Livorno has one of the strongest food identities of any city in Tuscany. This is a port city, not a Renaissance capital, and the food reflects that — hearty, fishy, unpretentious. The signature dish is cacciucco, a dense, spicy fish stew made with a minimum of five types of seafood and served over thick slices of bread. Every family and restaurant has its own version. The local saying is that a good cacciucco requires one "c" in the name for each type of fish — hence the double "c" and the double "c" again.
The Mercato Centrale (Central Market) is worth a visit for an early lunch — the market stalls sell fresh fish, olives, and cheese, and there are a handful of small trattorie inside and adjacent to it.