Best Italian hotels for food lovers to visit
From vineyard estates in Tuscany to converted palazzos in Puglia and boutiques in Milan's foodiest neighbourhood, here's our pick of Italian hotels that offer visitors a slice of la dolce vita
Looking for the best Italian hotel to visit? We've found the best Italian hotels for food lovers in Piedmont, Tuscany, Sicily, Puglia and everywhere in between. Whether you're on a budget or looking for luxury, need a city break or a sea views, check out our round-up of the best Italian hotels for something for everyone. For more hotel inspiration, check out our best European hidden gem hotels, or relax in one of the best hotel baths worth travelling for. Next, learn 10 things we love about Puglian cuisine and Tuscan food, plus discover the 8 lesser-known Italian islands worth visiting for a foodie trip. Best Italian hotels for foodies La Guardia, Tuscany Doubles from £241, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or booking.com Giglio, the second largest island in the Tuscan archipelago, is lush with clifftop vineyards, fig trees and pines. The serene and stylish seaside retreat, La Guardia, is perched atop a granite cave along from the pastel-hued harbour. Brushed concrete and original stone columns are softened with driftwood decorations and wispy wicker lanterns that gently flutter in the Mediterranean breeze. Chic neutral tones continue through to the rooms, all kitted out with luxury Sicilian Ortigia toiletries and many boasting balconies and sea views. Book the junior suite to embrace the elements with a bathroom built into the granite and a beachside terrace for watching the waves lap against the rocks. Mediterranean flavours and island cuisine are served in the on-site restaurant – sip on a Venetian Select spritz at aperitivo hour before a candlelit dinner of Sicilian anchovies, palamita fish with marinated courgettes, and tagliolini with lemon butter and bottarga. The 70-strong wine list showcases rare bottles from Italy’s islands – Giglio, Ischia, Salina and beyond. Breakfast includes the likes of prosciutto, omelettes with Tuscan cheese, homemade fig bread and freshly squeezed juices. There are sunset yoga sessions on the terrace, healing zen shiatsu and Ayurvedic treatments, and e-bikes to explore the island’s rugged trails, cliff-face vineyards and restaurants in medieval castles. Doubles from £241, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or booking.com Forestis, Plose Check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com At 1,800m above sea level, surrounded by panoramic views of the Dolomites, this unique property embraces its original intention as a climate spa for Austrian monarchy. Split between the original 1912 larchwood building and three modern towers, everything is designed to bring the landscape in – floor-to-ceiling windows allow the sun to dance around pinewood suites, bathrooms are made from Dolomites stone and two-level penthouses sit at the tip of two of the towers. Wellbeing is at the hotel’s heart – there’s Plose spring water sweetened with pine syrup on arrival, plus the spa’s successive indoor-outdoor mineral pools and saunas, daily rituals and a wyda studio (a local Celtic version of yoga). Mountain activities include ski-in, ski-out facilities as well as forest bathing and foraging. In the main restaurant, individual booths are arranged in an amphitheatre-like structure, allowing for prime views while you enjoy Roland Lamprecht’s forest cuisine. This is also where breakfast is served – a buffet featuring pretzels, chocolate caprese, ricotta cake, pistachio cream, Eisack Valley honeycomb and wild berry jams. There’s also speck, mountain cheeses, foraged fruits, a salad bar and DIY juice room with bottled mountain apple juice ready to drink. An evening at new restaurant concept Yera is an experience like no other – follow a torch through the forest into an earthy mountain cave, hand in phones at the door and let Roland and his team guide you through an immersive spectacle of fire, ferments and ancient Celtic traditions. A nightcap at the bar might be a fresh fig old fashioned, apricot-enriched Plosestar martini or negronis infused with Plose cranberries for added fruitiness. forestis.it Check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Masseria La Carrube, Puglia Doubles from £311, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Reached via a winding road through thousand-year-old olive trees, Masseria Le Carrube sits between the Adriatic and the hills above Ostuni – a low, whitewashed building surrounded by lemon trees, bougainvillea and acres of working land. This is Puglia at its most ingredients-led. The restaurant, set in the masseria's former olive mill, is entirely vegetarian and deeply rooted in the region. Chef Massimo Santoro builds his ever-changing menus around what the estate produces: almonds, figs, wild strawberries, wheat, vegetables, herbs and olives. Carrube (carob) grows in the courtyard and appears as flour in fresh pasta and dusted atop tiramisu. The approach is thoughtful, seasonal and proudly waste-free, with anything not used one day repurposed the next. Dishes are both traditional and surprising. A fennel flan arrives with a sharp cheese sauce, fried vegetables are crisp and balanced, a pasta cooked in red wine and finished with turnip top cream and a taralli crumb feels inventive but grounded. A bowl of breads – cazzatedde, focaccia and taralli – is as generous as the cooking itself. Guests can dive deeper with pasta-making classes led by Massimo, wine tastings with sommelier Mario exploring Puglia’s native grapes, and olive oil tastings at a neighbouring estate. These experiences round out Le Carrube’s philosophy: connection to the land and reverence for tradition. The rooms are simple, with vaulted ceilings and stone floors, a mixture of farmhouse antiques and clean lines. Some have sea views, others open onto lemon-filled courtyards. Two pools overlook the olive groves. In late summer, the estate’s white and black figs ripen, and you can be sure they’ll take centre stage when they do. Meals here feel like an honest celebration of Puglia’s landscape – generous, inventive and unmistakably local. Doubles from £311, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com L’Albereta Relais & Châteaux, Lombardy Nestled among the vineyards of Franciacorta, L’Albereta is a secluded escape near the town of Erbusco. Dating to the late 19th century, the villa was home to Giovanni Cavalleri and his wife Anna, a musician whose passion for the arts is reflected in the sculptures, whimsical art pieces and beautifully manicured grounds. Now owned by Vittorio Moretti, L’Albereta is on the same estate as Bellavista winery, which features on the extensive wine lists of its restaurants. The elegant Leonefelice Vista Lago, with a stunning view of Lake Iseo, serves elevated Italian dishes inspired by the area, such as Franciacorta beef with rocket and baked cherry tomatoes. Seasonal specials include fried duck egg with asparagus and caviar and cacio e pepe with Sicilian red prawns and lime. The desserts are equally elegant, such as kiwi sorbet with green apple, local wine and citrus fruit soup. Stanza 54, a cosy lounge, offers lunches and lighter fare, while La Filiale, the informal pizza restaurant from award-winning pizzaiolo Franco Pepe, serves handmade dough with innovative toppings. Rooms are individually decorated, large and bright, with warm tones, marble bathrooms and delicate furnishings. Expect luxe fabrics like damask and satin, artistic touches and, in some, deep hydro-massage tubs – choose a superior room for a balcony overlooking the gardens. A continental breakfast with local produce and breads is included. To make the most of your stay, book a tour of the on-site winery plus a tasting of its sparkling wines, or enjoy a treatment at the peaceful Chenot Espace wellness spa. Superior rooms from £348 per night, check availability at albereta.it or booking.com Villa La Massa, Tuscany Just 15 minutes from Florence's bustling centre, this riverside 16th-century estate welcomes guests with the heady scent of jasmine, lemon trees and roses. Despite its grandeur, Villa La Massa is laid back, calm and homely. The property has 54 unique rooms across six buildings, from the main Villa Nobile mansion to a riverside suite and a beautifully converted farmhouse. For ultimate seclusion, Casa Colonica stands out with authentic Tuscan elements – exposed beams, wooden floors and green marble bathrooms. There are artisan touches throughout, from hand-knotted rugs crafted by an 80-year-old local tapestry master to traditional key charms instead of modern keycards. The hotel’s restaurants