Chiavenna's cooking is firmly alpine: buckwheat pasta, polenta, bresaola (air-dried beef), mushrooms, and mountain cheeses. The crotti (see Things to Do) offer the most atmospheric setting, but there are also good trattorie in the old town.
Pizzoccheri — buckwheat tagliatelle cooked with cabbage, potato, and melted Valtellina Casera cheese — is the signature dish of the whole Valchiavenna. If you eat nothing else, eat this. Bresaola della Valchiavenna is a protected-origin product; the local version differs subtly from the better-known Valtellina bresaola in being slightly less salted. With a glass of Sassella or Grumello (the local red wines), it makes a perfect starter.