1178 Best Restaurants in Italy

With its sparkling spiaggia views and seafood freshly caught by local pescatori, it's hard not to be lured by the siren charms of this prime place in Marina di Cantone. Expect lots of grilled fish, platefuls of small-bite antipasti di casa, and possibly the creamiest spaghetti alla Nerano on the planet.

Le Stranizze, the city's restaurant outpost of De Gregorio winery, is a haven for lovers of Sicilian food and wine. The upscale menu offers modern takes on traditional arancini made with squid ink and filled with calamari, or a heaping plate of homemade pasta topped with grated bottarga, the cured roe pouch, which is a mainstay of Sicilian cuisine. Oenophiles will love the wine selections from their winery on the city's outskirts. There's a wine for every taste, from a sparkling Grillo to a Nero D'Avola. The dining room is cozy and modern, with outdoor seating during the warmer months. 

An oenophile's dream, this spot—whose name translates as "the foxes and the grape" and is based on one of Aesop's fables—is off Piazza Santa Felicita. Here, affable, knowledgeable "volpi" (foxes), pour wines by the glass and serve equally impressive cheeses and bite-size sandwiches.

A fabulous garden setting and warm yet unfussy country-style dining rooms elevate this family-run restaurant, renowned for Nino Baggio's elegant creative take on traditional cuisine. This is the finest restaurant in Asolo, and the prix-fixe menu (you can also order à la carte) delivers one of the best-value top-quality dining options in the Veneto.

This elegant formal hotel dining room with brick arches is one of the best restaurants in the region (with a Michelin star to prove it), serving refined variations of traditional dishes. You can marvel at a wine list of about 1,400 labels, and the service is exemplary.

Inside an elegant country house perched atop a steep hill and set among the vineyards, about a 10-minute drive south of Trento’s center, talented chef Edoardo Fumagalli creates thoroughly modern cuisine that pairs perfectly with the Lunelli family’s sparkling Ferrari wines. Choose from three tasting menus, which feature local ingredients such as Garda lemons, ricotta from the surrounding farm, and Dolomite trout roe; for lighter appetites, the more casual bistro next door offers à la carte dishes.

Adjacent to the unspoiled Spiaga di Bovo Marina beach, you'll find this upscale beachfront restaurant with a view of the sea and an ample, stylish terrace for alfresco dining. Although off the beaten path, it's a true fine-dining experience with classic Sicilian ingredients like mussels and tuna with a global touch of wasabi or a gazpacho. Guests will find a tasting menu that changes daily depending on the season and market availability. If you're looking for a simpler dining experience, they also feature à la carte dishes like pasta and fried fish. You can make an online reservation (recommended).

Offering an upscale culinary journey in Caltanisetta, this restaurant's tasting menus offer modern takes on such popular Sicilian ingredients as tuna, eggplant, and squash, with delicate presentations often topped with truffles or caviar. This is not a fast experience, so set aside several hours and plan to relax and take in the gastronomic experience from classically trained chef Ester Giacchetto.

A mix of great charm and great food make this small, bustling osteria in the historic center an absolute dining delight. Dishes are Ligurian with a focus on local fish, but there are some surprises, for example Catalan lobster with mayonnaise and ginger. Meat dishes you might find on the menu include rabbit casserole, Ligurian-style. Leave room for some superb desserts, too. The list of local wines, including organic selections, is excellent. Book ahead.

For the tastiest snacks head to this neighborhood bakery for a selection of traditional savory bites and focaccia. Pack a picnic, and embrace your carb cravings with their fresh bread and dolci delights such as ricotta-filled nfigghiulate, nutty 'n' fruity tortini, and raisin- or chocolate-dotted paninetti buns.

At one of the most popular restaurants in the Valle d'Aosta (reservations are recommended) you'll find country-style home cooking in a mountain house with lots of atmosphere, including red-and-white checkered tablecloths, antiques, farm tools, and bric-a-brac of all kinds. There's a set menu where cheese, dessert, and fresh fruit complete the meal, or you can order à la carte.

