ABSOLUTE ITALY Via Maggio 35 50125 Florence, Italy Phone: (39) 055-212877
Restaurant Recommendations by Region
LOMBARDIA
MILANO
Al Pont de Ferr Ripa di Porta Ticinese 55 +39.02.89406277 Located in the trendy Navigli neighborhood, Al Pont de Ferr offers creative dishes that fuse tradition and innovation. Specialties range from a variety of homemade pasta to more creative dishes like grilled baccalà served over fennel purée. The restaurant also offers an ample selection of the highest quality cured meats and cheeses. The wine list is extensive and impressive, and owner Maida Mercuri, a passionate hostess and sommelier, can be counted on to provide an unforgettable meal with wines to match. Moderate to high prices.
El Brellin Ristorante Vicolo dei Lavandai +39.02.58101351 (Closed Sunday evenings) El Brellin offers typical Milanese dishes at moderate prices in the cool Navigli neighborhood. In warm weather patrons can dine at outside tables overlooking the canal.
Trattoria Meneghina Corso Magenta 78 +39.02.58109204 (Closed Mondays) This typical Milanese trattoria offers traditional fare cooked to perfection. Prices are reasonable, a relative novelty in Milanese restaurants. Specialties include fresh pasta with sauces that change with the seasons and cotoletta alla milanese. Unlike many restaurants in Milan’s city center, Meneghina does not focus its energy on striving for trendiness but instead concentrates on serving simple, delicious food in a warm, comfortable atmosphere.
THE LAKES REGION
BELLAGIO Bilacus Salita Serbelloni 30-32 +39.031.950480 (Closed December-March and Mondays in November and April) Bilacus serves regional and Italian specialties at very moderate prices; at lunch they offer a prix fixe menu for €17. Dishes range from meat to fresh fish to classic pasta dishes to fresh salads. In warm weather patrons can enjoy their meal under a pergola on the restaurant’s outdoor terrace.
LEZZENO Crotto dei Pescatori Via Casate 77 +39.031.914597 (Closed Tuesdays) The restaurant of the Hotel Crotto dei Pescatori has a beautiful terrace situation directly on the water. The restaurant’s specialty is fresh fish, both fresh and saltwater. Prices are moderate to high.
CERNOBBIO
Gatto Nero Via Monte Santo 69 +39.031.512042 Situated on a hilltop overlooking Lake Como, offers traditional dishes in an elegant and chic setting. Patrons can enjoy outdoor dining on the restaurant’s terrace in summer months. Dishes are comprised mostly of local seafood but also include homemade ravioli with taleggio and risotto with porcini mushrooms. Prices are moderate to high.
Il Giardino Via Regina 73 +39.031.511154 Located on a tiny sidestreet in the center of this pituresque town, Il Giardino serves traditional dishes at moderate prices. Diners can enjoy their meal on patios surrounded by palm trees and flowers that look onto Lake Como.
COMO
La Taverna Spagnola Piazza Alessandro Volta 33 +39. 031.272460 (Closed Wednesdays) An informal, reasonably-priced restaurant with a laid-back, comfortable atmosphere. The menu ranges from pizza to paella and the service is warm and friendly.
Navedano Via Giuseppe Velzi 4 +39.031. 308080 (Closed all day Tuesdays and Wednesdays at lunch) Located in a 19th-century villa just a few minutes from Como’s historical center, this Michelin-reccommended formal restaurant offers creative regional dishes that focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Flowers adorn the entire dining room, and in summer patrons can dine on a veranda that overlooks the restaurant’s beautiful garden. There is also an impressive and extensive wine list. Prices are high.
TREMEZZO La Fagurida Via San Martino 12 +39.0344.40676 (Closed Mondays) Located in what was a stone cottage overlooking the lake, La Fagurida has dining roms on different levels of the old home and diners can also sit on the veranda in warm weather. Traditional regional dishes, inlcuding polenta, are the specialty. Prices are moderate.
