1149 Best Restaurants in Italy

With its covered terrace overlooking the port, Rosso di Sera combines great food with a laid-back atmosphere conducive to feelings of well-being and positivity. Expertly prepared dishes such as ravioli filled with amberjack and fennel and grilled swordfish are fresh and succulent, and you'll be tempted by desserts like cannoli and ricotta mousse. Unlike many other island eateries, service is fast and efficient. Booking head is essential, ideally a couple of days in advance to ensure a table on the terrace. The restaurant is located just off steps leading to Ustica's main square.

Year after year this restaurant defends its position as one of Italy's most refined dining destinations, and heads of state, celebrities, and lovers of fine food venture here to savor chef Massimiliano Mascia's wondrous creations. Typical of these is his pioneering uncle Valentino Marcattilii's memorable uovo in raviolo San Domenico, in which a large raviolo is stuffed with a raw egg yolk—it cooks only a little, then spills out and mixes with Parmigiano-Reggiano, butter, and black truffles (depending on the season). Amid the elegant, formal dining rooms the stellar staff glide around, serving one delicacy after another with discreet aplomb. There are tasting menus alongside the regular à la carte, and the wine list impresses, with more than 3,000 choices.

Most of the ingredients, including fabulous handmade cheeses and butter, used at this charming Michelin-starred organic dairy-turned-eatery (whose name means “healthy pasture”) come from the family farm, Agriturismo El Brite de Larieto, perched 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above the sea. Out of this local bounty, chef Riccardo Gaspari and his wife Ludovica craft impressive and highly personal dishes you’ll find nowhere else in the Dolomites, such as the signature spaghetti with mountain pine oil and scent of the forest ice cream.

Although open for lunch, this reliable restaurant and its wonderful staff—tellingly popular with the Positanesi—truly comes into its own in the evening. Living up to its name, the ambience is distinctly Moorish without being kitschy; wood-fired pizza and hearty costiera seafood dishes dominate the menu. The outside tables are on the opposite side of Via Pasitea—great for experiencing the bustle that is Positano, but if you're sensitive to the smell of car exhaust, sit inside or away from the street.

Established in 1905, this Neapolitan institution on Spaccanapoli is a buzzy place to sample some of the finest pastries in town—plus it also makes classic savory dishes, ice cream, and mighty decent coffee.

In the heart of the fish market, you'll find the best fritto misto (fried seafood mix) in the area. Walk up to the little counter on the stone balcony overlooking the action and place your order for a paper cone of fried seafood made with the lightest and crispiest batter. They even offer the choice of an all-vegetable option or "no spines" (senza spine) if you prefer your order not to have the small whole fried fish. Give them your name and find a spot at one of the nearby standing tables while you wait. The chalk boards here are works of art.

Modern Italian cuisine made using interesting ingredients is the draw at this restaurant with sophisticated brown-and-turquoise decor in Milan's Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The best way to experience the intricate dishes is through the seven-course tasting menu; for a less expensive option, opt for the three-course “carte blanche” lunch menu. With more than 1,000 labels on the extensive wine list and a focus on Italian producers, you’re guaranteed to find something wonderful to accompany your meal.

You might not expect to find a thoroughly contemporary restaurant on the slopes of Mount Etna, but Shalai, in the boutique hotel of the same name, is truly a modern oasis, where young chef Giovanni Santoro prepares updated and beautifully presented versions of Sicilian classics. For the full Michelin-starred experience, choose from the six-course meat or fish tasting menus; to finish, the deconstructed cannoli are a true delight. Wine pairings skew heavily toward Etna producers.

The sterile surroundings of this restaurant, a short walk from Via dei Portici, belie its culinary delights—namely, rustic regional dishes reenergized and prepared with precision. Three-, five-, and seven-course tasting menus change according to the chef's whim and the season, but they usually include a modernized vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), delightful homemade pasta and dumplings, and decadent meat dishes such as veal stewed in Lagrein, the area's renowned red wine; vegetarian options are also available.

As at his other eateries, Dario Cecchini, Panzano's local merchant of meat, offers two set menus for lunch—one where beef products dominate every course and the other vegetarian. The musetto al limone e brodo vero (an interesting salame served with stunning beef broth) might kick off the proceedings, and on the table you'll find pinzimonio, a dish of raw sliced vegetables (carrot, fennel, onions) to be dipped into terrific olive oil and sprinkled with Dario's special house-made herbed salt.

