Agropoli
At the city-centre end of the promenade, no-fuss Anna has been a local favourite for decades. Family-run, with a B&B upstairs, it's best known for its…
Must-see restaurants in Italy
Lake Garda
Probably in the top five of Lombardy gastronomic restaurants, hillside Vecchia Malcesine is at once creative, fun and very, very tasty. The Michelin…
Sorrento Peninsula
Ask any local buongustaio (foodie) where to get the best cornetto (croissant) and chances are you'll get directed to this modern, piazza-side cafe. In…
Bologna
Owner Valeria keeps an army of nonnas in line at this simple pasta lab tucked among myriad bars on Bologna's booziest street. Pasta is sold raw or cooked…
Umbria
Much rated locally, this wonderful agriturismo (farm stay) presents its oft-changing menu orally, presenting filling farmhouse dishes prepared with local…
Naples
Nonna Anna may have gone to the great kitchen in the sky, but her loud, tiled lunch spot kicks on. Hidden at the back of a market arcade, Cibi Cotti…
Bologna
This all-organic gelateria uses natural Japanese kuzu and African baobob to thicken its award-winning gelato. It's not as creamy as usual, but flavours…
Milazzo
Specialising in locally sourced 'km0' cuisine, this intriguing restaurant serves up creative dishes built around sometimes obscure ingredients, with vegan…
Sorrento Peninsula
Sunday lunches in Sorrento homes often conclude with a tray of treats from Romano, considered one of the area's top pasticcerie (pastry shops). Scan the…
Enna
Enna foodies know all about this simple village eatery, a 24km drive southeast of Enna. Lorded over by head chef Lillo Serra, its shtick is honest,…
Emilia-Romagna
Cinematically set in a 1300s grotto carved from a mountainside that still serves as the back wall, this wonderfully local osteria sits under the…
Trapani
What with the giant pasta pictures splashed above the white-tiled open kitchen and the photo-loaded tablet provided alongside printed menus, it's…
Perugia
Street food connoisseurs flock to Testone for torta al testa, Umbria's thick and savoury flat-bread pies. These are cooked in a traditional way that dates…
Langhe, Roero & Monferrato
Part of the Arborina Relais hotel, this very smart dining room offers gastronomic menus that either rework Piedmontese standards in surprising ways or go…
Capri
Dating back to 1931, this is the island’s most famous traditional trattoria and a long-time favourite on the celebrity circuit. Set up to look like a…
Pescara
This slick-looking 21st-century restaurant, wedged amid a cluster of more traditional trattorias, plies nothing but fish – a fact that becomes apparent as…
Bologna
Just far enough off the culinary beaten track to feel like a find, this rustic osteria caters more to locals than tourists – for now! Start with the…
Ravenna
For an inventive change of culinary pace, head to this classy seafooder far enough away from Ravenna's Unesco sites to feel authentic, but close enough to…
Emilia-Romagna
Aldo's thick, gourmet piadine (flatbread sandwiches) are legendary in these parts, Made with spelt or rosemary in addition to white flour, they pair well…
Naples
Colourful, technically impressive and ridiculously cute, Mario Di Costanzo's sweet treats are what Instagram dreams are made of. The young pastry chef…
Oltrarno
Family run and locally loved, this busy unpretentious place is one of Florence's cheapest trattorias. Don't be surprised if Paolo – the patriarchal figure…
Lucca
With an outside terrace open year-round (heated and covered in winter) and a huge choice of dishes on the multilingual menu, this down-to-earth osteria is…
Stresa
The Pappagallo is a hive of Italian energy where industrious wait staff practically run between tables and your pizza will arrive in the time it takes you…
Chianti
Offering a seasonally driven menu and boasting (of course) a wonderful wine list, this bistro in the Chianti complex seats diners in the former kitchen…
Perugia
Local food-and-wine enthusiasts Paolo Baldelli and Antonio Boco offer something different at this trendy gastro-bar, urbanely housed in an old ice factory…
Northwestern Tuscany
Join locals standing in line at this small white boat, moored at the harbour, which cooks up the morning's catch for lunch. The hot item to order is…
Naples
Spruced-up with retro-style tiles and vintage-style lamps, this perennially popular stalwart serves unfussed, soul-coaxing Neapolitan grub. Standout…
Bologna
Hurry up and wait at this famous Casalecchio di Reno transplant – it's impossible to walk by without salivating over its fresh pasta. Started in 1963 in…
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Part of Residence Sauris 811, this is a surprisingly urban space, with dramatic black-slate floors, long rustic-modern fir tables and contemporary Italian…
Bologna
A convivial husband-and-wife team as generous with their portions as they are with their hospitality runs this somewhat off-the-beaten-path trattoria in…
Langhe, Roero & Monferrato
There's a stunning view across vineyards to a wall of snow-capped mountains from the rustic farmhouse tables that grace the light open space at Brandini,…
Montalcino
A perfect example of the sleekly styled wine bar that is trending in Tuscany today, Franci offers a menu that takes more than a few liberties when…
Ristorante Grotta di Santa Caterina da Bagoga
Siena
Pierino Fagnani ('Bagoga'), one of Siena's most famous Palio jockeys, swapped his saddle for an apron in 1973 and opened this much-loved restaurant. Now…
Bologna
Friendly Mirò's sandwich skills best his language skills, but he still manages to seduce you with over 50 versions of great-value gourmet panino. Pick…
Genoa
Brace yourself for lunchtime mayhem. This is a totally authentic, if well touristed, workers' trattoria and there's much squeezing into tiny tables,…
Abruzzo
Attached to Le Torri Hotel, this classy restaurant offers cosy indoor dining or alfresco seating in the garden. The food is Abruzzese rustic-refined,…
The Dolomites
Downstairs from its parent restaurant, the venerable Oste Scuro, Vitis occupies a vaulted, whitewashed shopfront and a pretty vine-clad courtyard. The…
Pisa
When the urge for a swift bowl of pasta strikes, hit this stylish spaghetteria on one of Pisa's buzziest squares. A riot of faux flowers, strung on red…
Sorrento
Now for something completely different. At first glance the menu here looks more Californian than Campanian, with imaginative salads such as spicy…
Mantua
After several hours wandering around the gargantuan Palazzo Ducale, getting neck-ache looking at frescoes, you’ll probably appreciate a quick light lunch…
