1149 Best Restaurants in Italy

In the spirit of the "slow food" movement, this colorful contemporary restaurant just off Piazza Sant'Antonino uses only local and seasonal ingredients of the highest quality in its adventurous nouvelle creations. Ask your waiter what inventive sea and land dishes make up the day's specials and tasting menus.

This beach bar and restaurant comes with a chef who trained with Rick Stein and Giorgio Locatelli and spends his winters in Thailand and Indonesia, usually adding Southeast Asian flair to the fresh fish, seafood, and vegetables of his native Sicily. Guests rave about the fresh catch of the day, such as red snapper and tuna. Il Canaima is far more in touch with contemporary eating trends than many Sicilians, so you'll be happy to find dedicated gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian menus.

This casual restaurant and B&B is located in an impressive converted Norman castle. Dine in rustic yet elegant surroundings on hearty pasta dishes, meaty mains like slow-cooked pork shank, or wood-fired pizzas, all featuring seasonal Madonie mountain produce. 

A short drive down a steep, serpentine road from San Miniato brings you to this rustic country ristorante with sponged walls, stenciled decorations, and checkered tablecloths. The main courses are mostly Tuscan classics, such as bistecca Fiorentina (a generous cut of grilled steak), but white truffles, the local specialty, are also showcased, and you can get them with pasta, crespelle (thin pancakes filled with ricotta), tripe, eggs, beef fillet—there's even a postprandial truffled grappa. All this good fare pairs marvelously with a fine selection of local, lesser-known wines. If truffles don't float your boat, there are nontruffled things on the menu and, at night, the staff fires up the pizza oven.

Despite its name "the devil and holy water" (a common way of describing a person whose personality swings between these two extremes), this small bar and restaurant has a reliable kitchen and a homey, neighborhood atmosphere. Go on Saturday morning, when old friends tend to stop for an ombra (small glass of wine) and a cicheto. Try the breaded fried baccalà, meat or tuna meatballs, cubes of frittata, and in cold weather, sometimes musetto (sausage) or testina (meat from the head of a pig). At lunch or dinner, apart from standard favorites, such as spaghetti carbonara and fegato alla veneziana (Venetian-style liver with onions), try some Venetian classics, such as bigoli in salsa (spaghetti with onions and anchovies), tripe soup, mixed boiled meat, or cuttlefish in sauce made from their ink, and sometimes even eel risotto.

Located in a former olive-oil mill (the enormous wood grinder still sits in the middle of the dining room), this is a no-frills but fine-food restaurant serving excellent antipasti al mare and homemade pasta dishes. You can eat very well for a bit less than at most of the touristy spots in town.

This backstreet trattoria has a strong rustic flavor, its two rooms adorned with brass cooking pots, colorful embroideries, old photographs, and agricultural knickknacks. The menu, too, has a local focus and might include roast pecorino with honey, and bottarga (mullet roe) with fennel and orange. Two open fires keep everything toasty in winter, and there are tables in the alley for dining alfresco in warm weather.

This classic Italian restaurant offers simple preparations of locally caught fish. Try the antipasto il pescato del giorno (the daily catch), an ever-changing array of six, sometimes seven, different raw fish dishes determined by the day's catch. The chef lets his imagination run wild, and it's only to the benefit of the happy diners.

Reservations are a must for this longtime favorite in the hills above Cernobbio. The lake view is splendid, and specialties include homemade pastas and fish dishes with a dash of international flair.

Many people say this place—which is around the corner from the Trevi Fountain and had a cameo in the movie Eat, Pray, Love—serves the best gelato in Rome. Creative flavors like black fig, chocolate rum, Armagnac, and ginger-cinnamon all incorporate top-notch ingredients, and the shop is known for keeping its gelato hidden under metal covers to better preserve the quality. 

At this bright and friendly trattoria with a maritime theme, you can dine on some of the city's best pesto and Ligurian dishes in a casual, comfortable setting. The staff are knowledgeable about the region's specialties and the wines on the always interesting menu, and even if you don't order a pesto dish, taste some with bread before your meal. Fried sardines, a local catch of the day, and seasonal torte (savory Ligurian pies) are menu staples. It gets very busy, so arrive early or book ahead.

Take the steps up to the right just before the Giardini di Augusto to find this romantic spot, where outdoor seating is staggered on the layered terraces, commanding a fine view of the Fariglioni. The menu combines the best of local and international cooking, specializing in both meat and seafood dishes. Menu mainstays include the linguine con vongole, tartufi di mare e fiori di zucca (with clams and zucchini blossoms), eggplant parmigiana, and fried squid and prawns served with arugula and tomatoes. 

Any one of this restaurant's piatti tipici (typical plates) is worth trying, though the local specialty, pici all'aglione (thick, long noodles served with sautéed cherry tomatoes and many cloves of garlic), is done particularly well. The chef also has a deft touch with vegetables; if there's fennel on the menu, make sure to order it. The interior, with white walls, low ceilings, and old wood tables, is cozy and the service is warm and friendly.

It's small, but the very cheery staff is only too happy to provide you with wonderful plates of typical Tuscan food. The kitchen stays open a little bit later than most, which makes this a perfect stop after seeing some of the amazing art that Arezzo has to offer. Reservations are a necessity if you are attending the monthly antiques fair.

This former wine cellar just beyond Frascati's market square is now a cheerful trattoria serving hearty portions of traditional Roman dishes and pizza. In summer you can sit under an awning outside and enjoy the sweeping view over the plain toward Rome.