In a laid-back, welcoming setting at the Rosa Alpina hotel, chef Norbert Niederkofler oversees one of the Alto Adige's most highly regarded restaurants, where seasonal products sourced exclusively from the region are transformed into delicacies on a 12-course tasting menu. Servers thoroughly explain the provenance of the seemingly simple yet multilayered dishes, which can be paired with wines from all over the world, though there's a slant toward small local producers.

Amid the lime and lemon trees in this courtyard trattoria in the center of Pula, you'll find down-home Sard cooking at its most authentic, with the accent firmly on meat dishes. The menu (in the local Campidanese dialect, with Italian and English translations) lists a selection of meaty fare, with pride of place going to the most famous of island dishes, porceddu (roast suckling pig), which you'll find displayed sizzling on a spit to satisfy the most purist of local gourmands. Notify the staff on the preceding day if you want to order this. Other options include fregola (semolina pasta) with mutton ragù and wild boar stew. Each dish will be carefully explained by the staff, and abundant portions ensure that no one leaves hungry. For those with the capacity, the desserts are also worth sampling, not least the sebadas (cheese-stuffed pastry packets topped with honey). Booking is essential.

An easy trip just outside town, this landmark trattoria—serving Triestino food with Slovene, Hungarian, and Austrian accents—has been in business since 1865. Sit by the dining room fire or relax on a huge terrace with a pergola, watching the sun set as you tuck into rich soups and roasts spiced with rosemary, thyme, and sweet paprika. Portions tend to be small, so if you're hungry, order at least a first and second course with a side dish.

Convivial, lively, and full of locals, this favorite little wine bar on one of Parma's main drags has a couple of keg tables outside, a few stools on the ground floor, and several more small tables upstairs. The menu is based largely on cheese and pork products (equine as well: people in this part of the world like to eat horse) and is designed to pair with, and accentuate, the fine wines on offer. There are plenty of seriously good Italian wines to choose from, and there are also a fair number of French wines and labels from across the rest of Europe. 

One of the city's most famous taverns has a menu that includes such indulgences as lasagna made in the Gubbian fashion, with ham and truffles, and the suprema di faraono (guinea fowl in a delicately spiced sauce); save room for the excellent desserts. The restaurant also has two fine wine cellars and an extensive wine list.

The beauty of TCafè is that it does just about everything: the festivities begin with breakfast and end with an evening aperitivo. Locals flock to this place, which once housed the aristocratic Dalla Rosa Prati's art collection, to catch up on gossip, and have lunch, which offers local specialties (among them plates of mortadella and culatello), a soup of the day, sandwiches, and tasty salads like the one with smoked duck breast. The lengthy wine list includes something for all tastes, as does the equally extensive list of artisanal beers.

People from all walks of life, from winemakers and hotel owners to local families, all speak with affection about this comfortable trattoria and its delicious Sicilian dishes. The menu is filled with wonderful pasta dishes with generous use of local ingredients like ricotta, pistachios, and fresh vegetables. It is also known for its lamb dishes and small outside terrace for summertime dining.

Whether you dine inside the charming art-filled rooms or outside on the pretty terrace, this friendly family-run restaurant serves up some of the freshest fish and seafood in the Lido—and maybe in all of Venice. Stop by for a reservation a few days in advance if you can, as it fills up quickly and they often don’t respond to calls or emails.

Take a seat in this relaxed family-run place surrounded by vibrant artworks and chatty locals to enjoy tasty homestyle Sicilian cooking. The daily menu is displayed on the blackboard outside, and it leans heavily to classic Italian seafood preparations, as well as some meat and vegetarian dishes, all reasonably priced. 

Chic and charming Da Cicciotto corrals more than a few members of the city's fashionable set—if you dine here, there's a fair chance you'll find a Neapolitan count or off-duty film star enjoying this jewel with a tiny stone terrace that overlooks a pleasant anchorage. You can also opt for the large covered patio across the way and appreciate the outdoor setting at either lunch or dinner. Don't even bother with a menu—just start digging into the sublime antipasti, and go with the waiter's suggestions. Cicciotto sits at the end of the same long winding road that leads to the famed 'A Fenestella restaurant and shoreline.

