Italian restaurants in Europe
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A
Zwölf Apostel
A pleasant pit stop between museums, this place beneath the railway arches has over-the-top religious decor and tasty thin-crust pizzas named after the 12 apostles. All cost a mere €6.90 from 11.30am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
reviewed
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B
La Trattoria
The Alameda is lined with restaurants and cafes. First-class food and efficient service make La Trattoria one of the best and busiest Italian eateries in town.
reviewed
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C
Fifteen
Jamie Oliver's culinary philanthropy started at Fifteen, set up to give unemployed young people a shot at a career. The Italian food is beyond excellent, and, surprisingly, even those on limited budgets can afford a visit. In the trattoria, a croissant and coffee will only set you back £3.50, while a £10 pasta makes for a delicious lunch. From Old St tube station, take City Rd and after 300m turn right into Westland Place.
reviewed
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D
Ottolenghi
This is the pick of Upper Street’s many eating options – a brilliantly bright, white space that’s worth a trip to see the eye-poppingly beautiful cakes and bread in the front deli alone. But get a table at this temple to good food and you’ll really appreciate it. At lunch you choose between the dishes spread out on the counter, while in the evening there’s á la carte dining, too, though so fanatical about ingredient quality are the chefs that the menu is not confirmed until 5pm. Weekend brunch here is fabulous, though you’ll usually have to wait for a table. Reservations are essential in the evenings.
reviewed
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E
Antica Trattoria della Pesa
A recipe for instant nostalgia: take the landmark building where Ho Chi Minh stayed in the ‘30s, add literary types from nearby publishing houses, mix with comfort food - osso bucco on polenta topped with gremolata, bollito misto (boiled meat) and cotoletta (crumbed veal cutlets) - spice it up with some red, and finish with a sigh and smooth, boozy zabaglione.
reviewed
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F
Marine Ices
As its name suggests, this Chalk Farm institution started out as an ice-cream parlour (in fact, a Sicilian gelateria ) but these days it does some savoury dishes as well, including pizzas and hearty pasta dishes. Be sure to try some of the excellent ice cream, which has its own menu – look for the long line out on the street on summer weekends!
reviewed
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G
Enoteca Turi
The atmosphere at this stylish place is serene, the service charming. Enoteca Turi devotes equal attention to the grape as to the food, which means that each dish, be it a shellfish tagliolini or saddle of new season lamb, comes recommended with a particular glass of wine (or you can pick from the enormous wine list if you have ideas of your own).
reviewed
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H
Trattoria Corrieri
Eat on the patio under a leafy trellis, or in the labyrinth of rustically decorated interior rooms at this convivial trattoria, under the same ownership as Gallo d’Oro. Everything’s top quality –from the tris di tortelli (pasta pockets with three different stuffings) to the torta di cioccolato e pere (pear-chocolate cake) for dessert.
reviewed
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I
Fausto
Still the most upmarket (and expensive) Italian restaurant in town, Fausto has brilliant pasta dishes, daily specials and desserts; there are lots of choices for vegetarians. The yellow walls and antique furniture provide an elegant touch and the Italian wine selection is huge. It remains one of the most pleasant dining experiences in Budapest.
reviewed
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J
La Sicilia
You’re sure to find something to fill a rumbling tum at this tiny, unpretentious eatery, which spills out onto a little sun-trap of a square. There are lots of hearty Italian pasta dishes (under €8), grilled meats and fish, plus burgers, omelettes and salads. The setting is lovely and the prices are easy on the wallet.
reviewed
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K
Sant’Andrea
The position of this excellent restaurant is a reflection of Palermo’s contradictory appeal. It’s tucked into the corner of a ruined church in a shabby piazza. Sant’Andrea’s well-heeled customers pick their way across the broken flagstones to enjoy creative, yet classic, dishes such as tagliatelle with lobster and almond pesto.
reviewed
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L
Il Gufo
The owner/chef gathers ingredients from local markets and cooks up whatever is fresh and in season. Try dishes such as cinghiale (wild boar) with fennel (€12.50) or riso nero (black rice) with grilled vegetables and brie (€12.50). There is always a good selection of salads for €5. Note: no credit cards.
