Guides and books
 

Hey All,

I am staying in italy for a week and would like to know some good eat places where we can have an affordable meal..
Do you think buying the books like frommers guide, fodors travel guide and lets go on a budget to italy is useful? If so which books do you recommend for such suggestions?

Thanks,
D

destination,

The guide books you mentioned are quite general and have a selection of very few restaurants of all the 1000's in Italy.

Do you read any Italian? Slow Food has a list of recommended restaurants on its Italian website (for the English version you need to subscribe) and they are generally very good and quite reasonable. Rick Steves also lists quite reasonable restuarants if you are on a budget.

Personally, if it were me, I would wing it, just ask at your lodgings for reasonable places to eat which won't break the bank

Don't buy a book at all - check out www.viamichelin.com. On the Tourism tab, click the link to the Michelin Guide. Enter the name of the town or city and get lots of recommendations with price ranges. Generally, one and two fork restaurants are nice places with lower prices. There is also a special designation for a Good Value restaurant and the Bib Gourmand. You can get a detailed map of where the restaurant is located.

For budget places to stay, to eat, to visit, you want either the Rough Guide or the Lonely Planet.

I'm with Tim. Ask the locals. Follow your nose. Look for happy faces inside. Read the menu before you sit down. If you're hungry, go in!

In Italy, like here, a more expensive restaurant generally looks more expensive -- white tablecloths, candles, waiters in jackets and bowties -- although you should still look at the menu because some restaurants with simple decor in tiny storefronts can be serving very pricey inventive haute cuisine. The way the other patrons are dressed is also a clue to the affordability of a restaurant.

In Italy, be aware that service (tip) is automatically included in the bill and that a "cover" charge for the table is the rule. That "cover" charge is usually on a few euros, but in prime locations -- tables alongside Portofino harbor or overlooking the Grand Canal or the Piazza Navona, that cover charge can soar up to 12 or more euros.

Unless you are at the seaside, fish is often rather expensive in Italy.

It is worthwhile to do some internet research about how many courses you are expected to order in an Italian restaurant, how to order when you want to share a pasta or an entree, and what you are likely to experience in terms of restaurant opening hours and what Italians typically eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Buon viaggio -- and buon appetito!

Our favourite restaurants, without a doubt, during our 3 weeks in Italy were the ones that were recommended by the people working at the hotels we stayed at. We would give them an idea of what we were looking for and every time they steered us toward something that we loved.

WE just got back from Italy and found the Rick Steve's guide VERY useful. He has also worked out deals with various hotels, etc. in Italy. They give you the discount if you show them the current book.

I can't speak specifically about Italy, but I have found some good places in both Frommers and Fodors guides. I've never used Let's Go. If you don't have one already, though, I'm not sure I'd buy one just for the restaurants, I use them for a lot of things. Actually, you can get a lot of specific info like that free online from both those websites. That's what I'd do if I only wanted one subject, like restaurants.