celebrate Tuscan heritage and homegrown produce, with the estate's own olive oil accompanying every meal. Il Verrocchio restaurant offers traditional Tuscan dishes with a contemporary twist such as “Florentine” t-bone steak, duck ravioli, and tagliolini with roasted tomatoes, while L’Oliveto Bistrot focuses on more casual dining featuring the likes of fresh salads, carpaccio, and pizzas. Don't miss the rosemary-studded focaccia or the pici pasta, a hand-rolled specialty. Breakfast unfolds as a celebration of regional delicacies such as focaccia, coconut and cinnamon paradise cake, freshly squeezed orange juice and tables positioned to capture the morning sun dancing across the river's surface. Unwind in the spa with sauna, steam room and tailored massage treatments or participate in hands-on pizza-making classes and cocktail workshops. Villa La Massa invites you to fully lean into rural Tuscan life, while boasting easy access to Florence’s Renaissance treasures and thriving hospitality scene. Check availability at villalamassa.com or booking.com Hotel Su Gologone, Sardinia Doubles from £285, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or booking.com Winding into the Barbagia mountains you'll find the Hotel Su Gologone. Just a two-hour drive from the Costa Smeralda this is more bandit than paparazzi territory – probably one of the reasons Madonna hid out here, although she could have been swayed by the hotel’s gob-smacking beauty, hippy-chic vibe and gourmet credentials. Food is at the heart of Su Gologone, which started life as a restaurant in the 1960s. Today, it might be a chic, art-themed hotel – a pretty huddle of whitewashed buildings laced with vivid purple bougainvillea and bedded into the mountainside – but it’s still famous for its food. Giovanna’s vibrant artworks pepper the bedrooms’ walls while the corridors are hung with traditional embroidered skirts and shawls. Secret alcoves are dotted around the gardens, there’s an open-air cinema and pool, a small spa, rooftop lounging areas for stargazing and a fabulous bar– whitewashed, open-air, scattered with white cushions and teetering above the valley. Sip a frothy bellini here, as the sun sinks, soaking up the Ibiza vibe and jaw-dropping views. Doubles from £285, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or booking.com Fink, South Tyrol Check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Nestled in the arcades of one of Brixen’s oldest monastery townhouses, this boutique hotel has been passed down through four generations. Husband-and-wife owners Petra and Florian Fink have a deep respect for the 1450s building, creating an intentionally minimalist feel to allow original features to shine in the nine suites – thick stone walls left bare, restored ceiling frescoes decorating cosy window seats and the terrazzo flooring flecked with South Tyrolean stone. A compact vaulted spa awaits behind an ancient wooden door, its central stone plunge pool ideal for cooling down after sessions in the sauna, steam room and Roman bath outhouse. Choose to dine in the chic vaulted restaurant or outside beneath the arcade’s graceful curves. Florian curates produce from 50 local farmers – most specialising in a single ingredient – for his fresh, simple, zero-waste monastery kitchen style. The main menu is vegetarian and includes clever alternatives, such as root veg tartare, tagliolini with red cabbage cream and black truffle, and organic grain ravioli filled with chanterelles and mountain cheese. Meat and fish options are succinct and include local game and freshwater fish, from lake trout fillet to venison stew with beetroot dumplings, and veal schnitzel with lingonberry sauce. Sweet plum dumplings come with black beer ice cream, while three South Tyrolean apple varieties are showcased in a tartlet with ricotta and caramel sauce. An elegant breakfast kicks off with a soothing herb broth followed by fresh juices and fruit salads, crudités to dunk into herb ricotta and compotes to spread over warm croissants and breads, plus made-to-order spelt pancakes and crisp buckwheat waffles. fink1896.it Check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Il Borro Estate, Tuscany Doubles from £455, check availability at booking.com Il Borro is a true working 800-hectare estate, where guests visiting in autumn can take part in the wine harvest and feast alongside the workers and owners (the glamorous Ferragamo family). The hotel itself is set in the remains of a medieval village in the centre of the estate in Valdarno valley, a wilder, more rustic corner of Tuscany. The unique terroir of the estate, with its varying rocky, sandy and clay soils, makes perfect growing conditions for Syrah to make Pian di Nova, San Giovese to make Polissena and Merlot to make the Il Borro signature blend. This unique climate and soil isn’t solely reserved for wine - 700 olive trees provide oil, fields of buckwheat are a playground for honeybees, plus more fields of organic tomato vines, courgettes, pumpkins, green beans and melons provide the hotel’s three-floored Osteria and Tuscan bistro (and chef Andrea Campani) with the ultimate kitchen garden. The buffet breakfast is also exceptional – so abundant that sweet and savoury options are housed in separate rooms. Stay in one of the hotel double rooms or, for more of a countryside experience, the hotel has several ‘farmhouses’ available as guest suites – albeit farmhouses that come with infinity pools, vine-covered terraces and dining rooms where you can whip up your own meals. Don't miss out on a few laps in the infinity pool too. Doubles from £455, check availability at booking.com Nordelaia, Piedmont Rooms from £261 per night including breakfast. Check availability at booking.nordelaia.com, booking.com or mrandmrsssmith.com Nordelaia is all about equilibrium: between tradition and modernity; simplicity and indulgence; the boundlessness of nature and the cosy, uplifting comfort of home. It lies within a hilly swathe of rural Piedmont – a region which itself represents a kind of geographical middle ground, suspended between the mighty Alps and the coastal province of Liguria in north-west Italy. Occupying an 800-year-old converted farmhouse, the interiors of Nordelaia’s 12 rooms are at once contemporary and classic. Two attic suites – all warm wood beams and pleasing oblique angles – evoke a sense of treetop seclusion, while freestanding baths in the bedroom areas add a dose of opulence. On the first floor, the four rooms are themed around the striking seasonal colour palettes by which Nordelaia, from its woody hillside perch, is engulfed: greens in the spring, yellows for summer, fiery reds in the autumn, and pearly whites in the winter. Two outdoor pools – one heated, one not, but both with views for miles – entice in all seasons, while a visit to the spa, with its warm stone floors, barrel-vaulted brick ceiling and stone arches, is sure to restore a sense of internal equilibrium. Beyond the walls, Nordelaia is set within five hectares of arable land and boasts a working vineyard. Its offerings feature prominently on the wine list at the hotel’s destination restaurant, Lorto. Here chef Charles Pearce pays stunning homage both to the earthy, woodland character of Piedmont and to the maritime bounty of neighbouring Liguria. The two coalesce inventively in his take on perbureira – a thick, bean-based sauce traditionally served with pasta that Charles instead pairs with barbecue-kissed prawns and a coral emulsion. There’s a potato risotto with mussels that hits all the right notes, and a lip-smacking tangle of barbecued oyster mushrooms, served with a deeply savoury anchovy-based ferment called garum. A bistro menu that leans towards traditional flavours with modern touches offers guests a more relaxed but no less excellent dining experience. Rooms from £261 per night including breakfast. Check availability at booking.nordelaia.com, booking.com or mrandmrsssmith.com Palazzo Margherita, Basilicata Doubles from £856, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com The ethos behind Palazzo Margherita is that it should be a home away from home (albeit a pretty palatial one, bearing in mind that this was originally home to a Hollywood film director), with friendly staff and an open attitude to eating: guests can eat anywhere, anytime, choosing a location within the property that suits their particular mood. Enjoy breakfast in the courtyard, coffees by the walled pool, pizza and pasta at communal tables at the eat-in kitchen and drinks in the cocktail bar. Should you venture away from the hotel, the tranquil local beach has a scattering of sunbeds and parasols reserved for Palazzo Margherita guests. Pick one and look