reviewed
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M
Gusto Italiano
A real Italian cafe, from the Italian owners serving homemade Italian food to the genuine Italian coffee being enjoyed by Italian customers reading the Italian newspapers… you get the idea. Daily lunch specials include dishes such as fennel sausage casserole, and vegetable lasagne with mushrooms and rosemary.
reviewed
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N
Trattoria Fantoni
To the west of the centre of Bologna, Via del Pratello is a long-standing bohemian hang-out packed with pubs, trattorias and bars. One of the best, Fantoni is a much-loved eatery dishing up classic Italian food at welcome prices. The atmosphere’s jovial and the decor is an agreeable clash of clutter and modern art.
reviewed
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O
Donati
Termini district is full of second-rate tourist traps, but this is a straightforward traditional restaurant serving up competent takes on dishes such as fried seafood or spaghetti with mussels and clams. You can eat inside, in the high-ceilinged hasn't-changed-for-years interior, or outside on the cobbled street.
reviewed
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P
Centotre
A palatial Georgian banking hall enlivened with fuchsia-pink banners and aubergine booths is home to this lively, child-friendly Italian bar and restaurant, where the emphasis is on fresh, authentic ingredients (produce imported weekly from Milan, homemade bread and pasta), and uncomplicated enjoyment of food.
reviewed
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Q
Ristorante Tre Re
Tre Re reigns in Viterbo as a historic trattoria, dishing up steaming plates of tasty local specialities and seasonally driven dishes. None is more typical than the pollo alla Viterbese, roast chicken stuffed with spiced potato and green olives. Heartwarmingly cheap and palate-pleasingly fantastic.
reviewed
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La Sabbia
This colourful cottage decorated with striking contemporary art has tables spilling out onto the front porch and attracts a lively, upbeat crowd. It's run by a Milanese chef, whose hometown specials include delicious risottos as well as crispy pizzas, and pasta dishes like porcini-filled ravioli.
reviewed
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R
Ristorante Pensavo Peggio
Rare value in this stretch of Florence, this recently spruced-up restaurant has simple but surprisingly savoury pastas and roast meats, plus a touch of class with its gilt frames and wood-panelled walls. Besides offering great value, the jolly owner works to make even foreigners feel at home.
reviewed
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S
Terrasse & Casa
Terrasse is a glass shoebox with wooden decking over the water, sun lounges overlooking a weir (illuminated at night) and comfy sofa seating – a perfect spot for Sunday brunch or a drink at any time of day. Casa, by contrast, cooks up Italian food in a cosy, country-style timber-framed house.
reviewed
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T
Il Baccaro
Want a free Italian lesson? Drop into this fabulous trattoria and eavesdrop in this rustic piece of the Old Boot, where the food is exuberantly authentic, and includes bruschetta, homemade pasta, Italian sausage, cannelini beans and the like. The Italian wines are buonissimi.
reviewed
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U
Kuranty
The menu is firmly based on the three Ps: pizza, pasta and pierogi (including a rather tasty baked version which looks suspiciously like the Italian calzone). Random photos and extraordinary Art Nouveau lights add to the atmosphere. Be warned: sports-playing TVs hang off the walls.
reviewed
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V
Imren Lokantası
A tiny neighbourhood lokanta with extremely friendly staff, İmren is off the tourist trail but is worth the walk. It serves excellent, dirt-cheap dishes such as peppery lamb guveç (stew) or musakka (baked aubergine and mincemeat). Go for lunch rather than dinner.
reviewed
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W
Bacaro Risorto
A shoebox of a corner bar just over a footbridge from Piazza San Marco offering quality wines and abundant cicheti, including crostini heaped with baccalà mantecato, soft cheeses or melon tightly swaddled in prosciutto, and even the occasional sushi.
reviewed
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X
Antica Osteria da Divo
This place plays background jazz that is as smooth as the walls are rough-hewn. At the lower, cellar level you’re dining amid Etruscan tombs. The inventive menu includes dishes such as cannelloni with ricotta, spinach, grilled sweet peppers, tomatoes and Tuscan pesto sauce.
reviewed