Set by the Palanca waterside with lagoon views and clean, contemporary interiors, Majer is a reliable, quality bet at any time of day. Start as early as 7 am for breakfast cappuccino and pastries or arrive later for brunch bites, leisurely pasta lunches, picnic bakes, aperitvo (aperitif) with vino, or dinner dates until 10 pm.

On a romantic medieval side street in the heart of the centro storico, this small restaurant has two menus—one with Tuscan classics that reflect both the whims of the chef and what's in season, and the other that's focused on truffles, either white or black, again based on the season. On the first menu, look for creative salads and pasta, meat, and taglieri (mixed meat and cheese plates) that are often served with jams made from Chianti, vin santo, or balsamic vinegar. On the second menu, each of the antipasti, primi, and secondi has a fresh-shaved truffle finish. The long wine list has many offerings by the glass, and the bread and desserts are made in-house. This is also a great place to drop in for a glass of wine and perch on outdoor benches to watch the world go by.

At Marghe, crafting Neapolitan-style pizza is art. Book in advance to grab a table in the rustic and lively dining room with exposed concrete walls, floral-tiled floors, and pendant lights, where pizzas are delivered quickly and piping hot. You can try the classics, margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte [mozzarella style] cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and basil) or salsiccia e friarielli (fior di latte cheese, smoked provolone cheese, sausage, and firarielli, which is similar to broccolini), or ask about their seasonal pizza. There's a second pizzeria at Via Cadore 26 in Porta Romana.

Chef Massimo Camia's restaurant is in an elegant and modern space, with views of the Barolo vineyards that surround the Damilano winery; the service is impeccable and the food is divine. The restaurant is outside the town of La Morra, a 20-minute drive to the southwest of Alba.

This aesthetically simple bistro-style restaurant, spruced up with modern art, draws a mainly local crowd for some of the most inventive food creations and presentation in the Como region. The imaginative vegetable-focused cuisine makes good use of local ingredients, and the frequently changing surprise five- or seven-course tasting menus are a particular delight, especially when paired with the mostly natural wines on offer.

Here's a novelty for Palermo in the form of a superb modern restaurant located within a museum dedicated to Steve Jobs and Apple products, a surprisingly successful combination; you not only have the ability to revisit ancient IT devices and learn about the history of the tech company, but the food is pretty excellent. Each of the dishes is a revelation, from the house-made tonnarello pasta with mullet and smoked provola cheese sauce to the pigeon with red-wine scented quince and, among the desserts, semifreddo meringue with ricotta cheese, mango chutney, and passion fruit ice cream. Vegetarian options are as good as any that Palermo has to offer—best sampled in a set tasting menu. The elevated prices are commensurate with the sophisticated cuisine. The venue is also extraordinary as the restaurant is housed within the Palazzo Castrone, one of the city's finest old palaces, just steps away from the Cathedral and entered through a beautiful courtyard.

There's a regular trickle of locals to this gelateria conveniently located opposite the hydrofoil port. Most opt for the local favorite: ice cream in a brioche with a couple of wafer biscuits poking out. But it's not just the creamy and tangy ice creams that pull in the crowds; there are also delicious granitas, cakes, and desserts on offer, including a delicious semifreddo cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries or blueberries. There's limited seating outside, and it stays open late.

This is arguably the best restaurant in Monterosso, specializing in tasty, fresh seafood dishes like grilled calamari and monkfish ravioli. If their catalana (poached lobster and shrimp with sliced raw fennel and carrot) happens to be on the menu, know that it's a winner. Multi-course "Innovation" and "Tradition" set-price menus are usually available. There is a little garden in the back, perfect for lunch on a sunny day. 

