Recommendations for our 2 week itinerary?
 

Hi, we are planning our second trip to Italy in April 2023. On our first trip in 2018 we spent 5 days in Rome, 5 days in Florence, 2 days in Bologna, then 3 days in Venice.

We are foodies, so I’d love any restaurant recommendations. And any Airbnb or hotel recs for 2 adults.

This time we are planning 3 days in Rome, again staying at Hotel Smeraldo. We absolutely loved our stay last night, especially the fact it’s metres away from both Ristorante Salumeria Roscioli and Antico Forno Roscioli. We did the Colosseum and Vatican tours last time, and just look forward to wondering around Piazza Navona, visiting the Trevi, Pantheon, Spanish steps again, and just wondering around, eating and drinking too much.

We are then planning 4 days in Florence (again to eat ourselves stupid). We loved the Mercato Centrale. We did the Taste of Tuscany day trip last time and loved it. I’m interested in any other full day tour recommendations including any wineries, a visit to any towns (excluding Pisa - I’m finding most full day tours include it however have no interest in going there again).

We are then planning to spend 2 nights in Modena (including dinner at Osteeua Francescana if we can get a reservation. If not, I’d like to visit Franceschetta58)
We also want to do a balsamic tour there (I love good balsamic, so any and all recommendations welcome).

Lake Como looks beautiful so we are thinking we might spend 3 nights in Varenna (I figure it’s easier as the train stops there, and it looks like a lovely town), and do a day trip to Bellagio. I’ve had Hotel Olivedo and Albergo Milano recommended. I’d love any good restaurant recommendations here.

We then plan to catch the train back to Milan and spend our final 2 nights there before flying home to Melbourne. I’ve seen Hotel Berna recommended often, however it doesn’t seem very central? Does anyone have any hotel and restaurant recommendations for Milan? We plan to book tickets to see The Last Supper.

Any tips, suggestions and recommendations welcome. Thank you.

A restaurant on the edge of Bellagio:

Our evening meal was at Silvio. We ordered from every course and were not disappointed. The pasta came with a fish egg sauce that was a little too strong, but the waiter had warned us and we decided that we had to try it anyway. All the fish dishes are based on fish caught in the lake and delivered directly to them. There are essentially two kinds of fish: a type of trout and a type of sardine or smelt. When it came to pay, they told us that the credit card machine was broken and that we had to pay cash.

I liked the location of Hotel Milano Scala on my last visit in 2018. Decor is (IMO) a little cheesy, but it is a comfortable, tidy, well-run boutique hotel with a good breakfast. I had an early flight my last evening and so ate at the hotel restaurant, which was better than I had expected. I can't remember where else I dined on that trip, sorry. I know one dinner was a trendy-ish bar-pizzeria place in Brera.* Eater usually has some reliable recs.

https://hotelmilanoscala.it/

https://www.eater.com/maps/best-milan-restaurants-38

*Remembered the pizza place: Dry.

*ETA 2: I also had a nice late lunch at one of the associated restaurants/bistros/cafe of Peck in Milano.

Thank you both for your recommendations, much appreciated.

Anyone else? :)

We enjoyed dinner at Risoelatte in Milan. We stayed at an AirBnB so can't help with hotels.. If you are in Milan the last Sunday of the month be sure to check out the flea market along the canal (Mercatone dell'Antiquariato sul Naviglio Grande). Lost of street art in the area as well.

Hotel Spadari al Duomo is our go to place in Milan. Short distance from Duomo and Galleria, next door to Pecks. Our favorite restaurant in Milan is Trattoria Milanese on Via Santa Marta for authentic Risotto Milanese.

There are more restaurants in Bellagio. We always return to Alle Darsena di Loppia, a short walk along lakefront from Melzi Gardens, Barchetta is another favorite. La Punta gives you lake and Alps views.
We have stayed up to two weeks in Bellagio. When you are there walk the steps to the top of town, away from tourist area, where San Giacomo Church is located. Also Hotel Belvedere is up there and looks down on the other side of the peninsula, beautiful.