Housed on the upper story of a classic old palazzo a 10-minute walk from Villa Palagonia in the center of town, this relaxed but elegant trattoria makes the perfect refueling stop in the middle of a day of sightseeing. The moderately priced menu leans heavily towards seafood, best sampled in such starters as calamarata dello chef (king prawns, squid, and creamed zucchini) and spaghetti allo scoglio (with mussels, clams, shrimps, swordfish, and squid). Among the mains, stand-outs include swordfish involtini (roulades) and the catch of the day, while you can't do better than rounding off your meal with a canolo. As well as the teal-blue dining room, a roof terrace is open for dining al fresco in summer.

This small, unassuming restaurant run by ever-smiling Angelo is Santo Stefano's finest, and its long, elegant dining room and terrace are popular with locals. The menu includes beautifully crafted dishes featuring Sicilian produce such as beef, veal, swordfish, squid, and porcini mushrooms.

At the bottom of an alley off Piazza Maggiore, this unassuming place—known to locals as simply "Da Gianni"—is all about hearty traditional food. The usual starters are on hand—including a tasty tortellini in brodo—in addition to daily specials; bollito misto (mixed boiled meat) is a fine option here, and the cotechino con puré di patate (pork sausage with mashed potatoes) is elevated to sublimity by the accompanying salsa verde. The two unadorned rooms are usually crowded both at lunch and dinner.

Just behind the public beach in Mazzarò Bay, this intimate little terrace restaurant is shrouded by an enormous old grapevine and looks out onto postcard-perfect views of paradise. Since 1981, the family-owned trattoria has been serving pristine seafood to discerning locals and in-the-know tourists. It's best accessed by the tunnel at the lower entrance to the funivia.

Locals flock to this narrow, family-run trattoria to feast on Tuscan favorites served at simple tables under a wooden ceiling dating from 1536. Genuine Florentine hospitality prevails—you'll be seated wherever there's room, which often means with strangers—and, yes, there's a bit of extra oil in most dishes, which imparts calories as well as taste, but aren't you on vacation? Worth the caloric splurge is riso al ragù (rice with ground beef and tomatoes).

For over a decade the Cusma family have been serving Triestini regulars beautifully crafted seafood, alongside a few seasonal meat and vegetarian dishes. Dining in warm, modern interiors under the arches of a refurbished storehouse, choose from Giulio's exquisite but small seafood plates like fish carpaccio, spaghetti con bottarga e tonno (cured fish roe and tuna), and fritto misto (fried seafood medley).

This wonderful restaurant is housed in a part of the Palazzo Bongiorno, making it a beautiful spot to sit and savor the tastes and sights of Gangi and the Madonie. You will spoiled for choice from a menu of antipasti of local salumi and cheeses, hearty primi of mountain soups and pastas, slow-cooked, meaty main seconds, and roasted vegetable sides. 

This restaurant just across from the Basilica of San Lorenzo and run by the Gozzi family since 1915 serves food that's as delicious as it is affordable. The short menu changes daily, though the lombatina alla griglia (grilled veal T-bone steak) is almost always available, and meat eaters should not miss it. Pastas are equally terrific. Dessert, in true Florentine fashion, is usually limited to biscotti with vin santo. The trattoria doesn't take reservations so expect to wait in line.

Run by the Di Porzio family since 1916, Umberto is one of the city's classic restaurants, combining the poshness of its neighborhood, Chiaia, and the friendliness found in other parts of Naples. Try the paccheri d'o treddeta ("three-finger" pasta with octopus, tomato, olives, and capers), which bears the nickname of the original Umberto, who happened to be short a few digits. Owner Massimo and sisters Lorella and Roberta (Umberto's grandchildren) are all wine experts and oversee a fantastic cellar. Note that Umberto has been catering to diners with a gluten allergy, as well as to vegetarians, for years.

This iconic eatery has occupied the space below the Santuario del Soccorso since 1936, when the original Umberto began to grill the local catch on the seafront. The setting is divine, with a terrace overlooking the Bay of Citara and the green tuff scogli degli innamorati (lovers' rocks). Vincenzo Pietroluongo now presides over the kitchen, conjuring up gourmet dishes such as the  scampo (langoustine) antipasto with ricotta, soya, and lemon followed by citrus risotto with crudo di pesce (raw fish) and mullet roe. There are also 11 guest rooms, all with sea views.