What restaurant guide for Italy would you never leave home without?
 

I'd like to get some suggestions for great places to eat in northern Italy this fall - Florence, Venice, Verona, Varenna.

I've heard that "Cheap eats in Italy" is good... but I can't seem to find a version that's been updated in the past few years and wonder if that'll be a problem. (I'm still looking into it). I am also checking out www.slowfood.com.

Any other thoughts?

As for what I'm looking for, I've been accused of being a Foodie... and I am fairly adventurous! But mostly I am looking for great "value" places, authentic little gems, though I may splurge once or twice, if I think it's worth it.

Thanks for sharing! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it...

Faith Willinger's book, The Food of Italy, has great recommendations, although it is only for Northern Italy, but that should work for where you are going...enjoy

OOPS...sorry, the name is "Eating in ITaly" by faith willinger

What restaurant guide would I never leave home without?

My nose and a sense of adventure. They seem to serve me better than any guide I've tried.

Since I'm vegan, I never leave home without a list of restaurants from Vegdining.com and HappyCow.com.

I did this for Italy, and basically do it for any place that we travel to - foreign or domestic. We've enjoyed some great spots worldwide.

I would go with "Cheap Eats..." than patrick's nose and and sense of adventure. I never could count on them and they never served me any good.

Bill

Sandra Gustafson's book is now called "Great Eats Italy." There is 3/1/2002 version with that name and 6/1/2005 version of "Great Eats Italy: Florence, Rome, Venice."

I used the former for my trip to Italy earlier this year.

The Michelin Red Guide, hands down. If you want "cheap" they have "good value" listings for great food at good value.

Why would anybody want to go to Italy and "eat cheap"? (Just asking...)

We used Great Eats a little bit in Rome (and Paris) and it was very hit or miss. We did best when we found out of the way places with locals eating in them (not that easy to do - but you know what I mean) or took the advice of the person we rented the apartment from.

bill boy, I never knew you traveled with my nose? But sorry it didn't work for you, it works great for me.

I never even think about taking a restaurant guide. While out and exploring keep an eye out for restaurants that interest you. Check them out. If the restaurant is serving great looking lunches, there is a good aroma, the place looks clean, the patrons look happy and relaxed then make a reservation for dinner.

After dinner it is fun to take a late evening stroll and find other interesting restaurants for the upcoming days.

Mangia!!!

Thanks for your responses!

Yes, my preference is to find out where the locals eat, if I can... and of course I will ask my hosts. The guide will be a backup... which could, at any time be veto'd by my nose!! :-)

I'm looking for a guide because of my experience in Portugal last year, which was wonderful for the most part.. but I found the food incredibly hit and miss. A friend whom I met for a few days in Lisbon, had a Rotard guide with her (not printed in English, as far as I know - a shame!) and when we used it, it made SUCH a difference price and quality-wise. I don't mind spending, if I really do get something exceptional. But when you find the right places, you shouldn't have to pay through the nose! Pardon the pun.

So this time, as I only have two weeks in Italy... I want to be a bit more prepared.

Hi AltheainTO,

I don't travel with any given guide book, however an absolute MUST are my notes from the good people here on what restaurants they found delightful in their travels.

If it works out with our adventure, I try to give one of the recommended spots a try, otherwise I use the "Patrick method" and just trust my scents (and good sense, hee) and try a new place. Also, it has been my experience, that hotel personnel have paved the road to new delicious places.

A mix of all three is nice, after all, how will we ever get new restaurant rec's if we don't try new places!

Hee, have fun with it, and enter text into the search box above, such as "Florence restaurants" and watch the tempting trattorias unfold!

Best wishes, Tiff

For any towns we plan to visit, I always consult Slowfood.it. The Italian version has listings of restaurants all over Italy. Even though,I am by no means fluent in Italian, I can figure out whether it's a place I'd like to try. I've never been disappointed. The English site is: http://slowfood.com/
The registration is free.

I agree that the slowfood site is wonderful, but the information is limited. However it is very good for recommendations. Better still is the book Osterie d'Italia by Slowfood. It is updated regularly and only the best make it into the guide. It is in Italian but easy enough to follow if you have some basic vocabulary. This is the very best guide for eating in Italy, IMO. You can buy the latest edition online or in most book shops in Italy. Very good information on opening times and more. They have an English language eating guide for Rome.

