Tyrrhenian Coast
This wooden chalet in the hills immediately above Collesano is one of the Madonie's gems – one whiff of the delicious aromas emanating from the kitchen…
Must-see restaurants in Italy
Parma
You'll need to venture across the river to Oltretorrente for a traditional Parmigiano experience untainted by the city's influx of culinary tourism…
Alba
Part of the Ceretto family's small empire, La Piola offers a faithful menu of traditional Piedmontese dishes, but at the same time manages to be stylish,…
Como
A new venture affiliated with the plush Avenue Hotel, Comacino offers food as theatre, especially if you sit at the chef’s table (technically a couple of…
Bologna
Bologna's most exciting reinvention is this formerly uneventful trattoria transformed by chef Elisa Rusconi, who triumphed on Italian television show 4…
Bergamo
More esoteric than your average trattoria, Noi is a chameleonic restaurant that changes it spots between lunch and dinner (they even change the restaurant…
Bay of Naples
Decked out in model boats and local artwork, casual, affable Capo Blu serves up antipasti worthy of a fine-dining menu. The multicourse assaggio di…
Bologna
At Bologna's temple of culinary contentment, owners Daniele and Valeria lavish attention on every table between trips to the kitchen for astonishing…
Northwestern Tuscany
Taste wine and olive oil produced on Andrei Bocelli's family estate at this fabulous new eatery, the latest creative opening by the wine-producing Bocelli…
Lake Garda
You could be forgiven for thinking you’d just arrived in rural Bavaria at this popular Lake Garda haunt. On sunny days, multitudes of bikers and motorists…
Trento
You usually have to book ahead to secure a table at this tiny, vaulted place, but it's always worth braving the heavy door and drapes to see if they have…
Positano
Once a humble trattoria, Donna Rosa is now considered an Amalfi Coast classic despite its out-of-the-way location in the village of Montepertuso. The…
Northwestern Tuscany
It might seem to be just another humble, family-run cafe-bar in rural Tuscany, but the Devils' Stop is wickedly good. Come 7.30pm, owner Lorenzo Giuliani…
Positano
Something of a rarity in this land of traditional trattorias, Casa Mele is one of those cool contemporary restaurants with a lengthy tasting menu and food…
Central Lombardy
On a working farm where cows are raised and asparagus is grown, the owners also offer up fine local cooking with only the freshest in-season ingredients –…
Western Sicily
Dinner is an unforgettable feast for the eyes and palate at this sensational hotel-restaurant, dramatically perched on a cliff edge overlooking Isulidda…
Central Coast & Elba
Tuscan romance oozes out of every last blade of grass at this stylish wooden shack, framed by pea-green lawns peppered with tables and Persian picnic rugs…
Salerno
Hard to find, this new purveyor of Slow Food shines brightly amid the grubby graffiti, drying washing and overflowing bins of the centro storico (historic…
Ischia
A good choice for those seeking a little turf instead of surf, this is one of the island’s best-loved restaurants. Family run, homely and rustic, it has a…
Mediterranean Coast
Tucked away in a tiny alley in the old town, this formal restaurant is a culinary tour de force, with heavy tablecloths, noiseless service and an ample…
Oltrarno
Gourmet Gurdulù seduces fashionable Florentines with razor-sharp interior design, magnificent craft cocktails and seasonal market cuisine from young local…
Mantua
At the wonderfully esoteric osteria of the ‘four breasts’, you can pull up a pew (literally, an old church pew) and enjoy yet-to-be-exported Italian gems…
Livorno
Owned by three sommeliers, this wine bar in the historic Mercato Centrale has a menu that changes according to what produce is fresh and plentiful on the…
Vatican City, Borgo & Prati
Gabriele Bonci's acclaimed pizzeria a taglio serves Rome's best pizza by the slice, bar none. Scissor-cut squares of soft, springy base are topped with…
Lucca
For a stylish cocktail with a herb-infused gin perhaps, followed by dinner amid romantic frescoes, look no further than 'The Angels' Share', an intimate…
Langhe, Roero & Monferrato
A rambunctious, casual and seemingly chaotic place that turns out some of the town's best food. This is the Piedmontese kitchen at its most essential:…
Sirmione
Sirmione’s best dining experience excels in congenial, well-organised service and traditional food skilfully executed. The three-ingredient cacio e pepe …
Trento
Proud owners (since November 2017) of Trentino's only twinset of Michelin stars, the Lunelli family who make Trento's Ferrari sparkling wines preside over…
Turin
Meet the gang who are intent on breaking down Italy's beloved course structure. It’s small plates here – although there is a sliding scale of small to…
Lake Como
Tucked away in the hamlet of Maggiana, signposted 3km uphill from lakeside Mandello del Lario (home to the legendary Moto Guzzi motorcycle manufacturer),…
Santa Croce
Luca Menoni's meat stall inside the Sant'Ambrogio covered market has been a favourite with locals since 1921 (his father first ran the business) and now…
Syracuse
This moody, boho-chic restaurant and bar makes vegan food so good even a hardcore carnivore could convert. A cast of mostly organic and biodynamic…
Northwestern Sardinia
This smart, beautifully maintained agriturismo serves fantastic farmhouse food, inspired by the culinary traditions of the mountainous Barbagia region,…
Montepulciano
Chef and cookbook writer Sunshine Manitto presides over the kitchen of this chic enoteca overlooking the Palazzo Vecchio Winery, 13km northeast of…
Lake Garda
Set in a quiet residential quarter, this family-run locanda (inn) feels like dropping by a friend's rustic-chic house: expect worn leather armchairs,…
Catania
Nuns taught a young Nonna Vincenza the art of baking. Today, her fragrant sweets are the stuff of glutinous dreams. Under huge chandeliers, counters gleam…
Trento
While the low-beamed ceiling and deep drapery give a traditional vibe, the staff here deliver a dining experience full of new ideas and local flavours…
Western Sicily
Pure paradise for meat lovers, this highly recommended Sicilian grill cooks up top-quality cuts from the adjoining butcher's shop. Be it Tuscan Chianina…
Palermo
Countless blessings await at this extraordinary pasticceria, hidden away in a former convent. The culmination of endless hours of research, it uses once…
Abruzzo
Occupying handsome arched chambers that have been used as an inn or wine shop for centuries, the restaurant of La Locanda di Gino calls on molta…
