Piedmont
The perennially popular pizzeria Pinky is a skiers' favourite, not to mention a post-bar pit stop. During the season, it also has live music.
Must-see restaurants in Italy
La Costiera Triestina
Join the crush of teenagers that hang outside Jimmy’s, slurping his deliciously sweet melon gelato with a front-row pew on the main piazza.
Cala Gonone
Hazelnut, fig, yoghurt and lemon – the gelati and sorbetti here are the real deal. Stop by for a cone to lick as you stroll the promenade.
Genoa
Serves up tasty focaccia slices just a short stroll from the Stazione Principe. Great for grabbing a snack while waiting for your train.
Lecce
This gelateria, one of Lecce's best, has an array of fabulous confectionery. Anything made with pistachios is likely to be delicious.
Bellagio
They do the simple things well here – think pizza, pasta and other Italian staples served on an agreeable open courtyard.
Cagliari
Stop by for divine handmade gelati, desserts (try the millefeuille), spice-infused pralines and truffles.
Puglia
A class act with a sea-view terrace, this place specialises in – what else? – fresh fish.
Eastern Sardinia
Small but mighty, this storefront dishes out delicious homemade goat-milk gelato.
Oltrarno
Run by the hip hoteliers upstairs at SoprArno Suites, this retro-styled cafe sports vintage train carriage racks as shelving and a couple of highly…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Locals and tourists alike have propped up the wooden bar here since 1842, when this wine bar first opened its doors near the Spanish Steps. Summer ushers…
San Polo & Santa Croce
This snappy place is never short of local professors, labourers and clued-in out-of-towners. Crusty rolls are packed with local cheeses, fresh greens,…
Oltrarno
This rustic-style eatery in San Frediano has chef Arturo at the helm, who’s been whipping up fresh plates of pasta and succulent steaks since the 1970s…
Milan
Perfectly located with a tree-framed view of the Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio, this bistro-style restaurant serves a classic menu with a particular focus on…
Venice
Staffed by refugees and migrants from all over Africa, the menu at this attractive restaurant reflects that diversity, with dishes from Egypt, Morocco,…
Milan
A rare treat in Milan is this tapas bar pioneered by Alice and Matheus. Plates of piquillo peppers stuffed with salt cod, garlicky Galician prawns and…
Trattoria alla Rampa del Piave
Venice
Hidden behind a little working-class bar is a low-slung dining room serving up some of Venice’s heartiest lunch specials. A largely male, Venetian crowd…
Venice
All vegetarian, all organic and largely vegan, this tiny cafe and wholefood shop offers a counter full of salads and grains that are shovelled onto plates…
Venice
The Querini Stampalia's gorgeous cafe is a great place for a coffee or a snack, and also serves a range of reasonably priced pasta and rice dishes at…
Venice
Venice's only organic vegan restaurant serves delectable dishes such as Thai rice noodles, seitan lasagne and tempeh mafè (peanut butter sauce) with rice…
Venice
This eatery serves pizza and freshly made pasta that you can see being prepared in the immaculate kitchen. There is also a small choice of mains and an…
Parma
Hidden behind the cathedral is this local favourite, a modern bistro clinging to traditional ways. It's most famous for its horse meat (a Parma speciality…
Bay of Naples
Right on a sandy beach with views of Procida and Ischia, this retro, sun-bleached restaurant enjoys cult status in Naples (book ahead on weekends). The…
Bologna
Despite its bow-tied waiters, the Biassanot is about as down to earth as its menu, which lists such rustic throwbacks as wild boar, rabbit and veal with…
Parma
Run the gauntlet of ham slicers and waiters gouging lumps of parmigiano reggiano and settle in for a memorable meal. Start with a plate of Parma ham,…
Sorrento
Despite its name, 'Green Sea' doesn't offer any water views. What it does deliver, however, are simple, tasty, surf-centric dishes, served in a spacious,…
Cilento Coast
On the road to Perdifumo, this is a favourite local choice. An unassuming place with a terrace, Il Capriccio has a gracious host in owner Enxo. The menu…
Rimini
This lovely former inn just north of the old Roman bridge has welcomed travellers for over a century. Turquoise-aproned waiters zip between the covered…
Perugia
Dine at Il Sole and you'll be reminiscing about the engrossing views as much as the food. Taking in Perugia's rooftops and the verdant hills beyond, they…
Turin
This small dining room is run by a friendly young couple and makes a nice change from historic, moody Turin. A simple, architecturally astute fit-out…
Matera
Stone is where you go to find young company or late-night grub (or both). Cavernous (like everywhere in Matera), its brightly lit interior has been given…
Spoleto
With prime Piazza della Libertà patio seating and an airy dining room overlooking the Teatro Romano, this simple cafe-restaurant serves a well-rounded…
Central Sicily
It's all about the street food at this unassuming neighbourhood bar, complete with pavement patio. Scan the counter for cheap, filling bites such as pizza…
Capri
Tucked away in a corner, this place has a traditional trattoria atmosphere, with small rooms, decorative tiles and walls lined with bottles. Vegetarians…
Genoa
With gingham tablecloths and a cheery clatter emanating from the kitchen, Mangiabuono remains one of the city's fabulously unfancy trattorias. Come and…
Parma
Fiercely local and organic, this farm-to-table bistro, owned and operated solely by women, is on to something special: its primi menu offers tortelli…
Naples
Catholic kitsch, old photographs and a bucket of hot coals under the table to keep your tootsies toasty? No, you're not at nonna's house, just at one of…
Sorrento
With flower-topped tables and a film-like setting on an intimate side street, Da Gigino sets a charming scene for competent, homestyle feasting. Although…
San Polo & Santa Croce
Running this closet-sized cicheti counter are zemei (twins) Franco and Giovanni, who serve loyal regulars small bites with plenty of imagination:…
Rimini
A beloved Rimini institution, this sweet eatery just in from the beach serves some of the best and most diverse piadine (flatbread sandwiches) in town,…