VENETO
VENEZIA
Antico Pignolo Calle Specchieri 451 +39. 041.5228123 This restaurant with wonderful Venetian dishes offers a more formal dining experience with faultless service, and there is a backyard patio that is lovely when the weather is warm. Classic seafood dishes including “the kings’ plate: scampi, scallops, and seasonal vegetables; risotto with shellfish and squid ink; and lobster are the specialty.
Osteria Ai Assassini S. Marco 3695 +39.041.5287986 (Closed Sundays) Osteria Ai Assassini is a typical “bacaro,” the Venetian word for an informal restaurant or wine bar where locals and tourists meet to dine and savor Italian wines and imported beers.This casual osteria offers a more moderate dining experience in a comfortble, informal atmosphere. The menu includes both meat and seafood dishes, ranging from rabbit, chicken, duck, and pheasant to cod to typical Venetian fish. There is also an ample offering of pastas, vegetables, and cheeses.
Osteria Oliva Nera Castello 3417/18 +39.041.5222170 This osteria is run by a fantastic, friendly husband and wife team whose passion is Venetian cooking. Specialties include lightly fried sardines and onions marinated in vinegar, baccalà, stuffed fried zucchini flowers, spaghetti with anchovies and onions, and a variety of preprations of local fish and squid. Because of the restaurant’s overwhelming popularity, the owners have opened a sister restaurant next door, so if one is full, you might have luck at Oliva Nera 2!
Fiaschetteria Toscana Salizada s. Giovanni Grisostomo Cannareggio 5719 +39.041.5285281 (Closed Tuesdays and Wednesday at lunch, end of July/beginning of Aug for vacation) This historic Venetian restaurant specializes in fresh seafood and pasta and has been run by the Busatto family for decades, who insist upon the finest ingredients and local seafood from the Veneto region. The restaurant is also known for it’s extensive wine list of over 600 labels from all over Italy; the homemade desserts had the honor of being published on the cover of Bon Appetit magazine some years ago, and still have the same scrumptuous quality today!
Trattoria al Calice est. 1537 Calle degli Stagneri, 5228 +39.041.5209775 Dont be surprised to see many of the local gondoliere’s at lunch here as this trattoria is well-known among the locals for its honest food and fair prices, specializing in fresh seafood, pasta, risotto and other local specialties. We returned twice on a recent trip for the linguine with fresh white fish and olives!
VERONA
12 Apostoli Corticella San Marco 3 +39.045.596.999 (Closed Sundays evenings and Mondays) This restaurant has been in the Gioco family for over 100 years and is one of the oldest in Verona. It boasts a fantastic wine cellar into which clients can descend with the owner to see the fascinating Roman ruins that were discovered there when renovations were being carried out in the 1980s. There is also a collection of the pens of famous writers from all over Italy who have won the 12 Apostoli prize for journalists and authors who have recently published a book. Specialties include typical Veronese dishes like porcini mushroom terrine, tagliatelle with herbs, branzino with olives, and veal.
LIGURIA
CAMOGLI (GENOVA)
La Rotonda Via Garibaldi 101 +39.0185.774502 (Closed Mondays in winter) The terrace of this restaurant offers beautiful views of the Ligurian sea, and outside dining is a must. The extensive menu offers everything from fish to pizza, as well as one of Liguria’s most prized pasta condiments, pesto alla genovese.
SANTA MARGHERITA LIGURE
Trattoria La Solita Zuppa Via Romana 7 +39.0185.289594 (Closed Wednesdays) This trattoria offers traditional local fish dishes as well as grilled meat at reasonable prices. The atmosphere is warm and the service friendly.
EMILIA ROMAGNA
SAN VITO (MODENA)
Antica Trattoria La Busa Via Medicine 2284 +39.059.468019 (Closed Sunday evenings and Mondays) A fantastic restaurant not far from the Ferrari gallery that offers great home-style Modenese cooking at reasonable prices in a very casual, comfortable atmosphere.
TOSCANA
FIRENZE
RESTAURANTS
Acqua Al Due Via della Vigna Vecchia 40 +39.055.284170 This restaurant which now has locations in Washington, DC and San Diego is very popular among American visitors. Specialties include a sampling of specialty primi piatti and filetto in balsamic vinegar or a blueberry reduction. Prices are moderate.
