Can anyone recommend restaurants in florence, venice and rome? one of our favorite things is to enjoy good restaurants and wine. so we are looking for nice places but not super fancy where we need a 2nd mortgage (and not tourist traps)!
also, what are your favorite places for pizza, gelato, pastry, etc? i have read the rick steves and trip advisor suggestions but would like some of your personal favorites!
thanks!
We really enjoyed Ristorante Oniga in Venice (it's in Rick's book). And we ran into someone we knew in there: an Italian who has lived in Colorado for years and owned restaurants in Vail and Grand Junction. He thought Oniga was great too!
Florence: Za Za--outdoor dining with fun atmosphere & good food--strolling musicians wander through; Venice: Locanda Montin in San Trovaso area--very nice menu and garden dining depending on the season; Rome: many favorites there--Perilli on Via Marmoratta has good Roman dishes--we have eaten lunch there on four visits--Armando is very good--near Pantheon; Der Pallaro near Campo Fiori; Pier Luigi which is south?? of the Pantheon; Ditirambo near CF; Cul de Sac. Pizza: Baffeto-- two locations--CF and Governo del Vecchio; Gelato: Gioliti--pricey but delicious--near Pantheon but you will need a map to find it. Never had bad gelato yet.
HI Nicole,
I bring up this Venice pizza place only because I've never seen it mentioned on other message boards, and we thought it was fantastically atmospheric for lunch. We stumbled upon it when we ventured off the usual tourist path, and it was filled with local construction workers enjoying wine with their pizza margheritas. Very untouristy -- the waiter sat us way at the back and didn't speak English to us, which we loved.
Trattoria Due Colonne
Hope you enjoy Italy!
I second the rec for Due Colonne in Venice. The later in the evening you go, the more likely you are to see residents there and not tourists. During warmer weather they set up bunches of tables in the piazza. Try to eat there, if you can. (It was a recommendation by one of the owners of Pensione Guerrato when we were there. We ran into him and his extended family there that evening.)
Nicole:
For Florence you can't beat Il Latini. Just come hungry. In our two trips there we have never seen a menu! You sit and a jug of their house wine is plopped in front of you and the wonderful food just keeps coming and coming and the price is very reasonable - an enormous luncheon with lots (and I mean lots) of wine was 25 euro per person. It attracts many tourists but on our last two trips (2004 and 2007) half of the tables surrounding us were speaking Italian.
For a Florence splurge I highly recommend Cibreo. It is a Michelin starred restaurant. I am still haunted by the unbelievable tastes we enjoyed - if you are into dining this is worth every penny. Have fun.
La Giostra in Florence was our favorite meal of our two week trip in Italy. Not in the book, but our friend who lived in Florence for a year recommended it. Wonderful food, service and atmosphere, as well as an unexpected complimentary glass of Prosecco and complimentary plate of delicious appetizers (we were shocked!). It was wonderful! My husband and I talk about it all the time... Oh, and they have a website, just Google it. Enjoy!
Our hostess Elena at B&B Fierenze in Florence recommended Tratoria Da Ruggedo at 89 via Senese. We ate there twice. The waiter even knew our names the next evening. They are known for where the locals go for authentic food. We were not disappointed. Next door is a pizza place she also recommended. It is just outside the South city wall. The landmark is a large statue in the square about a block from the restaurant of a woman with a stone on her head. You need reservations because it is a small cozy place. Like many places they don't serve dinner until 7:30.
