Going to Jail in Italy for the Food: Volterra’s Prison Restaurant

Foodies looking for a seriously different experience to brag about will want to book a table at the “Cene Galeotte” (convict dinners) inside the Fortezza Medicea in Volterra, near Pisa. It’s a restaurant in a prison - and not a historical prison, either. This is a present-day working prison in which the convicts learn valuable skills by running the restaurant.

It’s not a restaurant you can just walk into. The dinners are held on set evenings, not every night, and booking is compulsory. You’ll need photo ID, and you should arrive early for the security checks at the gate.

Serenaded by Bruno, a pianist doing life for murder, the clientele eat inside a deconsecrated chapel set behind the 60 ft-high walls, watch towers, searchlights and security cameras.

The prisoners handle all stations of the restaurant - from wait staff to chefs - although the armed guards who keep an eye on everyone kind of give the whole thing a different ambiance than the usual Italian dining experience. The meals are reasonably priced for a multi-course dinner with wine, and the proceeds go to charity. And if you’re worried that your doing-time-for-murder Sommelier might swipe your knife and you’d be an accomplice in his escape, don’t worry - diners use plastic cutlery and plates.

The dinners have run on and off since 2005, so before you plan a trip around one, check the current dates with Volterra’s tourist consortium at volterratur.it, which also takes the bookings. You can see the Fortezza Medicea from the outside here.