The wife and I are headed to Italy next week, sans kids, and we're looking for restaurant recommendations in Rome, Florence, and Venice. We're interested in authentic Italian food, of course, but mostly stuff that's good. I understand Florence does steaks right and I am very interested in confirming that rumor. I would appreciate any and all recommendations.

Best meals we had in Rome we're at Spirito di Vino and Taverna Lucifero

Traveled in Italy quite a bit. No specific recomendations for those cities but Ive never had a bad meal in Italy I can tell you that.

Someone was telling me about some place outside of Rome where you butcher your own lamb, poultry whatever, and they cook it up right. Thought about checking it out just for the novelty of it but haven't made it there yet.

Ive the best luck chatting with small shop owners. Ask them where they usually eat for lunch nearby and go there. It will usually be around the corner.

If you ask them where they recommend you eat they'll get confused and send you somewhere crazy that they probably never eat at.

I don't really trust any of the online reviews anymore. Most, like everything else, are made by cube farmers.

I don't remember specific names of restaurants, but try your best to avoid eating anywhere close to a tourist hot spot. Try to wander around and find a place that doesn't look like it caters to tourists. If you are staying in an Airbnb, ask the owner to recommend some places.

Last time I was in Rome, I stayed in an apartment in San Lorenzo. It's a neighborhood north of Termini Station, so away from the tourists hub. There is a University there and lots of fun bars and restaurants. The building I stayed in was in Piazza dei Campani and there was a great restaurant downstairs and another around the corner. If you have time, the area is worth a walk and dinner. Never had a bad meal in Trastevere either.

In Florence, definitely go south of the Arno River and look for a place to eat. Just wander around until something catches your eye.

Florence - Ristorante del ***ioli (rhymes with Bagioli)- We stopped by for lunch and it was full of locals. Absolutely delicious. My wife's favorite meal of the trip.

Rome - Osteria da Fortunata - My favorite meal of the trip. Excellent

*For dinner I'd recommend making reservations at most places, especially in Rome.

In case you make a wrong turn and wind up in Positano, you have to go to La Tagliata!

A fantastic dining experience!

Rome - Alfredo alla Scroffa; home of the original fettucine alfredo!

We're doing Dario's restaurant (50 EURO fixed meal) this summer with the family

Dario is opening restaurants worldwide. I'd recommend watching the Netflix special on him.

My favorite Italian dish is "Carbonara". It's nothing like the carbonara served in the states. It was told to me that it is the Italian PB&J.

Report back if you found someplace really special. I'm really looking forward to our Italian food experience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dario_Cecchini

I second the recommendation in Florence to go south of the river. We stayed on the Arno at Hotel Berchielli. Just cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge and go right on the first street (Borgo S. Jacorpo). Several restaurants that are very good and our favorite was Ristorante Borgo San Jacorpo. There are numerous restaurants in that area on other streets obviously.

I will say Florence was my favorite city in Italy. Felt very safe walking the streets at night and the history and architecture is phenomenal. Enjoy!

I'm jealous. Love Rome. Below are some of our favorites from our last trip in November. As mentioned above, reservations are pretty much a must in Rome. I would make reservations in Florence, too. I recommend booking at least a week in advance, especially if you want the later dinner time (when all the locals eat). You'll need to call most restaurants. Also, from my experience, speaking a bit of italian when you walk in and being well dressed (not jeans, tshirt, and sneakers) will go a LONG way in receiving better service.

Rome:
La Tavernaccia - get the suckling pig
Colline Emiliane - perhaps our best meal
Trapizzino - great fast casual in trastevere
Roscioli - both the restaurant or bakery
Il Goccetto - great wine bar. Get there just before prime time, so you can grab a table. Recommend their appetizer special
[url=https://www.gelateriaromana.com/][/url]Gelateria La Romana - favorite gelato in Rome

Ebook for Rome restaurants. In addition to restaurant recommendations, it is helpful in understanding the dos and dont's at restaurants in Italy. Worth the few bucks. https://katieparla.com/eating-and-drinking-in-rome-ebook/

Florence:
I'Tuscani 2 - go if you like Florentine steak
la strega nocciola - best gelato in Florence

I don't have specific restaurant recs but as stated above, I don't think I've ever had a subpar meal in Italy. Florence and Rome are absolutely amazing and there is great food everywhere. Take the time to walk around and away from super touristy things, you'll find something you love.

For those of you recommending reservations, are we talking pretty high end restaurants? I'll research them soon enough but I'm curious how much planning I need to do regarding food. My wife and I are taking our first trip to Italy the last week of May (Rome, Florence, Venice). It seems as though it may be more crowded than the last few Europe trips we've done.

Will we be in for long waits if we just wonder around for dinner? Lunch?

No matter what you do, always ask the price of something the waiter suggests.

We had about 8 of us, but spent what we figure $200 on just appetizers because we didn't ask. Oh it was wonderful, bufala mozzarella, fried zucchini flowers, etc. I have had that happen enough to know better.

You shouldn't have trouble at lunch. Dinner at a decent place needs reservations unless you go early. We usually go earlier than most natives for sure.