out at the Ionian Sea while you feast on a picnic made up by the cooks at the hotel (they normally add in a delicious seafood spaghetti made with the catch of the day from a local fisherman). Doubles from £856, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Susafa, Sicily Doubles from £273, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or expedia.co.uk It’s a family affair at Susafa, a sprawling estate that has been owned by members of the Saeli-Rizzuto family for five generations - brothers Manfredi and Tommaso are now at the helm. The fortified, 19th-century farmhouse at its heart sits at the foot the Madonie mountains, near Polizzi Generosa, and is the focal point for overnight guests. Around the farmhouse are 18 simple but chic guest rooms. Between terracotta floors and exposed beams are restful ricotta-coloured walls and the odd pop of olive green or tomato red from a headboard or throw. A restaurant is housed in the old granary and flavours here take their inspiration from the traditional Sicilian table. Vegetables, herbs, fruit and organic olive oil all come straight from the farm and the menu is elegantly rustic (think tomato salads, caponata and creamy risottos). Join a cookery lesson if you can drag yourself away from the pool. Doubles from £273, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or expedia.co.uk Castello di Casole, Tuscany Doubles from £667, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Roughly half way between Florence and Siena, and surrounded by 4,200 acres of quintessential rolling, forested hills and golden fields, Castello di Casole is a magnificent Italian country estate. At its centre is an imposing, ochre-coloured castle flanked by gardens of lavender, gravel-edged lawns, roses and olive trees. Castello di Casole is pitched at travellers in search of an unblemished version of la dolce vita, one with all the luxurious perks you could imagine. It has 41 rooms and suites within the castle and the hamlet that surrounds it, and another 28 villas and farmhouses (rentable by the week) scattered throughout the estate. Décor is tastefully restrained, with sage and burnt umber paintwork, beamed ceilings, antique furniture sourced from local markets, traditional cotto floors and Carrara marble bathrooms. As with any self-respecting Tuscan estate, this one comes with its own vineyard and olive groves but the real showstopper is the hotel’s infinity pool with its mesmerising views over the undulating landscape. As dusk falls, most guests gravitate to the terrace above the pool, aperitivo in hand, to watch the spectacular sight of the sun sinking behind the hills. As well as the Pazzia Restaurant, which serves traditional Italian dishes and homemade gelato as well as Alessandro’s expert pizzas, there is a more formal restaurant, Tosca, overseen by chef Daniele Sera. Despite the stiff linen and impeccable service here, it still feels relaxed. A standout of the four-course tasting menu was the delicate spinach and ricotta gnudi with tomato confit and light-as-air mozzarella foam. There are more gastronomic experiences available too – from truffle hunting and mushroom foraging to pasta making and wine or olive oil tasting. Doubles from £667, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Borgo Egnazia, Puglia Doubles from £469, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or expedia.co.uk Borgo Egnazia, or ‘village Egnazia’, is quite literally that: an Apulian-inspired network of little streets and piazzas that lead to villas, restaurants, swimming pools, spas, gardens and golf courses. It’s a self-contained bubble of luxury, beautifully designed around the colours white and cream, that’s built entirely from tactile tuff stone. Despite its size, the entire complex exudes a zen-like atmosphere that we found very difficult to leave. You can choose from four types of hotel room, five apartments or six villas – all luxurious, and all within easy reach of a swimming pool. Food is a priority, with six restaurants on site that honour Puglian cuisine – timeless, simple, thrifty food. From grilled octopus at the sophisticated Due Camini, where vaulted white ceilings twinkle with illuminated glass bottles, to a relaxed buffet at La Fresca, rustic orecchiette or pizza at Mia Cucina and fresh seafood at beachside restaurant Pescheria da Vito, it’s easy to stay within the Borgo walls all week. Doubles from £469, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or expedia.co.uk Il Borgo del Balsamico, Emilia Romagna Doubles from £148, check availability at booking.com Modena is synonymous with one of Italy’s most celebrated ingredients: intensely flavoured balsamic vinegar made from fermented grape must. The area around the city of Reggio Emilia is a hub for the vinegar’s production, and also happens to be where you will find Il Borgo del Balsamico. At this historic guest house, in Botteghe Albinea, sisters Cristina and Silvia Crotti produce DOP and IGP vinegars. It’s a lovely setting – an 18th century villa and farmhouse surrounded by wisteria-draped gardens, abundant with damask roses and fruit trees. You can visit the tasting rooms as a day tripper but we recommend booking to stay over in one of the property’s three, refined guestrooms (plus one apartment); think parquet floors, Venetian plasterwork and carefully chosen antiques. There’s a small pool in the gardens too. Doubles from £148, check availability at booking.com Locanda al Colle, Tuscany Doubles from £252, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com Calling Locanda al Colle a bed and breakfast is a bit of an understatement. This 12-room guesthouse has many of the perks of a five-star hotel with its antiques and art, saltwater pool and immaculate gardens. Adding to the exclusive feel is its tranquil location, on a pine and olive tree-dotted hill outside Camaiore (also easily reached from seaside resorts like Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi and the pretty town of Pietrasanta). The overall vibe is informal but impeccable, and the same could be said of the food, with everything freshly made each day, from the sourdough bread and granola at breakfast to the cakes for afternoon tea. Resident chef Gianluca also conducts cookery lessons in the kitchen and, twice a week (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) hosts sociable dinners serving homemade ravioli and more on the candlelit terrace (on Monday evenings simple suppers of Tuscan soup and bruschetta are also available). Doubles from £252, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com Planeta Wine Estate, Sicily Doubles from £225, check availability at booking.com Unsurprisingly it’s all about wine at the Planeta Wine Estate, just outside Menfi in south-western Sicily. As one of Sicily’s most well established and highly regarded wine producers, Planeta has five different territories dotted around the island but Menfi is where it all began, back in the 16th century. At nearby La Forestiera (part of the estate) there are 14 guestrooms set amid regimented vines, plus a restaurant whose menu is informed by its surroundings - the herbs of the countryside and seafood from the nearby coast. Sip a glass of Nero d’Avola on the pool terrace or visit one of Planeta’s wineries for an in-depth tasting. As well as the pool, in the warmer months guests have access to the Lido Fiori on the beach at Porto Palo di Menfi, 10 minutes’ drive away. Planeta also has vast olive groves at Capparriva producing DOP Val di Mazzara oils; guests can sign up for a tasting and learn about harvesting and pressing. Doubles from £225, check availability at booking.com La Locanda Delle Donne Monache, Basilicata Doubles from £98, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk Slightly less well-trammelled by British visitors than other corners of the country, Basilicata is sandwiched between Campania (to the north) and Calabria (to the south). Its rumpled Tyrrhenian Sea coastline is short but sweet at just 30km long, with mountains rising abruptly from the sea. Maratea, its principal town, is a charming cluster of buildings dotted with twisting alleyways and over 40 churches. Also in town, La Locanda delle Donne Monache is a former 18th-century convent, now a smart hotel, with a pool and views over the countryside to the sea. The hotel’s Il Sacella restaurant embraces the flavours of the province – chillies and pork are popular regional staples – and the menu features local sausages from Maratea, homemade pasta with mussels, shrimp and cuttlefish and baked sea bream washed down by Basilicata’s signature wine, the red Aglianco del Vulture. Doubles from £98, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk Domu