Milan
This former florist’s shop is great for a light French-influenced lunch, or an excellent aperitivo (pre-dinner drink) among the flowers. Dinners are fresh…
Must-see restaurants in Italy
Milan
This sunny Tuscan restaurant with its custard-coloured walls and Reseda green panelling serves up an elegant, unpretentious menu featuring largely fish…
Duomo & Piazza della Signoria
Rain, hail or shine, queues run halfway down the street at this sweet address that many say makes some of the best gelato in the city. Ingredients are…
Modena
Dare we call this Emilia-Romagna's best gelateria? Yes, we dare. Owner Gianluca Degani is fiercely devoted to chemical- and additive-free gelato and…
Bologna
Hip Oltre (Beyond) bucks tradition with its trendy Instagrammable dining space, an absolute detour from Bologna down to nearly every detail. Chalk up the…
Modena
If you know anything about passatelli, Emila-Romagna's stringy pasta made from parmigiano reggiano, breadcrumbs and eggs, you know it's not often found…
Boboli & San Miniato al Monte
Farm to table is the philosophy of this Michelin-starred restaurant where head chef Antonello Sardi mesmerises diners from the stunning open kitchen. Veg…
Santa Croce
This hipster cafe-bookshop – a hybrid dining-aperitivo address – cooks up inventive, home-style and strictly vegetarian and/or vegan cuisine. Its decor is…
Modena
Encased in an old car showroom in Modena’s suburbs, this sister restaurant to Massimo Bottura's fabled Osteria Francescana offers creative, mostly…
Naples
In Italian, mattonella means tile, an apt name for this classic Neapolitan osteria, its walls clad in 18th-century majolica tiles. Matriarch Antonietta…
Northwestern Tuscany
Perched on a hillock above chestnut and walnut forests, this is an iconic address every local foodie knows about. Hidden at the back of the village bar,…
Western Sicily
Over the past few decades, chef-owner Pietro Sardo has established a reputation as one of Sicily's top chefs. At this fine-dining seafood restaurant, just…
Naples
Naples' remarkably light pizza fritta – deep-fried pizza dough traditionally stuffed with pork cicoli (dried lard cubes), salami, provola, ricotta and…
Naples
It's not atmosphere that draws fans to humble ’O Sfizio, a bargain-priced takeaway by a traffic-ridden thoroughfare. It's the parmigiana di melanzana that…
Lake Maggiore & Around
When this place opened in 1928, its owners couldn’t have guessed it would have such a long life. The broad menu offers all sorts of tempting goodies,…
Naples
If you eat only one sweet treat in Naples (good luck with that!), make it Mennella's spectacular frolla al limone, a shortbread pastry filled with…
Oltrarno
Persuade everyone at your table to order the tasting menu to avoid the torture of picking just one dish – everything on the menu at this fabulously…
Lake Como West Bank
Situated on a steep hillside with panoramic lake views from its terrace, this excellent restaurant serves up home-cooked dishes that are prepared with…
Naples
Run by brothers Francesco, Gennaro and Luigi, this local Chiaia fishmonger transforms daily into a wonderfully intimate, sociable seafood eatery. Perch…
Florence
'Bringing the countryside to the city' is the driver behind this cherry-red artisan food truck whose name translates as 'breeding shed'. Parked riverside,…
Bellagio
Clocking up 100 years of service in 2019, all of them under the same family tutelage, Silvio continues to serve simple lake-to-table food at reasonable…
Naples
It might be a little overpriced, but few Neapolitan restaurants match the sophisticated ambience of this softly lit fine-diner, its booths peopled by well…
Naples
With a street-level bar and basement dining room, hip, minimalist Donna Romita serves gorgeous, locavore fare with competent modern tweaks. The emphasis…
Pisa
When an osteria cooks up a tripe platter for antipasto, bone marrow with saffron-spiced rice as primo and feisty T-bone steaks as secondo, you know you’ve…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
Many locals come here for their daily dose of rich and creamy butter, albeit it in the guise of authentic croissants, pains au chocolat and other…
Ravello
Located just before the bus stop, Da Salvatore doesn't merely rest on the laurels of its spectacular terrace views. This is one of the coast's best…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
The coffee bar at this bright and airy cafe buzzes all day. Grab a table amid the industrial chic and tuck into one of the €6 lunch specials. It's all…
Southern Rome
Try not to drool on the cases full of luscious pastry and gelato displays crafted at this pasticceria (pastry shop), which was established in 1931. Treats…
Alberobello
Vegetables take pride of place in Italian kitchens, especially at this enthusiastic vegetarian-ish (some meat is served) restaurant. The farm-to-table…
Bergamo
With its wedges of focaccia-style pizza displayed like colourful art in the front window, it’s no wonder this bakery-cafe is perennially crowded. This is…
Naples
Contemporary, attentive La Frescheria serves smashing seafood at its street-level crudo bar and softly lit, basement dining room. The day's catch – much…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
One of Rome's classic trattorias, Da Teo buzzes with locals tucking into steaming platefuls of Roman standards as well as seasonal specials built around…
Syracuse
After running a restaurant in Greece for 18 years, Syracuse local Fabio and his Greek partner Kiri are pleasing palates at their hotspot Ortygia…
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
Join the back of the queue at Luca Catalfamo’s roaringly successful original ramen bar and just pray for a seat. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to savour his…
San Lorenzo & San Marco
Forge your way past cheese, meat and sausage stalls on the ground floor of Florence's Mercato Centrale to join the lunchtime queue at Nerbone, in the biz…
Monterosso
One of the liveliest restaurants in town, Eraldo's is a family-style spot where you dine amid arched brick ceilings and red-and-white tablecloths, with…
Modena
Gelataio Gianluca Degani's fierce devotion to chemical- and additive-free gelato has earned him accolades Italy-wide – this is Emilia-Romagna's best…
Florence
In Fabbrica, 1.5km south of Porta Romana along Via Senese on the Oltrarno, fuses Florence's outstanding tradition of craftsmanship with its equally fine…
Syracuse
A hybrid deli, wine shop and eatery edging Ortygia's market, trendy Fratelli Burgio is all about artisanal grazing. Consider opting for a tagliere, a…
Bergamo
If you’re staying in the Città Alta, it’s worth letting gravity carry you downhill to seek out this lunch-only, four-table cafe with an out-of-the…