Borgo Antico Piazza Santo Spirito 6r +39.055.210437 This restaurant located steps away from the church of Santo Spirito has a large outdoor patio perfect for people watching on the piazza. The vast menu selection ranges from big salads to a variety of pasta dishes to pizza. Prices are reasonable.
Borgo San Jacopo Bogo San Iacopo 62 +39.055.281661 Part of the Lungarno Hotels group, this chic restaurant offers innovative interpretations of traditional Italian fare. The atmosphere is very cool and the wait staff is extremely accommodating and knowledgeable about the outstanding cuisine. Prices are relatively high but more than appropriate to the level of the chef’s talents.
Buca dell’Orafo Via dei Girolami +39. 055.213619 (Closed Sundays and Mondays and Saturdays in summer; call to be sure.) One of the best typical Florentine restaurants in the city. All dishes, from the abundant antipasti to the variety of pastas to the incredible meat, are made to perfection. Reservations strongly recommended at least one day in advance, preferably two. Prices are moderate.
Cammillo Trattoria Borgo San Jacopo 57r +39.055.212427 (Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays) At Camillo, the food is consistenly fantastic. The menu boasts a vast assortment of Tuscan specialties at reasonable prices. The professional, long-time servers know their trade well and obviously enjoy what they do. All in all, this is a great Florentine trattoria.
Gusta Pizza Via Maggio 46r +39.055.285068 (Closed Mondays) Although the brothers who own this Neapolitan pizzeria are from Calabria, they have the art of pizza making down to a science—crust and toppings are done to perfection. The atmosphere is very informal; order your pizza at the counter and then wait at one of the round tables made from wine barrels surrounded by stools.
La Pizzeria del Caffè Italiano Via dell'Isola delle Stinche 11/13r (near Santa Croce and Via Torta) (Closed Mondays) All pizza is “cotta al legno” (cooked in a wood fired brick oven). There is a choice of only three pizzas, and they are all fired to perfection: margherita, marinara, and napoletana.
Le Volpi e l’Uva Piazza dei Rossi 1 (Cross Ponte Vecchio and make second right into Piazza Santa Felicita. Continue straight and the wine bar will be on the left.) +39. 055.2398132 (Closed Sundays) Without a doubt the best wine bar in Florence. Wines by the glass, cheese and meat plates, and other delicious small dishes. Ciro, Emilio, and Riccardo, the owners, are amazingly knowledgeable and a lot of fun.
Quattro Leoni Via dei Vellutini 1r (Piazza della Passera) +39.055.218562 This well-known restaurant popular among tourists and locals alike has ample outdoor space in fun little piazza with live music in summer. Specialties include ravioli with pears, asparagus, and taleggio, as well as grilled meats and other typical Tuscan dishes. Prices are reasonable.
Ristorante del Fagioli Corso dei Tintori 47r +39. 055.244285 (Closed Saturdays and Sundays) Very reasonably-priced and delicious simple, high-quality Tuscan fare. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday only. The family who owns and runs the restaurant is wonderful; the brothers serve the food and their adorable father is in the kitchen.
Trattoria Mario Via Rosina (near Piazza del Mercato Centrale) One of the most famous restaurants in Florence. Only fresh ingredients will be found here—they don’t even own a freezer! Family style seating, low prices. Open for lunch only, Monday-Saturday, 12pm-3pm. Fridays they do a great fish lunch.
Tre Merli Via dei Fossi 12 or Via del Moro 11r +39.055.287062 This very cozy and comfortable Florentine restaurant has a great menu selction at reasonable prices. Tre Merli serves everything from pasta and pizza to fish, meat and salad—you’re sure to find something that will satisfy everyone in the family.
Vini e Vecchi Sapori Via dei Magazzini 3r (between Piazza della Signoria and Via della Condotta) +39.055.293045 (Closed Sundays and Mondays) A tiny restaurant with five tables that doesn’t take reservations and serves simple, high- quality Tuscan dishes at very reasonable prices. The staff is fantastic, and the atmosphere is cheerful—you’ll have a blast.
