Must-see restaurants in Italy

  • La Barrocciaia

    Livorno

    Locals speak of La Barrocciaia with great fondness – partly because of a homely interior that’s alive with banter, but also because of its simple but…

  • Café Carducci

    Verona

    A charming 1920s-style bistro where stylish diners relax in the mirror-lined interior at linen-topped tables set with candles and plates of exquisitely…

  • Essenza del Gusto

    Bosa

    For some of Bosa's best seafood – and a Mediterranean view to boot – make a beeline for this high-end local favourite in Bosa Marina. Fresh fish is…

  • Sfogliatella Mary

    Naples

    At the Via Toledo entrance to Galleria Umberto I, this tiny takeaway vendor is widely considered the queen of the sfogliatella. Usually still warm from…

  • Il Barcaiolo

    Taormina

    Book five days ahead come summer, when every buongustaio (foodie) and hopeless romantic longs for a table at this fabulous trattoria. Set snugly in a boat…

  • L'Argine a Vencò

    Il Collio

    After several years running the acclaimed restaurant Venissa in Venice, Antonia Klugmann decided to pursue her own culinary vision at this off-the-beaten…

  • Tipografia Alimentare

    Milan

    Take a break from Milan at this laid-back food hub on the Martesana Canal. Run by fresh-food warriors Martina and Mattia, its vegetarian-focused menu…

  • Osteria La Piazzetta dell'Erba

    Assisi

    Tables at this local favourite are always highly coveted: in winter in the cosy stone-vaulted interior, in summer outside on a small, flower-strewn square…

  • Caffetteria Torinese

    Friuli Venezia Giulia

    Twice the winner of the best bar in Italy, Caffe Torinese has an unmatched location at the edge of Piazza Grande. Acclaimed for both its coffee, baked…

  • Casabella

    Lake Maggiore West Bank

    A small restaurant on a small island with a big reputation. This bewitching place has an admirably short menu, which might feature octopus confit, black…

  • Antica Trattoria del Risorgimento

    Lake Como West Bank

    Tucked down a narrow lane in the tiny village of Mezzegra, this wonderful old stone building with its dark wood furnishings (including antique fireplace)…

  • Magno Gaudio

    Pistoia

    If it is local Pistoians you're looking for, snag a table at this tasty all-rounder. Be it breakfast, brunch, dinner or an aperitivo on the street terrace…

  • Osteria Eat Out

    Assisi

    With its dreamy al fresco terrace and casually chic interiors, you might expect the glass-fronted restaurant of the five-star Nun Assisi hotel to be all…

  • Osteria Dalla Gigia

    Treviso

    This friendly and authentic snack bar is a great place to rub shoulders with locals. Everyone crams in to enjoy the legendary mozzarella alla Gigia, a…

  • Cascina Respaù

    Como

    Amid the lush greenery high above Como, this small rustic restaurant feels like an idyllic escape from the sometimes maddening crowds along the lake…

  • Da Vittorio

    Western Sicily

    Travellers with their own vehicles should consider detouring 15km east of Selinunte to this venerable eatery right on the beach in Porto Palo. In business…

  • Osteria del Sotto Sale

    Western Sicily

    The atmosphere is casual-chic at this welcoming osteria (tavern) with indoor and outdoor seating on Favignana's main pedestrian street. An offshoot of the…

  • L'Incontro

    Volterra

    L'Incontro's rear salone is a top spot to grab a quick antipasto plate or panino for lunch, and its front bar area is always crowded with locals enjoying…

  • Agriturismo Montiferru

    Western Sardinia

    For an authentic taste of rural Montiferru life, head for this wonderful agriturismo way out in the hills. It opens only once a week, for lunch – but what…

  • L'Osteria di Casa Chianti

    Chianti

    The type of restaurant that fuels fantasies of moving permanently to Tuscany, Massimiliano Canton's ultrafriendly osteria bakes its own bread, makes pasta…

  • Ristorante da Giacchetti

    Le Marche

    Beachfront eating hits the heights at this, the best of Portonovo's wildly popular seaside restaurants. To keep it local, try the moscioli di Portonovo …

  • Kalòs

    Agrigento

    For fine dining, head to this restaurant just outside the historic centre. Tables on little balconies offer a delightful setting to enjoy homemade pasta…

  • Enoteca della Valpolicella

    The Veneto

    Gastronomes flock to the town of Fumane, just a few kilometres north of San Pietro in Cariano, where an ancient farmhouse has found renewed vigour as a…

  • Trattoria da Noemi

    Ferrara

    Ferrara's classic dishes are delivered con molto amore (with much love) at this back-alley eatery named after the hardworking, independent-spirited mother…

  • Da Emilia

    Sorrento

    Founded in 1947 and still run by the same family, this is a friendly, fast-moving joint overlooking the fishing boats in Marina Grande. There’s a large…

  • Agriturismo i Vegher

    Lake Garda West Bank

    Well worth the journey along unsurfaced roads and the long booking lead times (book at least a month in advance for holiday weekends, otherwise about two…

  • Accursio

    Modica

    While we love the modernist furniture and vintage Sicilian tiles, the food is the real thrill at this intimate, Michelin-starred maverick. Head chef…

  • SanBrite

    Cortina d’Ampezzo

    Attached to a renowned dairy with a vegetable garden out front, the ambition of this beautiful restaurant is to reinterpret traditional mountain cuisine…

  • Ristorante Pietratorcia

    Ischia

    Enjoying a bucolic setting among tumbling vines, wild fig trees and rosemary bushes, this A-list winery is a showcase for Ischian cooking. Tour the old…

  • Il Gelato Mennella

    Naples

    Could it be ingredients like prized Campanian nocciole (hazelnuts) from Giffoni and Sicilian pistachios from Bronte? Perhaps it's the absence of…

  • Agriturismo Su Boschettu

    Southwestern Sardinia

    Come hungry, take a seat and wait for the fun to begin. Out will come an array of delicious antipasti – seasonal vegetables, salami, cheeses – all…

  • La Torre

    Massa Lubrense

    Not quite in Massa, but almost, La Torre has its berth in Annuziata, an attractive little borgo on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Naples. Occupying a…

  • Quimera

    Marsala

    Smack in the heart of Marsala's pedestrianised centre, this buzzy eating-drinking hybrid is the local hotspot for artisanal craft beers, gourmet…

  • Il Marin

    Genoa

    Eating by the water often means a compromise in quality, but Eataly's 3rd-floor fine-dining space delivers both panoramic port views and Genoa's most…

  • Scannabue

    Turin

    Scannabue, housed in a former corner garage, is a retro-fitted bistro that has a touch of Paris in its cast-iron doors and tiled floors. There's a casual…

  • Trattoria del Pescatore

    Milan

    Milan’s finest fish restaurant hides modestly behind a row of green awnings. At the helm are Sardinian couple Giuliano and Agnese and their son, who…

  • Il Papeoto

    La Spezia

    This friendly osteria (casual tavern) turns out Instagram-worthy plates of creative, cruelty-free delicacies. Rich, complex flavours feature prominently…

  • Syrah Ristorante

    Western Sicily

    San Vito's refined choice, Syrah is a chic ode to contemporary ceramic wall art and modern Sicilian cuisine. Its parasol-shaded courtyard garden is a more…

  • Don Camillo

    Syracuse

    One of Ortygia's most elegant restaurants, Don Camillo specialises in sterling service and innovative Sicilian cuisine. Pique the appetite with a crudo of…

  • Locanda di Orta

    Orta San Giulio

    This is as good as it gets food-wise in a town where the bar is already set high. The wisteria-draped Locanda di Orta, squeezed into the heart of the old…

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