Antiga, Sardinia Doubles from £182, check availability at booking.com A 19th-century farmhouse in the rural heartland of Sardinia, Domu Antiga is in the village of Gergei, surrounded by empty plains and olive groves roamed by more sheep than people. The sensitively restored building is now home to four airy guestrooms whose owners are passionate about local traditions. Guests can jump on a cute Piaggio Ape van and tour the Unesco World Heritage-listed archaeological site of Su Nuraxi at Barumini. Alternatively, join chef Maria Grazia’s bread and cheese-making classes or try your hand at making local pasta shapes, like the island’s unique malloreddus gnocchi. Maria also oversees the guesthouse’s lavish breakfasts, and cooks dinner on request (expect grilled vegetables, local ravioli and Sardinian cheeses). There’s also a pizzeria and a winery close by. Doubles from £182, check availability at booking.com San Luis, Avelengo Check rates and availability at sanluis-hotel.com San Luis is where to go to get away from it all, breathe deeply and just immerse yourself in the tranquility, interrupted only by birdsong and cow bells chiming out through the surrounding valleys. Bedrooms are spread across a scattering of chalets and treehouses around a small, glacier mint-clear lake. Many of the rooms have their own hot tubs and saunas and all of them have small kitchens and dining areas. The showstopper is the double-height spa area in the main clubhouse with its blazing fires, black linen loungers to sink into, huge windows gazing out over the treetops and an inside/outside swimming pool – swim out, race down the pontoon and jump into the hot tub (or, in summer, plunge into the chilly waters of the lake). For foodies, the buzzy, ground floor dining room looks out over the lake and purrs with efficiency. The menu comes in two guises; a traditional one, which draws on the region’s Austro/Italian gastro-heritage, and a more modern, Mediterranean-inspired alternative dreamt up by executive chef, Arturo Spicocchi (five courses, but you can pick and choose how much you want to eat and half portions are available). Lunchtime means soup, salad and cheese, and teatime heralds cakes as well as home-made ice cream. Check rates and availability at sanluis-hotel.com Don Totu Dimora Storica, Puglia Doubles from £295, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or booking.com A stylish boutique hotel in the heart of rustic Puglia, Don Totu Dimora Storica is an 18th century palazzo boasting some of the most secluded grounds and best value rooms in the region. In the rural town of San Cassiano large wooden doors along an unassuming backstreet open into a mini palazzo, gracefully decorated in muted tones. Squishy armchairs and books and board games are on hand to keep visitors occupied. Or, help yourself to snacks from the kitchen (homemade biscuits, juices, cakes and nuts) and pad out through a higgledy-piggledy courtyard to find stone staircases leading to secluded terraces. Scented white rose petals drift down from a pergola that leads to a pool and gardens, jazz trickles from speakers and tiny lizards dart from one cacti-filled pot to another. The six bedrooms at Don Totu each have an individual feel. The owners make the most of the building’s quirks (vaulted stone ceilings, quiet alcoves, narrow staircases leading to terracotta terraces…) and have gathered a collection of furniture from across the region to add contemporary touches. There’s no restaurant at the hotel but order before 10.30 and you can enjoy lunchtime sandwiches and salads made with the region’s fantastic produce. The hotel’s small team of staff provides complimentary snacks to break up your day, anywhere in the grounds, from afternoon tea to aperitivo. Doubles from £295, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or booking.com Palazzo Seneca, Norcia Doubles from £217, check availability at booking.com The foodie town of Norcia is set in the densely tree-covered Sibillini Mountains in Umbria. Enter through one of seven gates in the town’s heart-shaped, ancient walls and you soon discover a network of paved streets rich with foodie delights – café and restaurant tables spilling onto pavements and traditional food shops, Norcinerias, packed with prosciutto, cheeses, spelt and truffles. Relais & Chateaux's Palazzo Seneca is an elegantly restored sixteenth-century building hidden in one of Norcia’s narrow streets. Original stone flooring, open fires and squishy chairs await in the reception rooms, while delicate wrought iron frames, twisted wooden columns and wooden bedheads have been crafted so no two of the 24 rooms are the same. Pad down to the hotel's candlelit barrel-vaulted spa in the basement, complete with jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath. For breakfast, a serve-yourself spread is laid out on enormous wooden surfaces, with an entire table dedicated to charcuterie and local cheese. The hotel’s Michelin-starred Vespia restaurant is where the modern and innovative approach really comes into play, with little stacks of 24hr-cooked suckling pig and crisp buttery potatoes with splashes of colourful root veg purée, Norcia sausage ravioli and Breton chicken two ways. Doubles from £217, check availability at booking.com Find out more about our trip around Norcia here Langhe Country House, Piedmont Doubles from £209 per night, check availability at booking.com An imposing 18th-century farmstead near Alba, in Piedmont, Langhe Country House is surrounded by vineyards and hazelnut orchards, and has been beautifully renovated by owners Alessandro and Nadia (a Slow Food member and trained sommelier). The only meal served here is breakfast but it seriously impresses: hazelnut cakes and tarts, biscuits (baci, brutti ma buoni), croissants, jams, seasonal fruit, cheeses from Alta Langa, sliced hams – all homemade or local. Cooking classes for Piedmontese recipes can be arranged, and guests can help themselves to a glass of wine from the poolside wine fridge before going out for dinner in the local village. Doubles from £209 per night, check availability at booking.com Castello Banfi Il Borgo, Tuscany Doubles from £762, check availability at booking.com Set on Montalcino’s largest wine estate, by a medieval castle, Castello Banfi Il Borgo is a glamorous Italian hotel shaped from a hamlet of former estate workers’ houses. Romantic, traditionally styled suites - with terracotta floors, antique furnishings and linen-canopied beds – and classical Tuscan cooking (courses are also available) make it popular with honeymooners but it’s the estate’s Brunello that draws in visiting gourmands; in the on-site enoteca/ wine bar local sheep’s cheese and prosciutto can be paired to the estate’s wines. Doubles from £762, check availability at booking.com Hotel Schgaguler, Dolomites Doubles from £318, check availability at booking.com Pale wood and light hues dominate at Hotel Schgaguler, a central Castelrotto hotel surrounded by the Italian Dolomiti Superski region and all its endless ski runs. The food here is lighter than the hearty mountain fare of the surrounding mountains, with an Alpine-meets-Med twist. But the approach to ingredients remains as hyper-local as possible, making the most of what’s on the hotel’s doorstep. Eat light-as-a-feather gnocchi sprinkled with Alpine herbs, and drink milk supplied direct from local farms. The wine list is cherry-picked from Tyrolean producers further down the valley near Bolzano, and there’s a selection of grappa from neighbouring distilleries. Doubles from £318, check availability at booking.com The Marriott, Venice Doubles from £509, check availability at booking.com, marriott.com or expedia.co.uk Venice has long been known for its iconic Italian landmarks and traditionally rich culture. And cooking is an intrinsic part of that culture. At the Marriott, Federico Belluco, one of Italy’s youngest Michelin starred chefs, demonstrates why, making the most of the island’s kitchen garden of herbs, edible flowers and vegetables in dishes such as silky tortellini or comforting seafood stew, all drizzled in Isola delle Rose olive oil, the only olive oil produced within the city's boundaries. The resort's luxurious bedrooms and suites are modern and minimalist. Particularly impressive are the Residenza suites, which come with private pools with views of Venice. Doubles from £509, check availability at booking.com, marriott.com or expedia.co.uk La Favia, Milan Doubles from €125 including breakfast, check availability at lafavia4rooms.com< The four-bedroom La Favia guesthouse, an urban hideaway tucked inside a refurbished 19th-century building, takes its inspiration from owners Fabio and Marco’s travels: no two rooms are