CAFES AND GELATERIE
Cantinetta dei Verrazzano Via dei Tavolini 18/20r +39.055.268590 This café is open from the early morning until the evening right before dinner and offers beautiful pastries, delicious coffee, wines by the glass from the winery after which it is named (Castello di Verrazzano), and sandwiches, pizzette, and cheese and cured meat plates at lunch. Whereas many Florentine cafés charge an exhorbitant amount for table service (a cappuccino that costs €1.20 when you have it standing at the bar can cost upwards of €7 should you choose to sip on it sitting down), patrons at the Cantinetta dei Verrazzano can sit for no extra charge in the mornings and the afternoon—table service is only charged during lunchtime.
Carapina Via Lambertesca 18/r (between the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio) Piazza Oberdan 2r (the original location in a small neighborhood piazza far away from the tourist rush and home to the laboratory) An obsession with the best, most interesting producers and products in Italy makes itself perfectly clear in all of Carapina’s fresh, delicious flavors, which range from classics like pistachio, gianduia, and chocolate to novelties like Parmigiano Reggiano, rosemary, and wine (Brunello, to be precise). Fruit flavors are outrageously fresh and only seasonal— you won’t find strawberry in fall, but you will find fig and persimmon. Carapina takes gelato to a new level and is by far the best in town; it’s even gaining cult status throughout the rest of Italy for its quality and philosophy of perfection and innovation.
Carabè Via Ricasoli 60r This Sicilian gelateria offers an amazing variety of flavors, especially during the summer. You’ll find everything from chocolate and hazelnut to fig, prickly pair, and almond. The granite, a Sicilian specialty, are a must.
Grom Gelato (our owner’s favorite!) Corner of Via del Campanile and Via delle Oche (behind the Duomo) Attention to quality and the right raw materials is at the origin of what makes Grom famous throughout Italy and the world with flavors like lemons from Amalfi, Tonda hazelnuts from the Langhe, and pistachios from Bronte. Only the best ingredients go into all of Grom’s many flavors, as is evidenced by the lines always waiting outside Grom’s door.
Mama’s Bakery Via della Chiesa 34r (Closed Sundays) Homesick tourists who find themselves with a hankering for American baked goods would do well to make a stop at this American-style bakery that serves delicious bagels, muffins, cupcakes, and specialty pies at the holidays (apple and pumpkin are all the rage at Thanksgiving). It is also perhaps the only place in Florence where you can get an American-sized coffee for those who miss enjoying a leisurely cup in a take-away container.
Perché No? Via dei Tavolini 19r Impressive variety of very good flavors. They also have a cone cup—perfect for those who still like a spoon even when they get a cone.
Roberto Cavalli's Giacosa Bar Via della Spada 10r +39.055.2776328 Fabulous cappuccini and delicious pastries. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
FIESOLE Vinandro Piazza Mino 33 +39.055.59121 Quaint wine bar/restaurant with typical local dishes, coldcuts and pasta.
GREVE Osteria Mangiando Mangiando Piazza Matteotti, 80 Greve in Chianti +39 055.8546372 This restaurant is part of the Slow Food movement and uses the freshest seasonal ingredients in their dishes, that include pasta with meat sauce, creative entrees and fabulous desserts.
LAZIO
ROMA
Checco er Carretiere Via Benedetta 10 +39.06.585800985 (Closed Tuesdays) A standby of the Trastevere neighborhood owned by the Porcelli family since 1935. Traditional, classic Roman dishesprepared to perfection are the specialty, as is seafood. Prices are moderate.
‘Gusto Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9 +39.06.3226273 ‘Gusto Osteria Via della Frezza 16 +39.06.32111482 This trendy restaurant with a cool, chic decor also has a more informal osteria as well as a wine bar and a specialty food shop all under the same ownership and in the same neighborhood. Classic southern Mediterranean dishes are the specialty, and the wine list is extensive. Prices are reasonable to moderate.
Hotel Eden—La Terrazza Via Ludovisi 49 +39.06.478121 The terrace of this restaurant located at the top of the Hotel Eden offers a truly spectacular view of the eternal city. Innovative mediterranean cuisine is the specialty, and prices are high.
