1149 Best Restaurants in Italy

This cool, relaxed café-bar-restaurant is the hub of Scauri life, and has very loyal local following since it stays open all year long. The menu—written on a chalkboard—is strictly seasonal, featuring a nice mixture of traditional Sicilian dishes and more creative dishes, all focusing on island and mainland Sicilian produce and served on blue-rimmed white enamel plates.

Although the walls of Fausto Oneto’s restaurant are covered in original cartoons, and a playground is the main feature of the outdoor seating area, this chef-owner is completely serious about his cooking, which follows the seasons. His own garden provides the freshest possible vegetables, the wine list (ask to visit the cantina) is excellent, and there are lively morning Ligurian cooking lessons. The restaurant is in the hills above Rapallo, a 20-minute drive northeast along the coast from Santa Margherita. Call ahead to confirm it's open.

Run by the charming and dynamic Davide di Salvo, nephew of chef Giuseppe of nearby Nangalarrini fame, this rustic, convivial spot does tasty plates utilizing the best meat, vegetables, and seafood of the Madonie and coast. The name alludes to the Unione Volontari Alcolizzati, and the restaurant has a well-rounded wine cellar and ethos fit for relaxed dining and friendly chat.

Book a table on the cobbles by the empty river basin or in the sleek dining room and let talented chef Roberta's inventive seasonal dishes take you to new culinary places. The young, friendly staff are happy to talk you through the seasonal menu of exquisite pastas, fresh seafood, steaks, and imaginative veggie creations.  

The brainchild of La Madia chef Pino Cuttaio, Uovo di Seppia is a combination restaurant, cooking school, shop, and bar where you can buy exquisite fresh and stuffed pasta, handmade bottled sauces, biscuits, cakes, and other gastronomic goodies to take away. The chef hosts seasonal events---check their Instagram page for more details. 

This restaurant serving lunch and dinner embodies the kilometro zero concept, highlighting hyper-local food from the surrounding Lazio region. The local boho crowd comes for tasty lunch and dinner options like amatriciana served in a pan or cheeseburgers in an industrial-chic space (with free Wi-Fi). In warm weather, the outdoor tables are the perfect people-watching perch.

Street food meets small plates at this ode to the flavors of Sicily. Located on a foot-traffic-only street, this compact, vaulted bistro serves chef-style iterations of the island's greatest "fast food" hits. And they make arguably the best arancini in the region: full of meaty ragù and saffron rice, fried to-order, with a crunchy crust that crackles as you break into it. There is also a good line in burgers.

Warm, inviting, and unassuming, one of Taormina's best pizzerias makes use of traditional grains to produce deliciously seared crusts with fresh, well-balanced toppings, plus fresh fish in summer, all paired with Sicilian wines. If a Nutella pizza doesn't appeal, there are a host of ice creams and granitas for dessert. You cannot fault the view.

Drop into this busy locals favorite for panini bulging with the prized porchetta Trevigiana (roast pork) or mortadella with gorgonzola amid a rustic room crammed with fragrant hanging salami, cheese wheels, wine bottles and assorted ephemera. It's a fab spot from morning to mid evening, fulfilling all quick bite and cheeky drink needs from on the hoof-snacks and picnic provisions to laid-back lunches and aperitivo sessions. 

One of several shops in Venice belonging to this internationally famous luxury chocolatier, Venchi was founded in Turin in 1878. Once purveyor to the royal Italian household, Venchi has now created 90 flavors of gelato and countless types of chocolates, boxed or loose, from truffles and spreads to chocolate cigars and baking products. Ask them to coat your ice cream cone with chocolate.

This popular restaurant serves some of the best seafood in town on the harborfront terrace or the indoor patio with wicker chairs, where you can watch the bustling activity in the old port. Only the freshest catches are presented; try the "Bagnun" anchovy soup or any of the pastas. Dishes are available to take out, too.

Walking through the iron gates of Villa Elena, past a Medieval tower and manicured mosaic-pathed garden with sweeping Bergamo views, is like entering a fairy tale. The Liberty villa, with original frescoes, parquet and terrazzo floors and stained glass windows punctuated by Mid-Century Modern lamps, chairs, and credenzas, complements the white-gloved presentation across three dining rooms under the direction of celebrated chef Enrico Bartolini. From six amuse bouches, such as a bonbon of Stracchino cheese and tartufo (soft Lombard cheese with truffle) or Chinotto (Chinotto orange soda)-finished anchovies, to the garden of 20 tuberi e radici (tubers and roots), grilled seafood, and inventive vegetable dishes using peels and stems, the tasting menus are refined and playful. A vast wine list of more than 1,000 labels and desserts sprayed with edible perfume adds to the theatrics. 

With twinkly lit tables on a large terrace, plus a stylish bar for apertivi and dopo-cena carousing this place is a good bet for sophisticated versions of Caprese and Neapolitan classics. Warm host Pietro and the capable crew will guide you through the changing menu—standouts may include the candele alla Genovese, slow-cooked beef and onion pasta with novel additions, and roasted turbot with shallot cream.

This excellent enoteca, with a contemporary casual atmosphere, has a whole range of Piedmont specialties to pair with local wines. You'll find more than 60 labels, as well as grappas and liqueurs, on the menu.

The wine list at this romantic but informal vineria (wine bar) is exceptional—both by the glass and by the bottle—and there's also an array of flavorful foods, from snacks to sumptuous full-course meals typical of the region. The atmosphere is warm and charming, harking back more than 150 years to when the spot was first established in Bergamo as a lively meeting place.