the same. On sunny mornings, start the day with breakfast in the rooftop garden – eggs cooked to order, pastries, cakes, bread, homemade jams, fruit and juice squeezed from oranges grown in the owners’ own citrus grove. Doubles from €125 including breakfast, check availability at lafavia4rooms.com Masseria Montenapoleone, Puglia Doubles from £212, check availability at booking.com In time-honoured Pugliese farming tradition, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and, at Masseria Montenapoleone - a stylish farmhouse hotel - it is served in the atmospheric surroundings of the Old Stables. Freshly picked fruits from the farm, dried fig tarts straight from the oven, citrus carpaccio with cinnamon, local cheese and cured meats are just some of the treats on offer for the first meal of the day. The warm sandstone farmhouse, which dates from the 1600s, has 16 guestrooms and is surrounded by a plane of silvery olive and almond trees. Just outside Fasano, on the Salento coast, it is very much a working farm, dedicated to organic produce. Guests are encouraged to pick their own fruit and vegetables and to go behind the scenes to learn more about Puglian cuisine. Doubles from £212, check availability at booking.com Antica Fattoria La Parrina, Tuscany Doubles from £115, check availability at booking.com The Maremma is a corner of Tuscany where you can still find countryside roamed by traditional cowboys called “butteri” and Antica Fattoria La Parrina is the perfect stop for a window into rural life down on the Tuscan farm. As well as making well-regarded wines and grappa, the farm also produces cheese, honey, olive oil, fruit, vegetables, pasta, flour and meat – there’s an on-site shop that would put many a farmer’s market to shame. Overnight guests (it also doubles as an agriturismo) can also enjoy the farm’s bounty on the breakfast table, as well as at lunch and dinner; everything is made onsite. Guests can picnic in the grounds, enjoy wine tastings, join a Tuscan cookery lesson or even go boar hunting on the estate. The property’s 12 bedrooms, housed in the solid farmhouse at the centre of the estate, channel rustic charm rather than country chic and there’s a pool, gardens and the beach resorts of the Tyrrhenian Sea a short drive away. Doubles from £115, check availability at booking.com Hotel Emilia, Le Marche Doubles from £67, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk With rolling hills, ancient towns and beaches lapped by the limpid waters of the Adriatic, Le Marche’s under-the-radar charms are many. Hotel Emilia commands a haughty spot on the Cornero Riviera, a slice of dreamy coastline south of Ancona mostly given over to a national park. In addition to its 30 guests rooms, there’s a pool, an artsy vibe, a restaurant focusing on local dishes and fabulous sunsets. While you’re there, take the serpentine road down to Portonovo, however. At night the loungers are tidied away and tables are set up on the beach. Seafood is the order of the day, namely the acclaimed wild mussels found in the bay, some of the sweetest you’ll ever taste and harvested in the traditional way. Served in a number of guises; sautéed with lemon, served with spaghetti or with "paccheri" and fennel as is the case at Da Giachetti (ristorantedagiachetti.it). Il Laghetto (illaghetto.com) and Da Emilia (daemilia) are two more to try. Doubles from £67, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk More travel guides Best French food trips Best Spanish food trips Best Portuguese food trips Best European vineyards to visit and stay Best foodie city breaks by train Best hotels in Paris Best Italian hotels Best country house hotels in the UK Best Scottish hotels
8 lesser-known Italian islands for a foodie trip
Swap Sicily and Sardinia for some lesser-known gems and a truly memorable Italian island holiday away from the crowds
Whether you’re searching for some late-summer sunshine or are one of those enviably organised people who’s already looking ahead to next year, a week on an Italian island is hard to beat. And while Sicily, Capri and Sardinia are popular for good reason, sometimes the best trips are the less obvious ones. Boats, beaches and bowls of pasta… Here are some of our favourite isles for a foodie escape. 8 lesser-known Italian islands to visit Ponza Ponza is the ultimate Roman getaway. A couple of hours from the capital by train and ferry, it’s the perfect island to tack onto a long weekend in the Eternal City. There are three ways to get around small but mighty Ponza: scooter, e-bike and boat. Water taxis will get you to all the major beaches, but we loved hiring a bike and zipping up and down the hills to get to the best, smaller beaches such as Cala Gaetano and La Caletta. It’s also the ultimate way to work up an appetite – La Marina at Cala Feola beach is one of the best on the island. Book in advance and you might snag one of the tables on the rocks. It’s just the place to enjoy bottarga pasta while the waves lap at the restaurant. In the main town, some of the best dining spots are Restaurant EEA, Oresteria and Lanterna da Silverio. That said, one of our favourite meals was on board a five-hour boat tour, which took us around the island and over to neighbouring Palmarola. There are no hotels here, but O’Francese is the island’s one (cash-only) restaurant, right on the sand. We saved our stomachs for the captain-made tuna and tomato pasta back on the boat, which we ate while bobbing about in the sea. Where to stay: Villa Laetitia is a gorgeous boutique hotel owned by one of the Fendi sisters. Overlooking the main port (every bedroom has a sea view), this is a sumptuous boutique option, complete with tiled floors, striking beds and lovely design details, such as branded crockery and pretty linen curtains. Pantelleria One thing to know about Pantelleria: there will be capers. A small volcanic island that’s closer to Tunisia than it is to Sicily, its closest neighbour, water here is precious. The upside of this are some perfect growing conditions for capers. There’s a whole museum dedicated to them, they’re served in everything from seafood pasta to chocolate and caper gelato (yes, really) and they’re also the butt of a joke in Luca Guadagnino’s excellent film A Bigger Splash, which is set on Pantelleria. There’s much more to the island than that, of course. There’s the pancake-flat Lake of Venus, where you can bathe and cover yourself in the shore’s mineral-rich mud. There’s a great ceramics scene (look for De Simone) and plenty of amazing walks (the trek up to Montagna Grande is worth it for the views, and you break it up with a spell in the Grotta di Benikula – a natural cave sauna). Pantelleria’s beaches span from natural thermal pools to rocky bays with umbrellas and sunbeds. And the food is fantastic – some of our favourite restaurants included Il Principe e Il Pirata (The Princess & The Pirate), La Nicchia and I Giardini dei Rodo, with its pretty, lantern-filled courtyard. You can get a ferry here from Sicily or for a standalone holiday there are direct flights from Milan and Rome. Where to stay: Tenuta Borgia is the striking, design-focused villa where A Bigger Splash is set. If you want to access the famous swimming pool, you’ll need to book exclusive use, but we loved our stay in the smaller two-bedroom dammuso, which had a huge terrace overlooking the sea and a smaller pool. Best of all, it’s completely private (you’ll be given the exact address moments before arriving), so it feels like a true escape. Ischia Part of the region of Campania, Ischia is a short ferry ride away from Naples. Known as the ‘green island’, it’s a place of natural beauty and hot springs. If you like hiking, this is the one for you: Mount Epomeo is the island’s highest point and offers incredible views, and there’s another beautiful walk up to Madonna di Zaro, a site of pilgrimage. For something gentler, Sant’Angelo is an utterly charming pedestrian-only village. A former fishing port, its distinctive colourful houses line the seafront and make for postcard-perfect photos. For the best experience of those famous hot springs, head to Le Fumarole beach, which has volcanic steam vents. Elsewhere, Maronti beach is one of the largest stretches of sand on the island. Given its proximity to Naples, Ischia’s food takes on a Neapolitan flair. For an authentic trattoria experience, book into Peppina di Renato – which dates to 1979 – for potato and gorgonzola pizza, panzanella salad and ‘pomodoro piccante’ rigatoni. And you can’t come here without trying the local dish, a rabbit stew called coniglio all’Ischitana. Some of the best is served at Trattoria Il Focolare. Where to stay: Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa