Does anyone have restaurant recommendations that you think are just too good to miss? I am mostly planning to wing it on the eating portion of our trip and just go with whatever wonderful food we stumble upon, but I'd love to have a few recommendations if you've gone somewhere truly outstanding- remarkable views, exceptionally good food, or whatever it was that made it stand out for you. (I'll be going mid-late April and would LOVE to take advantage of rooftop terraces, weather permitting)
Posted by
Sapulpa, OK, USA
6324 posts
Kelly: I have to recommend a small trattoria called Da Guido on Via Faenze in Florence. I don't have the exact address, but it's just across from Katti House, one of the hotels in the RS Florence Guidebook. Try the bistecca fiorentina, and the ravioli con burro e salvia (butter and sage.)
Posted by
Tacoma, WA
26 posts
First tip is to try to avoid the places listed in Rick Steves book. They are all great restaurants, but we sort of got tired of eating with 20 other people with the same guide book on the table. It's sometimes hard to tell if a restaurant is a truley good "local joint", or a tourist trap. Our tip, it look at the menu out front, and note the wine prices. A local joint always has cheap wine, a tourist trap always jacks up the price a little.
Posted by
Coraopolis, Pa, USA
1018 posts
I have been traveling in Italy for 30 years and I have never had a bad meal. Sometimes I ask hotel people for recommendations and sometimes we just wander around and stop at whatever looks good.
Two years ago I read about a restaurant in Roma in RS's book on Italy and we decided to eat there. I was terrific and the name is Ritorante Target on Via Torino just down from the Piazza della Repubblica off of Via Nazionale. They make a fantastic antipasto with breasola (air cured dried beef) stuffed with robiola cheese on some greens with a citrus dressing. The other courses were great, as well. When we returned last year we ate there again and were just as satisfied. I did order the same antipasto again and was just as pleased.
You do not need to visit the temples of gastronomy to eat well in Italy, as they are a nation of gourmets.
Buon viaggio,
RB