If you have difficulty choosing from the long list of tasty pizzas here, ask the friendly English-speaking staff for help with the menu. You're unlikely to find a better selection of wine, or a more pleasant environment for sampling; you can also buy bottles of the locally produced vintages to take home.

This unassuming little spot tucked on a side street between Via Umberto and Piazza Verga consistently underpromises and overdelivers. It portends to be a little neighborhood eatery, but it's a destination in its own right with chef-owner Ivan Siringo serving classics like pasta with squid ink, roulades of stuffed chicken, and salmon carpaccio with tropical fruits. Every dish has a subtle elegance and ingenuity to it that transcends the plate as pure joy in your mouth.

Right outside the Museo Archeologico, this handy lunch stop offers a vegan and vegetarian menu that will appeal to all tastes and dietary preferences. Arched and airy, with white walls, a stone-tiled floor and a profusion of houseplants, the restaurant offers a range of dishes including soups, salads, pizzas, and pastas and has an agreeable air of chat and low-level bustle. Watch out, though, for the elevated prices for the extras.

Just south of the Duomo, this airy, unfussy place with coved stone ceilings is a good bet for an informal bite. The pizza al forno di legna with fresh toppings is the star attraction: locals praise it, and even Gore Vidal allegedly approved.

For an alternative to the heavy pastas typically found in Roman restaurants, this cheerful bistro inside Palazzo Bonaparte is a great choice. There are plenty of healthy options like excellent salads and poké bowls, as well as heartier fare such as burgers and, yes, pasta. This woman-owned business has four locations in Rome, and they're all B Corp certified with an emphasis on sustainability.

Ideal for those whose perfect meal is "lots of appetizers," this little place in the fish market is a one-stop shop for tasting many Venetian recipes. It's set up primarily for takeout, but there are a few tables with high stools. Their claim to fame is the hot and crunchy mixed fried fish, but there are also more substantial dishes such as baked tuna and fish lasagna, and a good selection for vegetarians, such as pumpkin in saor (marinated). They close at 3 pm, so plan ahead if you want to get something for dinner. If you're staying in an apartment, consider ordering for delivery at no extra charge.

Nibble on a selection of cicheti or a cheese or meat plate at this cozy wine bar on Campo San Severo, near the Basilica dei Frari. You can either dine inside the brick-walled, Murano glass–chandeliered space, or watch the gondolas sail by at a table outdoors next to the quiet adjacent Severno canal.

The Zàini family opened its chocolate factory here in 1913, on a side street off Corso Como. Today, its black-and-white marble-tile-floored and chandelier-lit café is a stop for coffee paired with a Zàini classic like Emilia (dark chocolate named after the family's nanny) or Boero (cherry cordial); or dozens of cakes and other sweets. There's a second location at Viale Piave 17, in Porta Venezia.

"Zeb" stands for zuppa e bollito (soup and boiled things), but you can't go wrong with anything at this small alimentari (delicatessen) with high-quality ingredients at a reasonable price. It's homestyle Tuscan cuisine at its very best, served in intimate surroundings (there's room for only about 20 diners). Giuseppina and her son, Alberto, insist on cooking what's fresh that day, reflecting the season's best offerings.

Zibo used to wander Milan, serving up unconventional Italian street food but the demand for Giulio Potestà and Alessandro Cattaneo's carbonara ravioli (ravioli filled with black pepper and pecorino Romano fondue and topped with crispy guanciale [beef cheek]), primo sale (fresh Sicilian cheese) croquettes with onion jam, and pastrami sandwiches led Zibo to put down roots. On a side street off Via Caminadella, its "Base Camp" has a takeaway window (convenient for grabbing a bite between sightseeing) as a remnant of this van life. Locals pack into the dozen tables at the narrow restaurant with paper placemats and yellow and sea green accents as if in a cozy home kitchen—reservations are essential on weekends. Along with its street food standbys, seasonally-changing risotto and mains of grilled fish or satisfying grilled or roasted vegetables are paired with a small wine list. For a relaxing finish, pick from 16 digestives based on tasting notes and serving temperatures and a handful of homemade desserts such as the Zibo classic robiola Catalan cream with coffee and licorice reduction topped with almond crisp.

For some of Taormina's best granita, with changing flavors depending on the season, try Bam Bar. It's so popular that it's likely you'll have to queue, but it's worth it.

Open since 1907, Bar Magenta maintains its old-school charm with its vintage Campari and Moretti beer posters and its quintessential Milanese clientele. Beyond coffee at all hours, lunch (known especially for lasagna), and beer, the real attraction is its mix of old and new, working-class, trendy, and aristocratic.

Steps from the tourist office, you can take a refreshing afternoon break with a coffee and a pastry or panino. The friendly café has outdoor tables on the corner of Piazza Eleonora, which retains an old-world charm thanks to a neoclassical town hall, a marble monument to Giudichessa Eleonora carved by the Florentine sculptor Ulisse Cambi in 1881, and 18th-century Mameli palace with its beautiful wrought-iron balconies.

In the glass-roofed Galleria Subalpina, near Via Po, stands one of Turin's charming old cafés. It's famous for its exquisite chocolates—you might want to buy their gianduiotti (hazelnut chocolates) or candied chestnuts to take home to friends. Light lunches are also served.

Delicious ice creams—and the granita di mandorla (almond granita), available in summer—make for a must-try treat.