Hi Everyone

Thanks so much for all the valuable information on this site which has helped shape our trip to Italy. We (my husband, two teenage children and myself) will be spending 2 days in Venice, 6 days in the Tuscan region, 4 days on the Amalfi coast and 5 days in Rome this July. Both my children are very hearty eaters. As anyone who has lived with teenagers will tell you the term "hollow leg" is very descriptive when referring to their food consumption. Hence this brings me to the question, "how much money are we looking at on a daily basis to keep us fed?". Two of the four B&Bs are providing breakfast and the third quoted us 6.5 euros per person per day. Can someone please give me an idea of approximate prices for breakfast, lunch and dinner for four people? Restaurant recommendations would also be helpful.

All advice is much appreciated.

Thanks

Hi sanped,

Breakfast at the hotel is rarely worth the price, unless it is an all-u-can eat buffet.

Last Sept in Florence a cup of latte was 0.9E, a panini was 1.5 - 2E.

A pizza (US medium size) was about 5E.

A small gelato was about 1E.

A 0.75 L bottle of water was 0.5 - 2.5E, depending on where you got it.

In Florence, leave the kids at the hotel one night and have dinner at Il Ritrovo, 4 via dei Pucci, opens at 7:30. Open Sunday, closed Monday (I think).

There are places called 'tavola calda' (I think it means, 'hot table') - buffet type places that serve things like hot roast pork carved from a joint, roast potatoes and veggies - you often have the choice of dining on a formica table or bar or taking it back to your hotel (so pack some cutlery in your checked baggage). I can't remember the name of the place in Florence, but it was just the other side of the Ponte Vecchio in the Oltrarno area...The food is sold by weight, you can eat surprisingly well for under € 10 per person. (It was the best pork I've ever had - so please don't tell me you eat kosher... )

Ira - thank you for the cost of some commonly purchased items and your suggestion about leaving the children behind - good one

Sue - thank you for your input and yes, we all love pork

I second Ira's reccomendation of Il Ritrovo. We ate there last week on Ira's previous recc. Absolutely wonderful. We met another couple-Fodorites during dinner and they were equally impressed. Rosy and Marcos were the consumate hosts and the food was glorious! Il Ritrovo along with Ambacsiata d'Abruzzo in Rome were my favorite restaurants on the trip.

Ciao sanped,

There care some great low cost,non touristy places to eat here on the Amalfi Coast. Also consider the numberous delis that will knock up a fresh bread roll with any number of fillings.

Ambacsiata d'Abruzzo--we had a couple of wonderful and fun meals there a few years ago. I keep their business card hanging in my office to remind me of how much we enjoyed it.

In Parioli

Via Pietro Tacchini, 26

http://www.ambasciata-di-abruzzo.it/uk/restaurant_2.asp

Where are you staying in Tuscany? The most affordable way to feed two "empty leg" teenagers is to have a house/apartment/villa (self-catering accommodation) and eat food that comes from the grocery store or markets. Makes it possible to enjoy eating out, one meal a day. A lot will depend on the arrival and departure days of the rest of your itinerary. Typically, a week-long rental of self-catering accommodations will mean Saturday to Saturday. So you might have to shuffle a little bit to make that work.

Best wishes,

Rex

I looked up Ambasciata d' Abruzzo on Mapline, but I can't tell exactly where this is? Where in Rome is this restaurant?