581 Best Restaurants in Italy

Dishes are created specifically to complement wines at this casually elegant enoteca with dark wood tables and bottle-lined walls in the heart of the modern town. The Ligurian menu varies daily, but the real draws are the excellent antipasti and the vast wine list, which includes many organic selections.

At this restaurant, you get to enjoy an evening of historical interest alongside an excellent meal. The building was constructed on the site of an 11th-century synagogue, and the spot is rich with history—several ancient sculptures, now in the Vatican and Capitoline museums, were unearthed in the basement in the 19th century. The proud owner is happy to explain every dish on the menu and offers a post-dinner tour of the wine cellar—and the famed basement.

With its white awnings and prime location on the beach (where you can rent sun beds), Stella Maris is likely the first restaurant you'll encounter on arriving in Amalfi. Dine or enjoy an aperitivo on the terrace, in front of the glass walls or on the beach—all the while gazing at the fishing boats bobbing in the bay or the sun worshipers tanning on the shore.

A meal at this restaurant in Cagliari's lively Marina quarter, near the port, makes for a quick and affordable introduction to Sardinia's rural cuisine. Dishes can be ordered as part of a fixed-price meal or separately, and portions are large, so go easy on antipasti to leave room for main courses of lamb, sausage, and the famous Sardinian maialetto (roast suckling pig, aka porcheddu). Service is brisk and informal; choose a table on the street or within the brick-vaulted interior. The same family runs a similar restaurant nearby on Via Baylle, Sa Schironada, that concentrates on the island's sea-based gastronomy.

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.

Trastevere's best supplì (Roman-style rice croquettes) have been served at this hole-in-the-wall takeout spot since 1979. At lunchtime, the line spills out onto the street with locals who've come for the namesake treats, as well as fried baccalà fillets and stuffed zucchini flowers. The thin-crust pizza al taglio is baked the old-fashioned way—in low-rise rectangular pans—and the marinara version is a must. A few daily pasta specials are available, too.

An increasingly familiar sight on the streets of Rome are all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurants, popular for their inexpensive prices—but Take Sushi couldn't be further from this concept. It's all about top-quality, authentic food here. The pan-fried gyoza dumplings are a good way to start, followed by an order of a variety of sashimi and classic hand rolls (the menu features predominantly familiar options like spicy tuna and California rolls).

Come here to taste traditional Neapolitan ragù, a meat-based sauce generally served with pasta and prepared from cuts of beef and pork. At Tandem, local cervellatine sausages are included in the sauce. The young and enthusiastic staff keeps the mood lighthearted and fun. Enjoy your ragù with ziti spezzati (broken ziti pasta) and Parmesan cheese, and mop the sauce up with the celestial Neapolitan rustic bread. There is also a branch just off Piazza del Gesù.

At the entrance of the old town is this intimate and comfortable restaurant that focuses on traditional seafood recipes, such as a soup featuring anchovies. The tavern's cuisine is typical of the Riviera di Ponente, and they also serve a good variety of gluten-free dishes.

In the heart of medieval Amalfi, with alfresco seating in the piazzetta outside the churches of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Maria Santissima Addolorata, this place has a magical atmosphere. The menu features simple seasonal dishes like grilled squid, octopus, and buffalo steak—all lovingly crafted using grandma's recipes.

This rustic taverna with a large stone fireplace is amid vineyards that produce excellent Brunello—as well as its younger cousin, Rosso di Montalcino—a few minutes south of Montalcino, in the direction of Sant'Antimo. The estate farm produces many of the ingredients used in soup, gnocchi, bruschetta, and other traditional specialties.

The fascinating cuisine here is based on old recipes from the various cultures—Norman and Moorish among them—that loom large in regional history. You can rely on the knowledgeable maître d' for an absorbing commentary on the various seafood dishes and advice on the right wine from a siege-ready cellar. Above the restaurant area is a select 11-room hotel (La Locanda del Capitano) run by the same family, with smart rooms overlooking the waterfront although can be noisy in the evening. Lodging prices ($$) include full beach facilities.

Located between the heart of San Pellegrino and Porta Romana, this friendly trattoria is known for its excellent home cooking and pizza. Be sure to admire the Etruscan-inspired decorations and check out the dessert—all the gelato is made on-site.

Named for the island that it sits on in the middle of the Tiber River, Tiberino is a historic café that has gotten a modern makeover. In the morning, stop in for a pastry topped with slivered almonds or a savory panino with mortadella and arugula. The coffee bar has also expanded into a restaurant for those who want a hot meal rather than a snack on-the-go. By the afternoon, the gelateria does brisk business selling scoops to visitors passing over the bridge (which happens to be Rome's oldest) linking Trastevere to the Jewish Ghetto. 

Wood-paneled and with a 1930s-style interior, this bustling trattoria has a wholesome menu based on local Veneto cooking. The spin in the restaurant's name refers to the spine of the baccalà, one of several justly famous specialties (served without the titular spine); also try the sopa coada, a pigeon-and-bread soup.  Reservations are essential, even for lunch, since the word is out that this is the best value in town.