is part of the same group as Il Pellicano in Tuscany and La Posta Vecchia near Rome. As at Il Pellicano, the famed hotel that’s ruled Italian hospitality since the 1970s, you can expect relaxed yet impeccable service, bold design and a gorgeous spa. Procida Like Ischia, Procida is a Phlegraean island – and we suggest a double header. You might recognise Procida as the backdrop to the Matt Damon and Jude Law adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley. Either way, if you thought Ischia’s Sant’Angelo was pretty, you’ll be struck by the cobbled village of Coricella, whose port is dominated by eye-catching houses and churches (some of these look a little lived-in, but that all adds to the charm). One of the harbourside restaurants, La Locanda del Postino, was also in the film and still makes an impact today, serving the likes of local prawns, tuna tartare and marinated anchovies. Girone in Marina Chiaolella is another top spot, and is the best place to try the local delicacy of ricci di mare (sea urchin). As the entire island is just four square kilometres, you won’t need a car. Instead, visitors tend to walk from village to village and beach to beach, working up an appetite for their afternoon gelato. One of the best beaches is Chiaia, which has a beach club as well as public areas for swimming and sunbathing. Where to stay: Given its size, there isn’t a huge amount of choice on Procida. La Suite Hotel is one of the best on the island. Guests can dine among olive trees, there’s a pool to dip into and Il Pozzo Vecchio black-sand beach is a 10-minute walk away. Elba Picturesque Elba is in the Tyrrhenian Sea and the largest of the Tuscan archipelago. Once famous for harbouring Napolean during his exile in the 1800s, it’s known today for its beautiful sandy beaches, clear waters and mountainous terrain. These clear waters have made it a hotbed for snorkelling and diving, but anyone wanting to enjoy the waters even just for swimming will love the cape of Sant’Andrea, a bay with crystal-blue waters, golden sand, small shells and a series of inlets that have created natural swimming pools. The bay’s other feature are its dramatic granite rock formations rising from the sea. On the food front, expect classic Tuscan dishes with an island twist. Publius in Poggio offers the likes of braised tuna in chianti wine with polenta or cocoa ravioli filled with cinghiale (wild boar ragu) and a parmesan sauce, while Osteria del Noce in the old hilltop village of Marciana serves grilled octopus by candlelight. Elba’s not the easiest place to get to – from the UK you’ll need to fly to Pisa, get a bus to Piombino, then a ferry over to the island – but the final destination is worth the journey. Where to stay: For one of the best views on Elba, book one of the balcony suites at Hotel Ilio. These rooms are just a few metres away from the dramatic Sant’Andrea coastline. The suite’s private terrace is a lovely spot to watch sunrise and sunset on the island. Salina Part of the Sicilian archipelago, Salina is the second-largest Aeolian island and an ideal add-on if you’re headed to Sicily (it’s a two-and-a-half-hour ferry away). Recognisable for its twin volcanic peaks, Salina, like Pantelleria, is famed for its capers, but also for its olives, figs, citrus and Sorsi di Malvasia sweet wine. These ingredients define many of the local delicacies: ‘u pani cunzatu is a slice of bread topped with caper pesto, almonds, grilled aubergines, caperberries, tomato, mint and ricotta, which is baked in the oven. Fig and almond granitas are a daily must during the hot summers. Nni Lausta is one of our favourite spots to soak up the flavours of Salina – if it’s not too hot, grab a table on the buzzy terrace. A famously verdant isle, Salina’s highlights are best taken in from a boat. As you make your way around, you’ll get to admire Fossa delle Felci, a towering old volcano, the pretty bay of Semaforo di Pollara, and Punta Lingua, a lighthouse on the southernmost tip of the island. Where to stay: Owned by the Caruso family, Hotel Signum is resplendent in limestone walls and warm Aeolian colours. With terraces looking over to neighbouring Panarea and Stromboli, the hotel is also home to a lovely spa and Signum, which holds a Michelin Green star for sustainability. Lipari Another Aeolian island that’s worth a stay in its own right is Lipari (to get there, hop on a ferry from Sicily or Naples). The largest of this cluster of islands, Lipari is a UNESCO World Heritage site and there is real history here. Chiostro de Normanni is part of the first Benedictine monastery built in Sicily, while the imposing castle of Lipari is a neolithic wonder with a great museum. For the best views – and sunsets – head to Quattrocchi (‘four eyes’), where huge cliffs plunge into the water, sea stacks rise from beneath the waves and visitors can gaze across to the other islands. Two of our favourite restaurants are Trattoria del Vicolo and Filippino. The former serves traditional Aeolian dishes such as busiate pasta with swordfish, aubergine and mint or risotto with pumpkin flowers and clams. Filippino has an atmospheric location on the main town square. Over 100 years old, it’s a heritage spot serving modern interpretations of classic rustic dishes – think cuttlefish black risotto with Volcano ricotta foam, followed by a pink white chocolate foam. Where to stay: <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100565798-11795693?sid=olivemagazine-272170&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fit%2Fla-settima-luna.en-gb.html%3Faid%3D356980%26label%3Dgog235jc-10CAsocUIPbGEtc2V0dGltYS1sdW5hSAlYA2hQiAEBmAEzuAEHyAEP2AED6AEB-AEBiAIBqAIBuAKA4LXGBsACAdICJDM3YzFjYzAxLTdmNTktNGM2ZC05MWY1LWU5YWVlMDNkNmU5YdgCAeACAQ%26sid%3D591c30c5005e4473cb6db7551ba9daea%26all_sr_blocks%3D40148901_88173162_2_1_0%26checkin%3D2025-09-28%26checkout%3D2025-09-29%26dest_id%3D-113006%26dest_type%3Dcity%26dist%3D0%26group_adults%3D2%26group_children%3D0%26hapos%3D1%26highlighted_blocks%3D40148901_88173162_2_1_0%26hpos%3D1%26matching_block_id%3D40148901_88173162_2_1_0%26no_rooms%3D1%26req_adults%3D2%26req_children%3D0%26room1%3DA%252CA%26sb_price_type%3Dtotal%26sr_order%3Dpopularity%26sr_pri_blocks%3D40148901_88173162_2_1_0__15400%26srepoch%3D1758294021%26srpvid%3Dfaf36980d7b20259%26type%3Dtotal%26ucfs%3D1%26" rel="sponsored" target="_blank">La Settima Luna is 50m from the beach, and makes the most of its location with a terrace and pool that offers panoramic views of the water below. Modern and minimalist, the hotel has white-washed walls inside and out, adding to the Mediterranean feel. Vulcano As its name suggests, Vulcano is one of the most volcanic islands in Italy. It’s a raw and rugged place where black-sand beaches meet deep-blue seas. Many of the attractions around Vulcano centre around this volcanic activity: some of the best ways to immerse yourself in island life are hiking to its ancient ‘Grand’ crater (worth it for the view alone) and soaking in the thermal mud baths of Laghetto dei Fanghi (you’ll soon get used to the island’s sulphurous smell). There are also lots of fun ways to get around: bikes, kayaks, quads and Mini-Mokes are all available for hire. One of the best restaurants on the island is Il Cappero (which, you guessed it, means ‘the caper’). Earlier this year, it earned Michelin and Green stars for its simple but expertly executed dishes, which tend to only feature two ingredients. More Michelin-worthy food can be found at I Tenerumi, which is similar in style to Il Cappero, but fully vegetarian. The easiest way to get to Vulcano is to take a flight to Catania or Palermo on Sicily, then transfer to Milazzo for a one-hour ferry to the island. Where to stay: Therasia Resort is perched above the sea. It’s a great example of Aeolian architecture, with columns, reed roofing and arches facing the water. All the bedrooms use natural materials – such as lava stone, terracotta, cedar and olive wood – that add a sense of earthy richness to a stay. The resort is also home to an incredible spa, with natural pools and treatments that maximise the island’s minerality. More travel inspiration Best Italian hotels for food lovers to visit Best European mountain escapes Best Mediterranean islands for foodies 5 coolcations ideas for food lovers 10 UK and European hotels with Michelin-starred restaurants 10 unique walking holidays for food lovers 11 UNESCO cities of gastronomy to visit 12 foodies share the European holiday destinations you need to know
Naples cuisine: how to cook like a local
Dive into the vibrant, sun-soaked flavours of this iconic Italian city, featuring three mouthwatering recipes by Michele Pascarella to recreate in your kitchen.