Conveniently located a few steps from Cagliari's cathedral and archaeological museum in the Castello quarter, this tiny, welcoming spot offers a range of delicious lunchtime snacks to eat in at a counter or take out in a small or large box. Choices may include chicken salad, tripe and peas, caponata, and parmigiana, as well as freshly prepared filled panini. In the summer months it opens in the evening, too.

Parallel to posh Via del Babuino, Via Margutta was once a street of artists' studios (including Fellini's), and this chic vegetarian restaurant, with changing displays of modern art, sits on the far end of the now-gallery-lined street. It turns out tasty meat-free versions of classic Mediterranean dishes, as well as more daring concoctions. On weekends, brunch is a vast serve-yourself buffet, while dinner offers à la carte and prix fixe options.

Some of the most innovative interpretations of fine Roman cookery can be found in this starkly chic restaurant on a backstreet between upscale Via Giulia and the Campo de' Fiori. Chef Anthony Genovese was born in France to Calabrese parents and spent time cooking in Japan and Thailand, so his dishes make use of nontraditional spices, ingredients, and preparations—garnering him a loyal following and multiple accolades. The prices are exorbitant, but the food is exemplary. Dishes include pasta bundles filled with onion, tapioca, and red currant in a saffron broth or duck with black salsify, caramelized pear, and chocolate sauce. You can choose one of the elaborate tasting menus that range from 4 to 16 courses.

Fresh flowers on white linen tablecloths add color to the bright glass-enclosed dining area of this delightful eatery on busy Piazza Sulis; gold-framed paintings and oversize wine bottles capped in wax add Italian charm—as does the seasonally changing menu of pasta and seafood dishes such as potato-stuffed culurgiones (a ravioli-like pasta) topped with pecorino cheese, dried tomatoes, and wild rocket, and fillet of suckling pig in a Vermentino sauce. Many opt for the three- or four-course prix-fixe menus (€50 and €60), which include a traditional dessert.

As the name suggests, this is a temple to everything from the sea, caught fresh and prepared simply by smiling chef Sergio. Choose from local clams, prawns anointed with lime, calamari, or whatever else that has been recently caught. 

Tucked away in a garden at the bottom of a steep side road, this elegant restaurant comes as a bit of a surprise. The menu has both seafood and meat dishes (some topped with white and black truffles), and the pasta can be made gluten-free if you call at least one day ahead of time. The excellent service makes this a favorite choice for wedding parties and anniversaries, which are usually in one of the private rooms. In summer, you can eat outside on the small patio overlooking the garden.

There are actually two eateries here, but superior is the well-regarded Poeta Contadino, which specializes in regional cooking with a creative twist and offers a refined dining experience amid candlelight that casts shadows on ancient stone walls. If you're on a budget, though, the more affordable Osteria del Poeta also serves bite-size traditional dishes.

Il Principe's owner, Gian Marco Carli, inherited his parents' 30-year research into ancient Roman cuisine; Famiglia Carli may not have fed Roman emperors, but they have cooked for at least three U.S. presidents. Their quality meat and fish dishes, and sumptuous tasting menus honor the past while delivering exquisitely presented, modern plates of food.

Longtime restaurateur Gianni Bonaccorsi has established an eatery where he can pamper a limited number of lucky patrons with his imaginative cuisine and impeccable taste in wine. Ridotto means “small, private place,” which this very much is, evoking an atmosphere of secrecy and intimacy; the innovative menus tend toward lighter but wonderfully tasty versions of classic dishes. Ask them to recommend a wine from the excellent cantina.

At this family-run local spot, the rustic dining area—with terra-cotta floors, brick pillars, and a wood-burning stove—is packed nearly every night. The service, presentation, and wine list are as exceptional as the food: only the freshest local meats and cheeses are served, and all the dishes are made from scratch, including the pizza (available evenings only), the pasta, and the semifreddo ice cream drizzled with honey. Orchestrated by chef Francesco Nanu, the menu might feature such starters as culurgiones (ravioli) stuffed with toasted almonds, orange zest, and guanciale (cured pig cheek) followed by courses of grilled seafood, lamb with fresh broad beans, or beef fillet on a bed of braised radicchio.  The daily tasting menu is a very good deal.

In the tiny town square of Montepertuso, 1,500 feet up the mountainside from Positano (call for the free shuttle service to and from), the Ritrovo has been noted for its cucina for more than 20 years. The menu showcases food from both the sea and the hills: try the scialatielli ai frutti di mare accompanied by well-grilled vegetables; the house specialty zuppa saracena, a paella-like affair brimming with assorted seafood; and the lemon tiramisu, perhaps paired with one of 80 different kinds of a homemade liqueur, including carob and chamomile options.

Fast food has a different meaning in Sicily: in every town you'll see bars and cafés offering a selection of ready-to-eat savory pastries filled with meats and cheeses, small pizzettes, arancini, and quiches. In Acireale, the place to go is Il Rosticcere, where chef Puccio has some 30 years experience creating the exemplar of the genre.

This lovely trattoria has been around for a long time, and with good reason—the Tuscan classics rely heavily on the local cheese (pecorino) and local meats (especially wild boar, among others), and the wine list is long and very well-priced. The white walls, tile floors, and red tablecloths create an understated tone that is unremarkable, but once the food starts arriving, it's easy to forgive the lack of decoration.

A gorgeous space, with chandeliers and soaring original brickwork ceilings, is the setting for one of Rome's best seafood restaurants. Order à la carte, or if you're hungry, the eight-course tasting menu (given the quality of the fish, a relative bargain at €90), which might include cuttlefish-ink tagliatelle with mint, artichokes, and roe or shrimp from the island of Ponza with rosemary, bitter herbs, and porcini mushrooms. There is a great wine list, as well as an extensive list of bottled waters for perfect pairings.