Plans are coming along swimmingly for our September visit to Venice, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Piemonte. Unfortunately, weird flight times out of Turin mean that we can only spend one night there. Isn't Turin a major center? Why doesn't BA or anyone else have many flights into out of Turin? In any case, just means 1 more night in London, sigh.

We have found that the restaurant scene has changed quite a bit since Covid. So many of the lovely spots that were recommended in the past have gone out of business or changed hands. That is why I am asking for more recent recos for restaurants in these places. It has also been 2012 since we were in Venice. Hoping our faves there are still rated well. But open to any suggestions.

We love a nice meal, and even one or two Michelin starred places, but also love the family run old favorites if any one has any of those suggestions. I believe Italy has a different rating organization from Michelin but I cannot remember the name. I am also going to try to find my @eminchilli restaurant guides. If we find any we love on our trip, I will definitely share them here.

TIA

Look at GAMBERO ROSSO for restaurants and look at Michelin-listed but not starred. Mostly in Italian but you get the names and see pics.

Also the SLOW FOOD guide; its in Italian only now but worth having.


For wonderful intro to food in Italy get the "bible" by Fred Plotkin--ITALY FOR THE GOURMET TRAVELLER. Fred is a gem even if the boo0k is old, very worthwhile to buy...

ekscrunchy, thank you. I was reading that Piedmont was the birthplace of the slow food movement, interesting.
I will check out those references. That is the fun part of travel planning.

Turin seems to have lost out airport rights to Milan various. I've never yet flown in or out of there in the past 40 years.

We loved the food in the Peidmonte-we were there near La Morra for 5 nights last May/June. Il Grecale, Ost del VIgnailo adn Osteria Veglio (we ate here twice) were our favorites.

That's probably true Bilboburgler. I did try Milan, but we are staying in Turin, so it didn't seem worth the drive. Do you have any favorite wines in the area?

Plambers, those 3 all look great! I will try to book all of them, as we are staying in La Morra. Did you do lunch at any of them? Sometimes that's a nice alternative to a big meal at night.

A couple of places in Venice that we like.
La Bitta, Calle Lunga San Barnaba, Dorsoduro. Menu changes frequently, no fish of seafood.

Ai Mercanti, San Marco. A really creative menu, quite an intimate setting.

Thank you Peter_S_Aus, both look very good.

Just an update, we are ready to leave in just over a week. I have some good restaurants and a wine tour booked in Piemonte, but nothing yet in Venice.
Topping this to fish for a few more suggestions for Venice and Santa Margherita Ligure. Not immune to suggestions for really good pizza or cicchetti.

London will be our two favorites, Palomar and Barbary, the original. Since we will be there on a Sunday, I would love a really good old-fashioned home cooking style Sunday roast.

In Venice, my #1 is Ai Promessi Sposi, I love their tartare (both beef and tuna) and if you like liver, their Fegato all’s Veneziana is the best.. great pasta, great seafood, two dinner seatings and the first has more tourists due to the early hour. They also do cicchetti at the bar.

For cicchetti, All’Arco in Rialto market, Un Mondo di Vino in Cannaregio, and Gia Schiave in Dorsoduro, maybe you visited one of them in 2012, They have not changed much in 14 years (except prices, of course.)

ALLE TESTIERE in Venice. But you would need got book asap.

Thanks, rialtogirl and ekscrunchy. I also have a few suggestions from Elizabeth Minchilli, so I think our Venice days will be filled with good eating. Any out of the way special things to do?

Here is a story.
We made friends, via Fodors, with Caroline and Phil, residents of Edinburgh. They trained as English teachers, and moved to Venice. We met them there.

OK, so simple, and we and they were in Venice, taking it in turns to feed each other. And then this message “We are booked for dinner at Ai Mercanti, meet prior at the Brazillians at 19:00, you cannot refuse”.

Turned out that Phil’s agent had told him his first novel, set in Venice, was accepted for publication. It was quite a night.

Philip Gwyn Jones, and the novel is The Venetian Game. He has written about six novels set in Venice.

And Ai Mercanti was very special.

Happy to read that; I remember CarolineE here so well and she was immensely helpful to many of us. Will look up the book!!

Phil wrote a book about their move from Edinburgh to Venice. Actually wrote two books about it. First was “The Venice Project”, which was self published. Then “To Venice with Love” which expanded on the whole business.

His novels are great, written in the first person, the person being Nathan Sutherland, Hon. British Consul to Venice.

I had totally missed this in a thread about Italy . . .

For fully traditional there is Rule's. Wonderful food and service, and the oldest continual restaurant in London.

I enjoy the Wolseley

Or most any of the posh hotels

But there are lots of pubs - a few to get you started:
The Engineer up in Primrose Hill
The Audley in Mayfair
The Drapers Arms in Islington
The Albion also in Islington
The Harwood Arms in Fulham -- the only pub in London w/ a Michelin star
The Spaniards Inn in Hampstead . . . plus many more.

ps: those are for Sunday Lunch/roast . . . nothing like The Barbary or The Palomar of course

Peter, I remember your wonderful story about that literary surprise!
Natylou, maybe check out 'Zucca' in Venice? We recommend their signature pumpkin-squash souffle. Great location too.

I am done. The end.

Just home from Venice. We liked this little family run place so well that we ate here 2 of our 3 nights in Venice.
Ristorante Oniga https://www.oniga.it/

Peter I love that story. I remember Caroline_Edinburgh and her story of moving to Venice. Will reserve at Ai Mercanti in honor.

Janisj 🙏🙏🙏 I’m glad you found my request buried in Italy. That’s a great list to explore.

cheryl I will check that out.