Want to learn about the cuisine of the Naples? Discover what makes this unique cuisine special, plus three recipes to try, from Michele Pascarella. For more global recipes, check out our guides to Hokkaido cuisine or Balkan cuisine. Recipes extracted from Napoli on the Road (£20, Ryland Peters & Small). Photographs: Stephen Joyce. Neopolitan cuisine Naples is home to one of the most authentic and dynamic food scenes in the world, a place where tradition and innovation come together to create an unforgettable food experience. Known as the birthplace of pizza, the city has built a global reputation around its iconic margherita and marinara, yet its cooking extends far beyond its legendary dough. Naples is a city where food is culture, history and identity, deeply woven into daily life. Neapolitan cuisine lies in its simplicity and the use of high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. From the San Marzano tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius to the fresh seafood caught daily along the Bay of Naples, every dish tells a story of tradition and craftsmanship. Street food plays a major role in the city’s food culture through beloved specialities like sfogliatella, cuoppo di fritti, frittatina di pasta and panino con la parmigiana. Meanwhile, historic trattorias and family-run osterias serve timeless dishes such as pasta alla Genovese, ragù napoletano and impepata di cozze, keeping centuries-old recipes alive. Beyond tradition, Naples is also embracing modern cooking, with young chefs and contemporary restaurants reinterpreting classic flavours with a creative twist. Whether you’re enjoying a slice of pizza in a bustling alley, sipping espresso at a historic café or enjoying fine dining with a view of the Gulf, the Neapolitan food scene is a true celebration of passion, craftsmanship and a love for good food. Michele's recipes from Naples Capricciosa bianca A pizza topped with a rich combination of ham, salami, mushrooms, chargrilled artichokes and black olives. Basic pizza dough This recipe makes sufficient dough to create six 32cm-diameter pizza bases. The dough balls can be frozen in a sealed container before the cold fermentation stage and then defrosted for a few hours before use. Sbriciolata alla Nutella This crumbly and buttery cake, filled with the chocolate hazelnut spread, is perfect with a cup of coffee.
From sweet-sour and spiced sardines to deep-fried polpette, experience the varied cuisine of this historic Italian city
Want to learn about Venetian food? Looking for Venetian recipes? Read Emiko Davies' guide and recipes below, then check out our more Italian recipes. We also have our guides to Sardinia, Trentino and Bologna. Venetian cuisine Venice, La Serenissima, is arguably the most beautiful and charismatic city of Italy. Its history as a maritime republic and its trade with the east have both helped to shape its culinary arsenal. In many of the seafood and other dishes, there are little touches of the exotic – the highly peppered sauce that accompanies duck and game dishes, a hint of cinnamon in risotto or gnocchi – which are rare in the rest of Italy. In Venice you should eat seafood, which is brought in fresh every day from the lagoon. Try sardines in an Arabic-influenced sweet and sour marinade; or moleche (soft-shelled crabs); or bigoli in salsa, pasta with an anchovy sauce. There are a few meat and poultry dishes worth trying, such as calf’s liver with onions, fegato alla veneziana, duck with that characteristic pepper sauce, or the famous carpaccio invented in Harry’s Bar. And do not miss the cicchetti, the Italian version of the Spanish tapas, tasty morsels to be eaten with a drink. As with tapas, you can make a meal of cicchetti by ordering multiple plates for a good and filling meal. And you don’t necessarily have to eat and drink in the same bacaro — you could make your way from bacaro to bacaro, sampling the varied tastes on offer, as well as differing wines. It is a good way of familiarising yourself with the labyrinthine side streets of the city. Ursula Ferrigno's Venetian recipes Words and recipes extracted from Cucina del Veneto by Ursula Ferrigno (£22, Ryland Peters & Small). Spicy sausage and polenta lasagne Hearty and delicious, this lasagne, which uses polenta in place of pasta sheets, is a real crowd pleaser. Using good-quality sausages is a must – I love a fennel and red wine variety for this dish. Broad bean purée cicchetti Whip up this Venetian broad bean purée cicchetti for an alternative spread to hummus. It's light and fresh, enhanced with mint and lemon zest. Roasted pepper and tuna cicchetti Roasted peppers, tomatoes, olives and herbs create a vibrant mix of textures, colours and flavours to awaken the tastebuds and excite the senses. Venetian apple cake This light Genoese sponge layered with apples is perfect with coffee for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Try adding a little finely chopped rosemary to the mixture to elevate this delicious cake. Emiko Davies' Venetian recipes Words and recipes extracted from Cinnamon & Salt by Emiko Davies (£20, Hardie Grant). Venetian deep fried meatballs The deep-fried meatballs at Venice’s Alla Vedova are legendary. I will never forget my first taste of them. Thanks to these, Alla Vedova is considered a culinary institution. Any Venice cookbook offers a version inspired by them, although the original is a closely guarded secret and every recipe I’ve seen is different. Personally, I think the best way to enjoy them is at Alla Vedova. But making these and enjoying them piping hot as they come out of the frying pan comes a close second. Sweet and sour sardines Preparing food in saor – the technique of marinating fried food in vinegar and other ingredients – was historically a favourite Venetian way of conserving food for long trips. Carrot mostarda Carrot mostarda is a Venetian dish for celebrating the new year. This recipe will make enough for 12 cicchetti but you can also try it out with a roast or on sandwiches.
