One of the reasons why international travelers choose Italy is certainly food!
Italian gastronomic specialties are famous worldwide, and each Region has its own typical products and recipes adding a special and unique touch to its cities and rural areas.
Italian cuisine is simple, genuine, and rather healthy since it includes all the principles of the Mediterranean Diet.
Let’s discover the best cities for international foodies!
Table of Contents
Bologna
When thinking about Italian culinary excellence, you’re probably also thinking about Bologna. This city in Emilia Romagna is traditionally associated with good food, festivals, cooking fairs, and high-quality products.
What to taste:
- Mortadella: traditional pork sausage made with meat, fat, black pepper and pistachios
- Tortellini: ring-shaped stuffed pasta filled with meat, Parmesan cheese, egg and nutmeg. Tortellini are mainly served in broth.
- Tagliatelle al ragù: pasta with Bolognese sauce (meat and tomato sauce).
Where to taste local specialties:
- Salumeria Simoni: right in the heart of Bologna, you’ll find the best cold cuts in town! Address: via Drapperie 5.
- Bottega Portici: perfect for a quick yet traditional lunch. Address: via dell’Indipendenza 69.
- Trattoria Anna Maria: an historic trattoria offering all the main local dishes. Address: via delle Belle Arti 17.
Naples
Italian pizza rhymes with Naples, of course! This Southern city is surely one of the best destinations to discover some authentic Italian products, and taste some fresh fish and Italian-style street food!
What to taste:
- Pizza
- Cuoppo di pesce: another popular street food consisting in fried fish served in a paper cone
- Pastiera: the local Easter dessert is a cake made with cooked wheat, eggs, ricotta cheese and orange flower water.
Where to taste local specialties:
- Sorbillo: the most famous pizzeria in town. Address: via dei Tribunali 32.
- Il Cuoppo: a small chip shop selling several kinds of cuoppo. Address: via San Biagio dei Librai 23.
- Carraturo: a traditional bakery offering a wide range of local desserts and baked goods. Address: via Casanova 97.
Rome
If you are a pasta lover, then visit Rome first! Roman cuisine has an ancient rural tradition that’s still visible today in the use of poor ingredients and simple recipes.
What to taste:
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara: pasta with egg, bacon, pecorino cheese and black pepper
- Bucatini all’Amatriciana: pasta with pork cheek, tomato and pecorino cheese
- Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe: pasta with pecorino cheese and black pepper
Where to taste local specialties:
- Trecca: a typical trattoria serving Roman comfort food in a family atmosphere. Address: via Alessandro Severo 220.
- Osteria la Gensola: typical dishes in a beautiful location in Trastevere. Address: Piazza della Gensola 15.
- Felice: a real institution in Testaccio! Address: via Mastro Giorgio 29.
Florence
For meat lovers, Florence and Tuscany are a true paradise! Meat is widespread there, and it can be cooked and treated in many different ways: Florentine steaks on embers, stewed giblets, wild boar, and several different types of game.
What to taste:
- Fiorentina: a traditional T-bone steak made of Chianina meat and cooked on embers or on the grill. It’s typically served rare.
- Lampredotto: the stomach of the cow
- Pappardelle al ragù di cinghiale: pasta with wild boar sauce
Where to taste local specialties:
- I Tuscani: a small restaurant specialized in meat dishes. Address: Piazza S. Pancrazio 2.
- Il Cernacchio: modernity and tradition perfectly blend in this small restaurant suitable for a quick lunch. Address: via della Condotta 38.
- Osteria del Porcellino: taste their traditional main courses and enjoy the picturesque location. Address: via Val di Lamona 7.
Venice
You cannot visit Venice without experiencing a local happy hour with cicchetti and a glass of wine at a traditional bacaro (local tapas bars).
What to taste:
- Baccalà mantecato: whipped salt cod
- Sarde in saor: fried sardines marinated in vinegar, onion and raisins
- Moleche fritte: fried lagoon crabs
Where to taste local specialties:
- Al Mercà: a typical bacaro with relatively small prices. Perfect for your happy hour in Venice! Address: Campo Bella Vienna 213.
- Enoteca Al Volto: a wide selection of cicchetti on display in a small showcase. Address: Calle Cavalli 4081.
- Ristorante Casa Bonita: a traditional restaurant serving local specialties in a non-touristy location. Address: Cannaregio 492.
Milan
If you prefer to taste local main courses, then Milanese risotto is for you! Milan has some iconic traditional recipes that are especially associated with Northern Italy, and have become worldwide famous over the last few years.
What to taste:
- Risotto giallo: risotto with saffron
- Ossobuco: veal shanks cooked in white wine and broth. It can be served with risotto giallo, polenta or stewed veggies.
- Cotoletta alla milanese: breaded and deep-fried veal cutlet
Where to taste local specialties:
- Ratanà: comfort food with a gourmet touch. Address: via Gaetano de Castillia 28.
- Antica Trattoria della Pesa: a typical and picturesque restaurant offering traditional dishes from Lombardia. Address: viale Pasubio 10.
- Trattoria del Nuovo Macello: a country-style trattoria with an excellent value for money. Address: via Lombroso 20.