Stefano Callegari is one of Rome's most famous pizza makers, but at Trapizzino he's doing something a bit different. The name of the restaurant is derived from the Italian words for sandwich (tramezzino) and pizza, and the result is something like an upscale pizza pocket, stuffed on the spot with local specialties like chicken alla cacciatore, or trippa (tripe), or roast pumpkin, pecorino, and almonds. The supplì (fried risotto balls) are also delicious.

If you are hankering for something different from the usual meat-based Piedmontese cuisine, give this simple, extremely popular family-run spot a try. They serve only seafood, and they do it well.

Here, in the mirrored interior, a mostly young crowd chows down on classic regional fare at affordable prices. Nimble staff bearing multiple plates sashay neatly between the closely spaced tables delivering such standards as tortellini in brodo and cotoletta alla Bolognese (veal with Parmigiano-Reggiano and prosciutto). It is the kind of place where the waiters don't glare at you if you only order a plate of pasta—perhaps another reason it's a student favorite.

Waves lap at the shore just inches from your table at this elegant but unpretentious trattoria, which often has a cozy fireplace ablaze in winter. You must follow a narrow twisting lane to get here, but it's worth the effort for specialties like the raw seafood antipasto, which features shellfish you might not find anywhere else. Cozze pelose (local mussels), hiding inside their spiked-hair shells, are briny and buttery, and big local oysters are all about rich texture.

Along a road on the way up to Agrigento proper from the temple area, this vaulted family-run restaurant serves up tasty traditional food, namely daily house-made pasta specials and plenty of fresh fish dishes, all prepared with Sicilian flair. Your best bet is to ask the advice of brothers Giuseppe and Simone, the owners and chief orchestrators in the restaurant, who can also help select a Sicilian wine to pair with your meal. Reservations are recommended in high season.

The bright, clean, and simple decor reflects this place's lighter take on traditionally heavy Neapolitan food. The soupy pasta e piselli (with peas) is a wonderful surprise for anyone who has bad memories of pea soup, and the penne alla scarpariello (pasta with fresh tomato, basil, and pecorino cheese) is a specialty to set taste buds quivering.

At this simple trattoria off the main tourist circuit, much care has been taken with the decor: the rooms, overseen by host Flavio, are small and intimate, and the wooden walls painted a creamy whitish gray. Chef Tommaso gives equal care to the menu and deftly turns out Bolognese classics, as well as dishes with a modern twist—among the antipasti, his tosone fresco avvolto nella pancetta incorporates Parmigiano-Reggiano, unsmoked bacon, and greens. Pastas are mostly homemade, and desserts are delicious. Though the trattoria is not in the centro storico, it's only a five-minute walk from the train station, and well worth a detour.

Light-color walls lined with bottles of wine and two simple rows of tables deck out the single room of Trattoria Gino, beloved by locals, especially at lunch, and run by the same family for nearly a century. Although the lobster is a memorable splurge, consider trying any of the antipasto selections or spaghetti ai ricci (with sea urchins).

Just outside the Porta Pretoria, this simple and unpretentious restaurant serves hearty local dishes, including homemade pastas and desserts. They're also well-known for their tasty gluten-free recipes.

This cheerful trattoria seems to be run for the sheer pleasure of it, and chatting locals give it a buzzy Neapolitan atmosphere. Try the excellent fish or the traditional (but cooked with a lighter modern touch) pasta dishes, especially those with verdure (fresh leafy vegetables) or with patate con la provola (potatoes and smoked mozzarella). Close to Teatro San Carlo and aptly decorated with playbills and theatrical memorabilia, both ancient and modern, this is an excellent place to stop after a visit to the opera house. Look for the entrance almost immediately on the right as you go up Via Nardones from Piazza Trieste e Trento; ring the bell outside to be let in.

Wood paneling, lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and communal tables, as well as delicious dishes, add to the old-world Genovese charm of this unassuming trattoria. It's particularly popular at lunchtime for the small menu that changes daily and includes homemade pastas, a variety of fresh seafood offerings, and perfectly baked desserts.

A small low-key entrance on Piazza Vanvitelli opens into a labyrinth of underground cellars and a large covered courtyard surrounded by palazzos. This bustling eatery suits a range of palates and budgets: pizzas and several variants of filletto (steak) come highly recommended. Portions are large, so be conservative when ordering.

Just 50 yards from the main Capodimonte gate, this no-nonsense eatery has photos of its dishes prominently framing its entrance. Favored by locals as well as day trippers to the park and museum, the friendly owners will talk you through the day's specialities, as well as offering an inexpensive set menu. Fish is a favorite, with fried calamari and alici always available.

Viterbo's oldest restaurant—and one of the most ancient in Italy—has been operating in the centro storico (historic center) since 1622. The small, wood-paneled dining room, chummily packed with tables, was a favorite haunt of movie director Federico Fellini and, before that, of British and American soldiers during World War II.