +39 055 852020 (9am–4pm).

Solociccia (“beef only”) is the lunch restaurant directly across the street from the butcher shop. The menu is fixed and changes daily — no choices, no à la carte. Everything is beef, prepared in various ways according to the cut, and the pace is convivial. It is more accessible than the evening restaurant and does not require weeks of advance notice.

Cecchini Panini is the most casual option: a food truck with a small on-board grill serving the MacDario — a pressed beef patty in focaccia that has become a signature. It is the right choice for a quick visit without a full sit-down meal.

Cecchini has since expanded beyond Panzano with Cecchini in Città in Florence and Il Macello in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, but the original Panzano address is where the full experience is.

How to Visit

Panzano in Chianti sits in the municipality of Greve in Chianti, about 30 km south of Florence in the heart of the Chianti Classico wine zone. By car it is around 40 minutes from Florence and about 50 minutes from Siena. There is no practical public transport connection — a car or taxi is necessary. The drive itself is worth it: the SS222 Chiantigiana road through the vine-covered hills between Greve and Panzano is one of the better scenic drives in Tuscany.

The butcher shop keeps standard Italian hours (closed midday and Sunday afternoon); check the current schedule at dariocecchini.com before travelling. For the Officina dinner, book as far ahead as possible in July and August — tables go months in advance. Solociccia lunch is easier to book on shorter notice outside peak season.

Panzano combines naturally with a Chianti wine visit. See our guide to Chianti wineries for producers in the area worth pairing with a Cecchini lunch.