Must-see restaurants in Italy

  • Officine Bocelli

    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…

  • Speck Stube

    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…

  • Osteria a le Due Spade

    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…

  • Donna Rosa

    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…

  • Sosta dei Diavoli

    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…

  • Casa Mele

    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…

  • Hotel-Ristorante Pocho

    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…

  • Mariterraneo

    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…

  • Hostaria Del Vicolo

    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…

  • Il Focolare

    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…

  • Gurdulù

    Oltrarno

    Gourmet Gurdulù seduces fashionable Florentines with razor-sharp interior design, magnificent craft cocktails and seasonal market cuisine from young local…

  • Osteria delle Quattro Tette

    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…

  • Alle Vettovaglie

    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…

  • Bonci Pizzarium

    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…

  • La Parte degli Angeli

    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…

  • More e Macine

    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:…

  • Ristorante Il Girasole

    Sirmione

    Sirmione’s best dining experience excels in congenial, well-organised service and traditional food skilfully executed. The three-ingredient cacio e pepe …

  • Locanda Margon

    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…

  • Gaudenzio

    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…

  • Osteria Sali e Tabacchi

    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),…

  • Moon

    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…

  • Agriturismo Sa Mandra

    Northwestern Sardinia

    This smart, beautifully maintained agriturismo serves fantastic farmhouse food, inspired by the culinary traditions of the mountainous Barbagia region,…

  • La Dogana

    Montepulciano

    Chef and cookbook writer Sunshine Manitto presides over the kitchen of this chic enoteca overlooking the Palazzo Vecchio Winery, 13km northeast of…

  • Restel de Fer

    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,…

  • I Dolci di Nonna Vincenza

    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…

  • Ai Tre Garofani

    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…

  • I Sapori

    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…

  • I Segreti del Chiostro

    Palermo

    Countless blessings await at this extraordinary pasticceria, hidden away in a former convent. The culmination of endless hours of research, it uses once…

  • Zur Kaiserkron

    Bolzano (Bozen)

    Refined but unfussy takes on regional favourites fill the menu at this calm and elegant dining room, and excellent produce is allowed to shine. From…

  • Ristorante Gino

    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…

  • Harry's Piccolo

    Trieste

    Trieste’s only Michelin-starred restaurant has an enviable setting on lovely Piazza dell’Unità. The menu is modern, executing classic ideas in innovative…

  • Da Salvatore

    Tyrrhenian Coast

    Salvatore Ruvutuso, his wife Maria and two children run this Slow Food–acclaimed trattoria with its summertime sidewalk seating and wonderfully cosy…

  • Ristoro Agricolo Montefabbrello

    Elba

    A model of slow and sustainable cuisine, this organic restaurant on the Montefabbrello farm grows its own wheat to make pasta, grapes to make wine and…

  • Il Sole

    Lake Maggiore

    Aside from relax along the waterfront, the main thing to do in Ranco is call by this fantastic restaurant, with its lake views, beautiful garden and even…

  • Abocar Due Cucine

    Rimini

    Opened in 2014 by the daughter of fabled local restaurateur Tonino Il Lurido (owner of one of Fellini's former haunts), this Argentine-Italian affair…

  • Sergio Falaschi

    Northwestern Tuscany

    The most famous macelleria (butcher's shop) in town, run by the same family since 1925, is where most local restaurants buy their outstandingly excellent…

  • Cucchiaio di Legno

    Orta San Giulio

    Delicious home cooking emerges from the kitchen of this honest-to-goodness agriturismo (the name translates as 'wooden spoon'); expect fish fresh from the…

  • Altavilla

    Lake Como & Around

    In this charming Alpine guesthouse and restaurant you'll find one of the region's gastronomic treats. Owner and Slow Food connoisseur Anna Bertola spreads…

  • Osteria del Pozzo

    Ancona

    Unless you've booked ahead, you'll be lucky to grab one of the cheek-by-jowl tables at this long-standing favourite. The big draw is its coveted seafood,…

  • I Sette Consoli

    Orvieto

    This refined restaurant walks the culinary high wire in Orvieto, serving inventive, artfully presented dishes, from joyful starters such as panzanella (a…

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