Maccheroni Piazza delle Coppelle 44 +39.06.68307895 The name says it all: delicious Roman pasta dishes are the specialty at this fun, informal restaurant. Carbonara, cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), Amatriciana, and fresh vegetable sauces are all absolutely delicious. A must for lovers of pasta.
Mirabelle at the Grand Hotel Splendide Royal Via di Porta Pinciana 14 +39.06.42168838 This one Michelin star fine-dining restaurant offers an amazing, breathtaking view of Rome and cuisine to match. The menu includes an interesting range of innovative dishes from seabass and shrimp carpaccio served with oysters to truffled fois-gras served with a Sauternes gelatin to more classic dishes like baked sliced eggplant and zucchini with ricotta and basil.
Sor’Eva Piazza della Rovere 108/108a +39.06.6875797 (Closed Mondays) This super casual restaurant is frequented by workmen and drivers and serves up homestyle Roman cooking. There is a notable buffet of antipasti, and fried food and pastas are delicious.
Ristorante Laganà Via dell’Orso 44 +39.0668301161 (Closed Sundays) This restaurant run by the enthusiastic Mimmo has a lively atmosphere, moderate prices, and family-style platters that are fun and worth ordering.
Ristorante La Scala Piazza della Scala 58/61 +39.06.5803763 This restaurant located in a small, pretty piazza in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood offers a wide variety of meat and seafood dishes, as well as amazing primi piatti, like cacio e pepe with cherry tomatoes and zucchini flowers and a delicious carbonara. Crispy rosemary foccaccia is worth ordering while you wait, as is the antipasto platter with mozzarella di bufala, prosciutto, and grilled vegetables. The outdoor seating area is lovely in warm weather. Prices are very reasonable.
CAMPANIA
SORRENTO Caruso Via Sant’Antonino 12 +39.081.8073156 At this fine-dining restaurant the menu offers Sorrentine specialties prepared with the freshest ingredients. Chef-onwer Paolo Esposito is noted in Sorrento for his cult of gastronomy and for his passion for the great tenor Enrico Caruso. He named his restaurant “CARUSO” with the purpose of joining the name of the tenor with the best of Neapolitan cuisine. Specialties include a range of meat and fresh fish. Prices are high.
MASSA LUBRENSE Francischiello Via Partenope 27 +39.081.5339780 One of the Locali Storici d’Italia (historic restaurants of Italy), Francischiello offers a modern interpretation of Sorrentine cuisine while at the same time respecting the region’s culinary tradition. Local fish dishes are the specialty, as are fresh pasta dishes. The restaurant also has an amazing view of the breathtakingly beautiful island of Capri. Prices are moderate to high.
POSITANO La Sponda at Le Sireneuse Via Cristoforo Colombo 30 +39.089.870066 At dinner, four hundred candles create an unforgettable atmosphere at La Sponda restaurant inside the spectacular hotel Le Sireneuse. The restaurant’s young chef, who has worked at numerous Michelin-star restaurants in Italy and abroad, uses the best of the Mediterranean in his dishes: fresh fish, ripe tomatoes, extra vergin olive oil, garlic, a variety of vegetables, Mediterrean herbs, lemons from the Amalfi Coast and fresh cheeses. Traditional Neapolitan cuisine is made lighter and more modern through his innovative interpretation. Prices are high.
RAVELLO Rossellini’s at Palazzo Sasso Via San Giovanni del Toro 28 +39.089.818181 (Closed November-March; open for dinner only the rest of the year) This two-Michelin-star restaurant offers dishes that perfectly combine the chef’s extensive and impressive experience with traditional cuisine from the Amalfi coast. The breathtaking views of the sea are a perfect accompaniment to the chef’s Michelin-worthy creations. Prices are high.
CAPRI Da Paolino Via Palazzo a Mare 11 +39.081.837.6102 Also known as the “lemon-tree” restaurant, this magical location also provides a top- notch dining experience with fresh seafood daily and a memorable dessert bar. Prices are high