April Trip to Italy need restaurant recommendations

Florence: Vecchia Bettola, Viale Vasco Pratolini 3-7. Rome: Ristorante Paris in Trastevere
Venice: Al Fontego dei Pescatori Cannaregio 3726, Calle Priuli

Ask your hotel desk for closeby places. All of these cities have hundreds and hundreds of places to eat that are authentic. Italians are all into eating and drinking wine. I don't know if our stomachs can take so much eating while on vacation there.

Italians are all into eating and drinking wine. I don't know if our stomachs can take so much eating while on vacation there. Yet another sweeping statement from David. First - no they are not, many prefer an aperetif or bottled water. I have actually been there (North, Central and Southern Italy, big cities and small towns) and and hung out with locals many times. Second - just because there is food around doesn't mean you have to cram it all in.

Hear, hear, Nigel! At least David's second sentence is pretty correct. There are many excellent " authentic" restaurants in these cities ( although they may be harder to find in Venice). Asking your hotel desk may or may not work. They might know of a great little place nearby, or they may send you to the local touristy place simply because it is well known. Collect some personal recommendations like Claudia's ( she has been to Italy and has good taste, as far as I have seen). Hopefully there will be more. I can add one for Florence: Dei Fagioli, a small family place on Via Tintori a few blocks from Ponte Vecchio. No English menu ( which is a good sign). Portions in any restaurant are fairly small and you need not worry about eating too much. We always lose weight when traveling, including in Italy. Enjoy!

I'd like to second Dei Fagioli where we enjoyed the food, but it has been a few years. As I remember I had Rebollita (sp?) but neither my wife nor I can remember what she had.

Dei Fagioli is famous for their rmeatballs, and the same mix us used to stuff peppers, which is what I had, along with a nice salad. It's a down-home comfort food place, with shared tables, friendly service, pleasant atmosphere, and lots of Italians (and their babies).

@Thanks Lola. When I'm in Europe I try to counteract my near steady diet of IN and OUT Burgers in LA. @Nigel, "Who had?" Ribolitta or your wife. :-)??!!!

@Claudia No, that was me. Yummy, too. Next time you pop over can you bring me a couple of Double Doubles and some of the world's best hand made fries? Surely they will warm up?!?! cheers

Venice: La Zucca. Absolutely fabulous, but no seafood, which is kind of odd in Venice, but it really was amazingly good, out of the way, and reservations required. In Rome we love Cul De Sac. Nothing fancy but quite Roman.

Yes, Cul de Sac in Rome is wonderful. We were there around 830 in the evening. Sat out on the patio, watching all the people wander by. It was nice not being right on Piazza Navona, and tucked behind. Great food, great memories. One of our favourites. Will be back there in June, am looking forward to a wonderful dinner.

Michele, Have you "dined" in Italy before? You might want to do some research on the subject, as meals are typically presented in "waves" - Antipasti, Primi, Secondi, Contorni and Dolci. If you order the "full meal deal" along with wine, the price will be STEEP! My suggestion on restaurants would also be to ask the staff at your Hotel. Although they may send you to places owned by friends, I've been given a bad recommendation. You could also check the Guidebook for good recommendations in each of those locations. Which part of Rome are you staying in? On my visit last year, I dined a couple of times at Trattoria Antica Boheme, which is just around the corner from Hotel Sonya. IMO, the food was great! It seems to be quite a famous restaurant, as the walls were covered with photos of very famous people (mostly Italian entertainers) who have dined there (including Monica Belluci). I would definitely recommend it. It's been a few years since I've dined in Florence or Venice, so I'd have to refer to my trip records. Happy travels!