The best lunch is finding a little pizza guy, Walk up and get a slice. Wonderful stuff.

We try to get recommendations on line and at the hotels or locals. I like the back alley, go into a basement places. Great experience.. brush up on Italian wines. At least try a few at Specs before you go. Super Tuscan grapes and regions are good with a heavier meal.

I could go to Italy just for the food alone.

Simple tip that my wife and I have always enjoyed: order the house wine (generally these are local wines in casks that have not been bottled). Though we are not wine snobs, these have always been wonderful (and cheap).

Best restaurants in Venice: find all the tourists and walk in the opposite direction.

Thanks for all the tips, folks. I'll try to report back from those we try.

True, I have not. Just Tuscany, Umbria and the Amalfi coast regions.

In Florence, Trattoria Il Porcospino which is right across from the entrance to the Medicee Chapel. Ask for John.
He loves everything about the state of Texas and has a wall dedicated to it in the restaurant. Though he is a sip fan, and will playfully give you a hard time if you wear A&M gear. Last time I saw him a few years ago, he was still dreaming of traveling to Texas for the first time.

He also will suggest a great entree if you tell him what you like. Many times things that aren't even on the menu.

Ristorante La Botticella - Rome

We ate here three times, because the food was so wonderful. Its maybe a 50 seat place, but the owner is fantastic and so is the food.

Trip Report:

We had a great time in Italy, and like everyone said, the food was excellent. We tried several places recommended on the thread: Lucifero and Taverna Trilussa in Rome, and Ristorante del ***ioli and Osteria Cinghiale Bianco in Florence. We also stumbled into a few really good places on our own. All the suggested places we tried were really good. Lucifero had the best mozzarella I've ever tasted, but the owner kept pouring more digestivi to the point I almost needed help walking home.

We never had a problem finding a place to eat, and only got reservations in Florence. We walked up everywhere else. I think it was before the high season though - most of the other tourists we saw were German high school kids.

I appreciate all the recommendations. It was nice to have a list to work from rather than trying to find a decent place from the thousands of choices after a long day of walking all over.

Where did you land and how did you get around? We are planning for late July.

Comeby! said:

---

Where did you land and how did you get around? We are planning for late July.

---

i'm sorry. the crowds and the tours of things like the duomo are going to be miserable and hot. haha.

Furlock Bones said:

---

Comeby! said:

---

Where did you land and how did you get around? We are planning for late July.

---

i'm sorry. the crowds and the tours of things like the duomo are going to be miserable and hot. haha.

---

I can only imagine! We did the duomo in January and it was fantastic, but I don't recommend doing it when it's hot. You have no choice to rub against those that are climbing down or up with you.

Comeby! said:

---

Where did you land and how did you get around? We are planning for late July.

---

We flew in and out of Rome FCO (after being in France) a couple of weeks ago. Observations:

1) Alitalia is about one rung above a third-world airline.

2) Rome FCO is a terrible, disorganized mess.

3) Italia Rail is fine, but slower and not as smooth as the TGV in France.

I agree with Austintm above. FCO is about on par with Detroit the last time I was there in 1999. Only good thing is that it's easy to get through security on the way out. If you layover in Heathrow, though, you get almost strip-searched after getting directly off the plane from Rome. That was unpleasant.

We flew into Rome FCO and had a car waiting to take us to our hotel, which I greatly recommend. We took FrecciaRossa trains to Venice, then to Florence, then back to Rome. Spring for the 1st Class or Business Class tickets if you can. It's more comfortable. The trains are easy to navigate, but don't be surprised if your train doesn't have an assigned track until 10 minutes before it arrives.

We walked or took taxis the rest of the time. Mostly, we walked because we didn't have any particular place to be and I might get thirsty and need to take a break for an espresso or apertivo.

We did this trip right (read: expensively) because it was our honeymoon trip I promised La Patrona 20 years ago when we got married. 4 kids later, we finally did it.

This is the view from our hotel in Florence.
[url=][/url]

Devilyack is right. You can get a driver with a Mercedes to take you to your hotel for 50 euros, and worth every penny. And the first class on the rail isn't that much more than regular, but gives you a lot more comfort.

bones75 said:

---

Simple tip that my wife and I have always enjoyed: order the house wine (generally these are local wines in casks that have not been bottled). Though we are not wine snobs, these have always been wonderful (and cheap).

---

I am a wine snob and I agree with this completely. A high quality wine from the US is as good if not better than most European counterparts. The real difference between European and American wine lay in the average table wine. The 10 euro table wine in Europe is usually a really good pleasant wine that is far superior to the same priced wine in the US.

You need to note that in many parts of Europe you need to differentiate between a house wine and table wine. While in most cities the two terms are used interchangeably there are still many places where the "House Wine" is still made in the restaurant. These wines can be pretty mediocre and leave you with a bit of a headache.

Get Gelatto at the Frigidarium in Rome. It's hands down the best gelatto in Rome. Your wife will appreciate it.

Wife and I are going in a couple of weeks. Does anyone have a recommendation for a rooftop restaurant near Trevi Fountain?

Great suggestions!