restaurant rec's: Bellagio, 5Terre, Florence, Venice
 

Anyone care to make any restaurant recommendations for any of the above? It will be our first anniversary, so we wouldn't mind at least one fabulous place, even if it is pricey. For the rest of the trip, "local," out-of-the-way, or just plain good is perfectly acceptable. <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance!

ttt

Lisa, <BR>Bellagio-- Bilacus (not very expensive, but great food and service)! There is a garden outside, depending on the weather. We were therein June and ate in for lunch and out for dinner. <BR>Florence- Buca Dell'Orafo another not very expensive, but fun with excellent food-- two friends own this restaurant (Pietro and Lamberti--who are very warm and welcoming) This rest. is located at the end of Ponte Vecchio across from the Hotel Hermitage. It is in a basement-so don't get turned off by the initial entrance--- I have sent many people there who just loved it. <BR>Venice-- We found a lovely, more expensive rest-Al Mercanti-- it was located down a little alley in the San marco district. The concierge at our hotel highly recommended it. The food was excellent, very lovely and elegant service. <BR>Ciao <BR>Mary

I'll also recommend Bilacus in Bellagio. Make reservations and, weather permitting, definitely sit outside.

For a pricey, fabulous place, the Enotecca Pinichiori in Florence. We went there doe our sixth anniversary. Very Expensive ($800) and worth it. Supposedly the best wine list in the world and some have claimed it currently is the best restaurant in Europe. In Venice, our best meal was at L'Incontro.

Good afternoon, Lisa <BR>have some recommendations for Florence <BR>and Venice in more moderate pricings, <BR>used many times over the years and will <BR>send them to you seperatly. <BR>Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

Hi Lisa, <BR>I hope you'll have a marvellous anniversary. For you request I have only two advices: <BR>A)Florence: Enoteca Pinchiorri(N.1 in Italy for all guides)-Via Ghibellina 87 <BR>B)Cinque Terre-Manarola: Trattoria da Billy (sea dishes + fantastich seaview). <BR>We have lived and worked in Florence, now we stay in the Cinque Terre. Be sure we have already tasted!! <BR>For all your needs e-mail us.

Good afternoon, Lisa Both lists for <BR>ristorantes were returned at "service <BR>uinabailable", use xxxxxx's. <BR>Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

Lisa, <BR>In Florence: <BR> <BR>Il Cavallino, 4 r, via delle Farine Good food, wonderful service, somewhat casual atmosphere <BR> <BR>Da Noi, 46 r via Fiesolana <BR>Intimate setting, fantastic food, personal service, upscale & you may need reservations <BR> <BR>Buon Appetito! <BR>BC

The Enoteca Pinchipri is not a tourist trap. Ans yes&lt; $800 for two, $200 per person for the prix fixe dinner, and $200 per person for the matching wines. Two of us who have answered this board have eaten there and describe it as wonderful. It is unfair to attack a place without having been there. If you do not trust us, you can refer to Fodors, Eurogourmet, Michelin, Gault Milau, Food & Wine, and Firenze Spettacolo. For a special one of kind meal, it is worth it. Don't interfere with Lisa's first anniversary celebration because you have chosen not to eat at a restaurant. She asked for a place that was "fabulous, even if pricey". That is the Enoteca Pinchiorri. <BR> <BR>At the same time, there are many wonderful small affordable restaurants throughout the areas Lisa plans to visit. You know of some, and so does Richard. The restaurant I suggested for Venice is very inexpensive. <BR> <BR>Lisa, have a great time. Italy is a wonderful, romantic country. A place wwwhere I wish I could spend each of my anniversaries with my wife. Enjoy.

$800 for one meal isn't just fabulous but pricey.... it's a mortgage payment! or the budget for a week's worth of fabulous meals in Italy. Meals don't have to be fabulously expensive to be memorable. In Vernazza check out the trofie al pesto at Trattoria Gianni (with a fabulous secondo and wine about $40).

Richard -- Thanks for your offer to e-mail me restaurant ideas. So sorry for the alias used previously, it's just that I haven't used this site for long and was being overly cautious. Feel free to e-mail me ideas at the above address. <BR> <BR>Thanks again!

TTT

Lisa, in Venice, I loved Al Covo off Riva dei Sciva....(SP?) towards the naval museum. The best meal of a 3 week trip! Ask for directions from your hotel & you will need reservations.

wow helen! congratulations. i guess with your website you get a lot of clients and let me think where you send people for dinner here in firenze. but it's a bit poor....just 1 site and that's it ??? you mentioned that you eated at other places here in firenze, why didn't you told lisa where they are? i do have the huge impression that the only thing you want to do is spamming using a clever way, "tell people they are nonsense and don't give them information but write clearly everytime your different mail adresses and websites". tja! <BR> <BR>lisa, do you still want some ideas where to eat? then i give them to you no problem. just tell me what you are looking for (beside tuscan kitchen ;-). things like: pricerange, winelist (how important is it), dress up or not, walkingdistance to your hotel. <BR> <BR>christina

