Cagliari
There's always a buzz at chef Luigi Pomata's minimalist seafood restaurant, with pared-down decor and chefs skilfully preparing superfresh sushi. For a…
Must-see restaurants in Italy
Perugia
La Taverna consistently wins the praise of local foodies. Brick vaults and candlelit tables create an intimate backdrop for Chef Claudio Brugolossi's…
Golfo di Orosei
Linger for dinner and panoramic sunset views at the Ristorante Ispinigoli, just below the entrance to the Grotta di Ispingoli. Located in Hotel Ispinigoli…
Trentino & South Tyrol
This convivial place straddling the Val di Pejo's ski slopes serves delicious meals featuring steaks and raw-milk gelato from their home-raised Highlander…
Porto Cervo
This rustic-chic restaurant has broad sea views from its hilltop perch, 3.5km south of Porto Cervo. Local ingredients shine in beautifully cooked and…
San Gimignano
Think of it less as ice cream, more as art. Former gelato world champion Sergio Dondoli is known for creations including Crema di Santa Fina (saffron…
Genoa
Rosmarino cooks up the standard local specialities, yes, but the straightforwardly priced menu has an elegance and vibrancy that sets it apart. With two…
South Coast
With a strategic position at the bottom of the historic centre, this modern restaurant is raising the bar for seafood dining in Sperlonga. Tuna tartares…
Cagliari
It doesn't get much cooler than this. Open-air dining on a rocky promontory between Cala Mosca and Cala Fighera with sea and fortress views, sunshine and…
Trieste
This colourful and chaotic fast-food joint may be the size of a train carriage, but it has a big Serbian personality. Come early to grab one of the four…
Perugia
Located above an enoteca (wine bar/shop), this fashionable osteria (tavern) specialises in local wines and fresh regional cuisine prepared with seasonal…
Friuli Venezia Giulia
A warm and welcoming mountain restaurant in Illegio, with heavy wood-beamed ceilings and a beautiful hand-carved bar. The plate of cold cuts and cheese is…
Sorrento
The best fish you eat in Sorrento might be one you caught, a viable proposition at this congenial joint on the harbour at Marina Grande run by a…
Trieste
The crush spilling out the door and down the street says it all: San Marco is Trieste’s best gelateria. Gelato and sorbet (many of them dairy and gluten…
Cagliari
Simplicity is the ethos underpinning this intimate, subtly lit bistro in the Marina district. Service is friendly without being overbearing, and the menu…
South Coast
One of the best restaurants in the medieval centre, Gli Archi provides a lovely setting for fresh fish. Sit down in the coolly elegant arched interior or…
Antica Salumeria Granieri Amato
Perugia
Sitting inconspicuously in a no-fanfare grey kiosk on Piazza Matteotti is this Perugian street-food institution. Its speciality is succulent porchetta …
Northwestern Sardinia
Tucked into a leafy corner near the Basilica di San Gavino, this welcoming restaurant scores across the board. The regional food is fabulous – try the…
Northwestern Sardinia
This welcoming agriturismo serves delicious home-grown fare in an echoing barn with timber beams and a huge fireplace. The set menus comprise hot and cold…
The Veneto
The archetypal osteria with a wooden bar packed with overall-clad vintners and delicious aromas wafting out of the kitchen. Glasses of Valpolicella …
Bologna
Offering a welcoming rustic-chic ambience, this locally recommended, family-run gelateria shakes things up among the usual Italian artisanal suspects and…
Calabria
Among Calabria’s best eats, La Tavernetta marries rough country charm with citified elegance in warmly colourful dining rooms. The food is first-rate and…
Eastern Sardinia
Perched high on the hillside near the Su Marmuri caves, this restaurant serves up delicious home cooking, with an emphasis on traditional mountain fare…
Alghero
The modest demeanour of this Alghero favourite – locals come here for their weekend evening out – belies the quality of its excellent food. You can keep…
Matera
'The Angels' Vices', an artisanal gelato 'laboratory' on the busy promenade of Via Domenico Ridola, is Matera's best. Alongside classics such as pistachio…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
This family-run neighbourhood trattoria bustles every minute it's open. The setting is simplicity itself, and the Roman classics that dominate the menu…
Friuli Venezia Giulia
No menu, no fuss, no kerbside appeal; simply serves the best prosciutto and salami alongside small plates of marinated vegetables, local cheeses and…
Stromboli
On the main street between the port and the church, this artisanal gelateria is a great place to fuel up with homemade gelato before making the big climb…
Venice
Suso’s gelati are locally made and free of artificial colours. Indulge in rich, original seasonal flavours such as marscapone cream with fig sauce and…
Parma
A father-son team has taken over from a formerly starred Michelin chef at this wonderful contemporary bistro in the city centre, but the concept – and,…
Merano (Meran)
This stylish regional showcase – now a chain with branches in Bolzano and Brunico – has an amazing selection of farm produce: wine, cider, some 80…
Lake Iseo
The Soardi family has been serving up local dishes since 1948, perfecting deceptively simple treatments of lake fish. It means you can sit on their…
Noto
Dating from 1892 and especially renowned for its granite, this beloved place vies with its neighbour, Dolceria Corrado Costanzo, for the honours of Noto's…
Camogli
In the leafy heights of San Rocco di Camogli you’ll find the only Slow Food–recommended restaurant along the coast, named for grandmother Nina, whose…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
A popular trattoria in Trastevere serving Roman specialities.
Trattoria al Vecchio Club Rosanero
Palermo
A veritable shrine to the city’s football team (rosa nero refers to the team’s colours, pink and black), cavernous Vecchio Club scores goals with its…
Emilia-Romagna
A true family affair, where owner Pier Luigi, along with his wife and daughter, will shower you with seasonally changing local delicacies. It's a great…
Reggio Emilia
It's raining pigs at the 'Cholesterol Spa', a good-time pizzeria and panineria specialising in roasted pork sandwiches, run by a big personality husband…
Viterbo
A casual meal on an atmospheric piazza is one of the joys of eating out in Italy, and that's exactly what you get at Il Gargolo. Its al fresco tables,…