I like Sandra Gustafson for eating in Paris more than anywhere else. Italy? I think she is just so so.

I have ALL the books on eating in Italy, and I find that reading a lot, and taking copies of the appropriate Michelin Red Guide pages, recommendations from trusted fellow travelers, and buying a copy of Osterie d'Italia is the best way to go for me.

i've found the suggestions of hotel staff to be unreliable. all too frequently they have a vested interest in promoting nearby spots.

i've found slowfood to be invaluable for the smaller towns in italy but tend to rely more on suggestions from this board (corraborated by the "patrick method") in the cities. i do like the idea of checking out the lunch crowd and then making a dinner reservation.

dining is such a subjective enterprise comprised of many factors: food, service and ambience not any of which several will agree upon. as with film or book reviews, one must have some initial affinity with the individual critic, dip their toe in the water and, then, make a decision.

Just to avoid confusion, the Osterie d'Italia, referred to in Tuscanlifeedit's post, is a book published by Slowfood. It's contents are available free on the the Italian Slowfood site:
www.slowfood.it
After you register and log in, there is a link entitled "Osterie d'Italia." Click on it and then select the region of Italy you want.

Hi subcon, I agree with you about restaurant reviews, as well as book and movie reviews.

In fact "some of us" just got told off on the US Board because of a negative comment made about a new restaurant in my area. There were some positive comments made but also a comment that the food was greasy and salty. Not my type of food, and the person that gave the review likes the type of food that I do so I sure don't feel like I need to check this place out myself. But a new poster really got upset because he loves the restaurant. But it turns out that the other restaurants he likes in the area are not my favorites, so yes, we all have different opinions.

And one of my favorite restaurants in SF was hated by some people I know. I didn't realize they liked quanity over quality.

I love going to my favorite restaurants but I push myself to try new ones. And unless I get food poisoning (that has happened twice, yuck!) I just chalk it up to an experience that I would not have had if I hadn't ventured out. Have found some fantastic places that way.

BTW, with a new (to us )restaurant my late husband always liked going in for a drink or glass of wine (if there was a bar area) to get the feel of a restaurant. He would then ask to look at the menu. Another thing he would do if he didn't feel 100% sure about the hygeine would be to check the restroom out. One time (can't remember which one) in SF he did that and when he returned from the restroom he pulled me out of the place before I even got to finish my glass of wine, LOL. His thinking was of course if the restroom that the public has access to is not clean what is the kitchen and hygeine habits of the restaurant like. Good thinking!

Best wishes to you Altheain for some great restaurant finds. And btw, a fish restaurant that I like in Venice is the Restaurant all Madonna. When you cross the Rialto Bridge from the San Marco side, turn left and about two calles down in the dell Madonna. You will see this restaurant about half way down.

Do check it out before making reservations though as I haven't been there for awhile and it many have gone "downhill" as it has become very well known.

I have always been terrible at keeping info on restaurants when I travel but have vowed to do it in the future!

Mangia!!

<<<Better still is the book Osterie d'Italia by Slowfood. It is updated regularly and only the best make it into the guide. It is in Italian but easy enough to follow if you have some basic vocabulary. This is the very best guide for eating in Italy, IMO. You can buy the latest edition online or in most book shops in Italy. Very good information on opening times and more. They have an English language eating guide for Rome.>>>

I second the Oterie d'Italia. Even though it is in Italian, it is up to date and you can get by even with just knowing the names and addresses of the restaurants in this guide. A restaurant that appears in this book gets a sticker they can display in the window or on the front door. Look for it, even if you don't get the book. And as rbrazill stated, you can check it out on their website.

Another book I would recommend highly is Italy for The Gourmet Traveler by Fred Plotkin. My copy is dog-eared.

Awesome, thanks to everyone who responded!

I just ordered Slowfood Osterie d'Italie guide online. I noted your recommendation in Venice too, LoveItaly. And I'll do some more searches beforehand... such fun.

Thanks again!