Just got back 2 days ago from Italy and the food was better than you can imagine! In Florence, our best Italian meal experience in Italy was Il Latini. It's a looong wait if you don't get there at 7:00, but well worth it. Excellent food and the best atmosphere. We closed the restaurant down with two Italian guys who were celebrating a birthday. We were the only ones left in the restaurant and were buying eachother wine and the waiter gave each table a bottle of wine when we left. And a surprisingly only $20 each!! And we had all courses and lots of wine! When we asked the waiter how much, he really just looked like he made it up in his head and told us! The nicest people there and such good food!!!! Ask your hotel to look in the yellow pages for teh number and have them give you directions. Also in Cinque Terre, Castello in Vernazza. Literally, the best and freshest and tastiest seafood I've ever had. The view is amazing. On top of a castle overlooking the ocean. Again, cheap but a nice restaurant. I think $50 for both of us. We went to the recommended Trattoria Al Cungai (sp?) recommended on this site in Florence and everything they said here was true. Great family run restaurant, wonderful food and again cheap. Enjoy!

sorry folks but i'm quite upset and it makes me very very sad. i just got this "nice" message form helen donegan and i want to make it public as i don't have anything to hide nor to spam nor to advertise. <BR> <BR>"Von: Helen_Donegan [mailto:[email protected]] <BR>Gesendet: Mittwoch, 12. September 2001 18:05 <BR>An: [email protected] <BR>Betreff: <BR> <BR> <BR>I have just re-read your nasty message (see below) <BR> <BR>Now if you attack me again I will reply in full on the message board - for now I will simply say to you not to mention my name again in any way. <BR> <BR>You have advertised apartments to rent, you said about your friends who own restaurants, you mention the hotel you work in etc - you are the one promoting your interests. I have seen your sweetly sick offers of help these days - you have messaged I don't know how many times, but I have never seen anything positive from you yet. <BR> <BR>I have looked after tourists in Italy for over 20 years - I promote nothing that can be of any gain to me in any way. I am interested in helping people if I can and am very glad they read and like my ezine. <BR> <BR>I don't have any site yet - I hope to one day. For the present I try to do my work as well as I can and in my spare time pass on any information I can to visitors to Italy. All the Italian tourist boards are constantly in touch with me so I try to have up-to-date information. <BR> <BR>I think it is extremely insensitive to suggest a restaurant were you pay $800 for and I said it sounded like a tourist trap - the fodors.com board is supposed to be a friendly board where everyone's opinions are of equal value - the fact that the owners of this restaurant are friends or yours etc. is neither here nor there and for you to get so nasty is very out of place, do you understand? It is YOU who is promoting places not me - I didn't give names but I suggested that you could get a very good meal in Florence for $80. <BR> <BR>I hope this is the end of the matter - I have no interest in fighting and enjoy sharing my love of Italy with visitors to this country. <BR> <BR>Helen Donegan, editor Italywithus.com - <BR>a free monthly eZine. <BR>[email protected]" <BR> <BR>- the thing which really "hit" me is, that this person tells me i did sweetly sick offers to help people now. sorry but how sick must a person be to tell me how i offerd something? helen, you will see this message i'm sure and i just make it now public that i don't want to have not a single mail from you to my e-mail adress. i don't correspond with evel people. <BR> <BR>christina <BR> <BR>

Now I will try to explain again. <BR> <BR>I am not in competition with anyone and I have not looked for any sort of conflict – especially at this time of great tragedy when everyone is burdened with other problems. <BR>At the same time I will not allow someone to make nasty comments about me and implications against my good name. <BR> <BR>I wrote to Christina directly because I wanted to avoid any other nastiness - this is a friendly board with a lot of genuine people trying to help one another. Christina has no such scruples – I see she has put my email in at least two message groups. <BR> <BR>So I will ask people who are reading this and are interested enough to make comments to look back at past messages – I can quote from them if you haven’t got the time (or interest really). I have never tried to help someone by promoting something that could be of any gain in anyway to myself. Christina has. Very often. <BR> <BR>I was very surprised that some comments I made about a restaurant charging $800 for 2 caused so much anger and nasty comments – maybe the following quote from Christina will help to explain it: <BR>“and it makes me happy when my friends who own restaurants are so good, that they get into a guide book” <BR>She mentions the hotel she works in and has tried to rent out apartments etc. <BR> <BR>I usually only answer messages on subjects I am very sure of – I originally commented on the $800 because I thought it was a mistake - $80 for 2 is already in the expensive end of the market. I also thought it was very insensitive to recommend a restaurant charging those prices to someone without knowing their budget etc. <BR> <BR>However my comments were perfectly legitimate and there was no reason for anyone to respond in such a nasty way. <BR> <BR>The comments I made on how many messages Christina has made on yesterday’s disaster (and their content’s) were from a “gut feeling” I had when reading them – I will not quote here because the whole think makes me ill, but maybe you will see what I mean if you read what she writes. I am quite willing to admit it if I am wrong because I really would like to think she was genuine. <BR>

Hi Lisa, Christina,Helen <BR>scusate per il mio inglese-sorry for my english. Da Pinchiorri non si mangia bene solo per 400 dollari a testa-at Pinchiorri you can have a good meal for less than $400 each. Chi lo ha scritto è ignorante o beve Montalcino Riserva-who has written this thing is ignorant or drinks only Montalcino reserve. <BR>This is a stupid subject but our lives are made (fortunately) of this. <BR>

Hi Eu <BR> <BR>Yes I am sure it is an excellent restaurant with a range of prices. I don't know it - I have a friend who has eaten there and said she enjoyed her meal. <BR> <BR>I don't live in Florence and have only ever brought day trips there - there is no reason why I would know the restaurants and have never claimed that I do - I have eaten in only a few. <BR> <BR>It is the personal and nasty way I was "attacked" for making a straightforward comment that upset me.