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…
Must-see restaurants in Italy
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…
Chianti
The type of restaurant that fuels fantasies of moving permanently to Tuscany, Massimiliano Canton's ultrafriendly osteria bakes its own bread, makes pasta…
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 …
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Naples
Could it be ingredients like prized Campanian nocciole (hazelnuts) from Giffoni and Sicilian pistachios from Bronte? Perhaps it's the absence of…
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…
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…
Marsala
Smack in the heart of Marsala's pedestrianised centre, this buzzy eating-drinking hybrid is the local hotspot for artisanal craft beers, gourmet…
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…
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…
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…
La Spezia
This friendly osteria (casual tavern) turns out Instagram-worthy plates of creative, cruelty-free delicacies. Rich, complex flavours feature prominently…
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…
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…
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…
Positano
Calling like a siren to any cash-poor budget traveller who thought Positano was for celebs only, this heroically authentic trattoria at the top of town…
Minori
Pasticceria? Yes. Cafe? Yes. Gelateria? Yes. Sal de Riso is all these things and more: an emporium of edible sweetness that will make your eyes pop out…
Cilento Coast
From your perch on the stone terrace, you’ll hear your order loudly repeated to the chef (ie Mamma), followed by the requisite banging of pots and pans…
Manarola
Hidden off a narrow lane in the upper reaches of town, the Trattoria dal Billy fires up some of the best seafood dishes anywhere in Cinque Terre. Start…
Rimini
This contemporary, family-run seafooder sits steps from Museo della Città and Domus del Chirurgo but you'd never know it – its fuss-free demeanour is…
Stresa
One of Stresa's most gourmet restaurants doesn't advertise itself from its modest perch up a narrow side street. It doesn't need to. Local word of mouth…
Friuli Venezia Giulia
This friendly small hotel has a super restaurant, where owner Danila fusses over her guests as if they were her own children; let her guide your choices…
Syracuse
One of the longest established and most popular eateries on Via Cavour, this snug, wonderfully hospitable trattoria has built its reputation on delicious…
Pescara
Sitting pretty in a city full of seafood, Cucineria relies more on the fat of the terra (land) with chitarrina (Abruzzo’s spaghetti) tossed with mountain…
Verona
The gold standard for pastry in Verona is Flego, where you’ll find at least 10 different croissant options every morning, including the divine myrtle…
Termoli
Attached to Residenza Sveva, and doing perhaps the best seafood in this town of fish restaurants, Svevia occupies an 18th-century palazzo (mansion) a…
Milan
This fashionable Sicilian restaurant in the 19th-century glasshouse of Napoleon’s neoclassical Villa Reale is the brainchild of Luisa Beccaria’s three…
The Dolomites
A legend in the valley, this Michelin-starred restaurant in an old mill sits at the historic heart of Cavalese. Downstairs, next to the waterwheels, you…
Northeastern Sardinia
For dreamy sunset views of Isola Tavolara, book ahead at chic waterfront Il Portolano, run by Sardinian-Swiss couple Roberto and Claudia. Creatively…
Santa Teresa di Gallura
Natalia and Gian Mario welcome you warmly at this agriturismo, 10km south of town off the SP90 (follow signs up a dirt track). Tables are scenically…
Lampedusa
Hidden away from Lampedusa's beach-loving crowds on an inland back street, Bernardo's venerable trattoria inspires confidence the minute you step through…
Northwestern Tuscany
This foodie address never disappoints. From the homemade bread and focaccia brought warm to your table, to the industrial-meets-lime-green-velour interior…
Arezzo
At his eponymous restaurant, chef Giovanni Aliciati reimagines classic Italian dishes using top-quality ingredients and incorporating French and Spanish…