Genoa
Ligurian cuisine mainly includes simple ingredients from the sea and the countryside, adding a genuine and rural touch to every dish. Fresh herbs, seasonal veggies, and local fishes are the real stars of any Ligurian kitchen!
What to taste:
- Trofie al pesto: pasta with a sauce made of basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese
- Focaccia: flat bread somewhat similar to pizza (without tomato sauce)
- Farinata: a sort of pancake made with chickpea flour
Where to taste local specialties:
- Trattoria alle due Torri: simple and genuine dishes in a picturesque location. Address: Salita del Prione 53.
- Al Forno di Albaro: the best focaccia in town! Address: via Albaro 24
- Ostaja San Vincenzo: a lovely location offering all the main Ligurian traditional dishes. Address: via San Vincenzo 64.
Turin
Piemonte rhymes with country cooking and prized wines. Local dishes are usually rich and hearty, and they often require long hours of cooking, other than involving careful and homemade preparations.
What to taste:
- Bagna Cauda: a hot sauce made with garlic and anchovies where you can dip raw or cooked veggies. It’s somewhat similar to fondue, but without cheese!
- Agnolotti: stuffed pasta filled with roasted meat
- Brasato al Barolo: a meat stew braised in Barolo wine
Where to taste local specialties:
- Antica Bruschetteria Pautasso: authentic local cuisine in an elegant setting. Address: Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 4.
- Pastificio Defilippis: an historic pasta factory where you can also taste some homemade pasta and agnolotti. Address: via Lagrange 39.
- Scannabue: the perfect place to taste some local meat dishes with a glass of red wine. Address: Largo Saluzzo 25.
Modena
Even if it’s close to Bologna, Modena has a unique flavor provided by its prized balsamic vinegar and its local cold cuts and sausages. Like many other towns in Emilia Romagna, Modena is a popular destination among national and international foodies, and it offers many tasting opportunities in restaurants, fairs, and food factories.
What to taste:
- Aceto balsamico: intensely flavored vinegar with a characteristic extra dark color
- Cotechino: a traditional boiled pork sausage
- Tigelle: a typical small and round bread, often served as an appetizer together with local cold cuts
Where to taste local specialties:
- Acetaia Giuseppe Giusti: it’s both a shop and a museum offering tastings and tours to learn more about local vinegar production. Address: Strada delle Quattro Ville 52.
- Trattoria Aldina: a traditional trattoria where you can taste a typical local Sunday lunch. Address: via Albinelli 40.
- Da Enzo: tigelle, gnocco fritto and home made pasta! Address: via Coltellini 17.
Sorrento
It’s commonly associated with its lemons, and the traditional Limoncello liquor, of course! The Amalfi Coast has some special products and recipes making its cuisine similar yet different from the Neapolitan one.
What to taste:
- Delizie al Limone: a local dessert made of sponge cake, lemon curd and Limoncello frosting
- Cozze alla Sorrentina: mussels cooked in tomato sauce
- Gnocchi alla Sorentina: gnocchi with tomato, mozzarella and basil
Where to taste local specialties:
- Accento: a refined restaurant perfect for a romantic dinner. Address: Corso Italia 38.
- Ristorante Bagni Delfino: one of the best fish restaurants of the Coast. It also offers a stunning view thanks to a glass wall overlooking the sea. Address: via Marina Grande 216.
- La Cantinaccia del Popolo: a traditional trattoria to taste some local comfort food in a familiar atmosphere. Address: Vico Terzo Rota 3.
Palermo
Palermo (and Sicily in general) rhymes with street food! Fried food, sugar, and calories are a must, even if you would not expect such a rich cuisine on an island!
What to taste:
- Arancine: fried rice balls stuffed with ragù and mozzarella
- Cassata: sponge cake filled with ricotta cheese and candied fruits and entirely covered in colored marzipan
- Cannolo: fried pastry dough filled with ricotta cheese and possibly chocolate chips
Where to taste local specialties:
- Friggitoria da Davide: the best street food in town! Address: via della Croce Rossa 199. Website: Friggitoria da Davide – Home | Facebook
- Alfa Pasticceria: this bakery offers a wide selection of local desserts and baked goods. Address: via Valdemone 30. Website: Alfa Pasticceria – Home | Facebook
- Dolceria i Segreti del Chiostro: a beautiful location inside a former monastery where you can taste a traditional cannolo. Address: Piazza Bellini 33.
Bari
Bari is one of the main gastronomical destinations in the Puglia Region. You’ll find plenty of typical trattorie in the Old Town, and you’ll be able to taste local comfort food discovering the main recipes and dishes that are commonly found in the locals’ kitchens!
What to taste:
- Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa: pasta with turnip greens and anchovies
- Tiella Barese: baked rice, potatoes and mussels
- Sgagliozze: fried polenta
Where to taste local specialties:
- Osteria Le Arpie: an historic restaurant in the heart of the Old Town. Address: Arco del Carmine 2.
- Osteria Terranima: located in a hidden courtyard far from the hustle and bustle of the city, it offers traditional dishes cooked with high quality ingredients. Address: via Putignani 213.
- Maria delle Sgagliozze: Maria is a lady who’s been cooking sgagliozze for decades becoming one of the symbols of the Old Town! Address: Strada delle Crociate 13.