In front of the American embassy and a favorite of the design trendoisie, Michelin-starred Moma attracts well-heeled businessmen at lunch but shifts to a more intimate affair for dinner. The kitchen turns out hits as it creates alta cucina (haute cuisine) made using Italian ingredients sourced from small producers. The menu changes seasonally but might include dishes like chamomile risotto with smoked eel, honey, and oregano or pumpkin cappelletti with amaretti, licorice, and provolone cheese. At lunch, the more casual bistro area has fresh pressed juices and made-to-order sandwiches.

Locals love this lively café because it does just about everything and does it well, beginning at 7 in the morning with excellent coffee and tasty breakfast pastries and ending long after dark with aperitivi (aperitifs), cocktails, and dinner. The fairly limited menu includes Italian tapas and starters and mains with vegetarian and fish options. The place comprises two rooms, showcasing temporary art enhanced by subtle lighting, and there are tables outside. The wine and cocktail list is winning, as is the service.

This family-run stall at what will forever be called the "New" Testaccio Market (it moved in 2012) sells the best sandwiches in town. Meatballs, tongue, tripe, and other Roman classics are generously smothered on fresh bread, and there is always a vegetarian option, too. Grab a seat at the bar tables they have arranged in the stall next door, and watch the general hustle of Romans lining up for their daily fix of panino perfection. It's open during market hours (Monday–Saturday 9–2:30).

Pick a pew and sip an aperitivo beside the now-drained river in Scicli, then enjoy small plates that encompass the best Scicli produce. Popular from morning to late at night, the restaurant's seasonal menus feature such classics as busiata pasta twirls with sardines, as well as novel creations like barbecued bacalà lacquered with mustard and honey. Choose a wine from the exceptional list to accompany your meal, and listen to the owner or his staff tell you with pride how everything is produced locally or organically. If you want a reminder of your meal, you can buy some ingredients from the small display at the back of the restaurant.

Locals flock to this central café to quaff a cappuccino and pick up panforte (cake made of fruits and nuts; the chocolate panforte is a real treat) and ricciarelli (almond cookies). You can get sweets to go, or rest your feet for a spell over breakfast or lunch.

Pigneto is full of hip restaurants and bars now, but Necci is the neighborhood's original hangout, the haunt of famed director Pier Paolo Pasolini, who grew up in Pigneto when it was still a rough-and-tumble working-class area. There's a full menu of pastas and other Italian fare, but the servers won't bat an eye if you just want drinks or a small bite; it also hosts wine tastings in its recently discovered, 1st-century-BC hypogeum. Inside, a white-and-orange color scheme gives off a mod 1960s vibe; outside, a street-art-style portrait of Pasolini overlooks a large patio where people eat and drink from morning till night. 

Along Via Garibaldi, the Colauzzi-run Nevodi (dialect for nieces, grandsons, etc.) provides a suitably warm family atmosphere married with tasty, seasonal, innovative fish and meat dishes. Book a table outside or in the pared-back, bare-brick interior, then dive into such delights as succulent clams and mussels in a broth; inky cuttlefish with polenta; bigoli in salsa (pasta with anchovy and onion); grilled octopus with garden vegetables; and duck breast in red wine reduction. Opposite, Nevodi Pizzalab does excellent value pies.

Wrought-iron gates open from scenic Via Pasitea into Next2's bianco e nero–chic courtyard, replete with a cocktail bar and a cozy salon filled with wine bottles and prime window seats for sunset views. Calmly charming Carmela and her friendly crew, including a young, talented chef in the semi-open kitchen, deliver elegant, subtly flavored creations including: grilled octopus antipasto with green beans and potato foam, a flavor-packed Datterino tomato spaghettoni and—spigola al vapore (steamed seabass wrapped in an eye-catching zucchini jacket served with baby vegetables).

Local butcher and restaurateur, Dario Cecchini, has extended his empire of meat to include this space above his butcher's shop. In addition to two tasting menus—one heavily meat-laden, the other with none—you'll find a stellar version of giardiniera sott'olio (pickled and preserved vegetables), and exceptional bread (the product of much experimentation).