Emilia-Romagna cuisine: 10 things we love
Learn all about what makes the cuisine of this Italian region so special from chef Filippo La Gattuta
Learn all about what makes the cuisine of the Emilia-Romagna region so special from Filippo La Gattuta, executive chef of the Big Mamma restaurant group. From the art of parmigiano reggiano to local varieties of filled pastas, the lambrusco resurgence and fruity aged balsamic vinegar, there is plenty for foodies to enjoy. Want to learn more about regional cuisine? Check out our guides to the cuisines of the Austro-Italian South Tyrol, the Algarve in Portugal, the Isle of Skye in Scotland, Cork in Ireland or Istria in Croatia. Keen to discover more of Italy? Check out 8 lesser-known Italian islands worth visiting. Emilia-Romagna: 10 things we love Parmigiano reggiano Parmigiano reggiano is an art in Emilia Romagna. The Big Mamma Group sources all its parmigiano from Caseificio Gennari, who have been making cheese by hand for 70 years and now make 100 wheels of parmigiano per day. It’s DOP protected and must be aged for a minimum of 12 months to classify as parmigiano – but ageing can last as long as an intense 100 months. Every 40kg wheel of parmesan uses around 500 litres of milk, giving rich, creamy and nutty results. Lambrusco Forget any preconceptions you may have of lambrusco. Organic vineyard Venturini Baldini produces varied styles of sparkling red and rosé lambrusco, and aims to restore the reputation of this local indigenous grape. The fermenting methods used are similar to champagne production and the resulting lambrusco is best served chilled at aperitivo hour or the start of a meal. Prosciutto di Parma Up in the hills near the border with Tuscany lies Prosciuttificio San Nicola, a producer of silky PDO Prosciutto di Parma. The ham (which can only be made from the back legs of large white pigs who’ve had a specific diet) is salted (no other flavourings or additives are used) and passes through several different ageing chambers to gradually cure over a year. Culatello di zibello Culatello, another extra-special DOP ham from San Nicola, is another favourite. Made from the thighs of pigs raised in Emilia-Romagna, this large egg-shaped ham is one of Italy’s most luxurious salumi and an antipasti favourite. Balsamic vinegar Making balsamic vinegar is a labour of love and you have to be patient. Venturini Baldini uses its 32 hectares of lambrusco grapes to produce balsamic vinegar as well as fizz. Grape juice is pressed, cooked, then fermented and aged for a minimum of 12 years in wooden barrels. The gradual process of evaporation (70 litres of grape juice produces three litres of vinegar) produces the glossy, sweet and intense final result. You only need a few drops. Gnocco fritto Gnocco fritto are squares of dough made with lard and then deep-fried into light, puffy pillows. They’re a moreish starter or aperitivo snack, served with salamis, parma ham or culatello to lay on top for the perfect bite. Filled pasta From flat square tortelli to tiny cappelletti (commonly served in clear broth), filled pastas are an Emilian staple. You can learn how to make delicate tortelloni (a larger and slightly different shape to tortellini) the traditional hand-rolled way by experts at the Portici Academy in Bologna, then enjoy them filled with creamy spinach and ricotta, and tossed in sage butter to serve. Mortadella You’ll find mortadella in varied forms across the region – find it cut into cubes and served with chunks of parmesan for aperitivo, sliced thinly into sandwiches or even draped onto pizza. With its distinctive marbled pink appearance (it must contain at least 15% small cubes of fat) and studded with black peppercorns or bright pistachios, this is a cooked rather than cured product and Bologna mortadella carries PGI status, which means it can only be made a certain way within specified areas. Erbazzone Erbazzone is a flat pie commonly eaten for lunch, particularly in the summer months. Not too dissimilar to a Greek spanakopita, the thin and shatteringly crisp pastry (traditionally made with lard) holds a filling of spinach, ham or pancetta and the all-important parmigiano. Gelato No Emilia-Romagna tour is complete without a daily gelato – after all, the world’s only gelato university is just outside Bologna. I like family-run ice cream parlour Cremeria Cavour in Bologna, which has a dizzying array of flavours – try the Piazza Grande with amaretto and caramelised almonds, or go for tangy fresh raspberry and top with a scoop of whipped cream. More cuisine guides Finland cuisine: 10 things we love Fez cuisine: 10 things we love Puglian cuisine: 10 things we love Andalusian cuisine: 10 things we love Jamaican cuisine: 10 things we love Georgian cuisine: 10 things we love Colombian cuisine: 10 things we love The Algarve's cuisine: 10 things we love Thai cuisine: 10 things we love South Korean cuisine: 10 things we love Nashville cuisine: 10 things we love Norwegian cuisine: 10 things we love Tuscan cuisine: 10 things we love Cork cuisine: 10 things we love Northern Ireland cuisine: 10 things we love
Masha Rener, Executive Chef of Lina Stores, shares the things that make the cuisine of Tuscany so special, plus where to eat, drink and stay while you're there
Be transported to the rolling vineyards and sunshine of Tuscany as Masha Rener, Executive Chef of Lina Stores, shares the top 10 things that make the cuisine of this region so special. From the reason Florentine steak is so special to unique regional bakes, top-quality wine, fresh seafood, the favourite local pasta and much more, there's plenty to love about Tuscany. Plus, Masha shares her top recommendations of where to eat in the region, and we've got recommendations of the best places to stay in the region. Want to learn more about regional Italian cuisine? Check out our guides to the food of Puglia, Trentino or Sicily, plus how to cook like a local in Venice. Feeling inspired to book an Italian getaway? Check out our picks of the best Italian hotels for the best places to stay. Jump to: Where to eat in Tuscany Where to stay in Tuscany The cuisine of Tuscany: 10 things we love Chianina beef Chianina is the type of cow that produces the famous Bistecca Fiorentina – the impressive grilled T-bone steak you’ll find on many restaurant menus in Florence and across Tuscany. Tuscans are extremely proud of the Chianina cow: a festival in Siena even opens with four cows parading though the city to signal their key cultural role. Much of the cattle is free range which gives the meat more flavour and these days there is experimentation with aging the beef too – now it can be aged for up to a year, giving a funky, full flavour to the steaks. Check out olive's T-bone steak recipe to bring some Florentine flair to your kitchen. Pici all’aglione Pici is a popular pasta shape in Tuscany, made simply with water and flour (no eggs) and rolled into long noodles by hand for a hearty, chewy texture. In Val di Chiana, in the southern part of Tuscany, a typical way to serve pici is in pici all’aglione. Aglione is a local variety of garlic with extra large cloves and a milder flavour. The garlic is sliced and cooked slowly in a light tomato sauce and finished with pecorino cheese. Salami Tuscany has a huge culture around pork and cured meats. A typical salami is made using minced pork, seasoned with salt and pepper and fennel. In Tuscany, bread is traditionally unsalted, so the salamis and prosciutto are often saltier than in other regions in Italy. Finocchiona is a signature salami of the region made using the flowers from wild fennel, which have a more intense anise flavour than fennel seeds. Beans A variety of beans (such as chickpeas and cannellini beans) are the backbone of Tuscan cuisine, used to bulk out stews, soups and salads. Fagioli al fiasco is one of my favourite ways of serving cannellini beans, where the dried beans are cooked slowly over a low heat in a glass bottle with sage, olive oil and water and then served direct from the glass spout. See our best bean recipes for more ideas. Coastal cuisine The important harbours of the Tuscan coast have diverse food influences from the different cultures that have arrived at the harbour over centuries, before spreading throughout Italy. Baccalà alla livornese, from Livorno, uses cubes of fried salt cod (with origins from Norway) cooked in tomato sauce. Another Livornese fish dish, Cacciucco alla livornese is a rich tomato fish soup. Designed to use up leftover fish from the markets, this historically included up to 13 different types of fish, requiring expert knowledge of when to add each fish to the stew to ensure they are all perfectly cooked. Today, the soup still keeps the variety with six to seven fish, often including squid, mussels, clams and red mullet. Tortello maremmano Tortello maremanno is a typical Tuscan pasta course. Similar to the spinach and ricotta ravioli we know in the UK, tortello maremanno are large squares of pasta pinched together with a filling of fresh ricotta and Swiss chard or borage. The extra large size means you get two to three per serving and the creamy filling is the star, usually served with sage butter or traditionally with a wild boar ragu. Brigidini Brigidini are not common in the UK yet, but have been around in Tuscany since the 16th century, first made by nuns at the Santa Brigida convent in Pistoia. You’ll find them almost everywhere at fairs and festivals in Tuscany, with stalls dedicated to making and selling these delicate biscuits. A bit like an ice cream wafer, brigidini are made with sugar, 00 flour and eggs, but the secret ingredient is the aniseeds which gives the biscuits their distinct flavour. After dinner treats After dinner, whilst the conversation is still flowing, Tuscans traditionally serve cantucci, perfect for dipping in small glasses of sweet dessert wine such as Vin Santo. Cantucci has ancient roots dating back to the Romans who used to make a sugary bread with fruits, nuts and seeds which has evolved into the biscuits we know now. Cantucci are traditionally made just with almonds (adding dried fruit or chocolate makes the biscuit more like a torzetti, a very similar biscuit found in Umbria), mixed with flour, egg and sugar. The dough is shaped into a loaf and sliced on the diagonal to give the traditional shape, before being twice baked to give the distinctive crunchiness. Cantucci also pair well with coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up. Try our pistachio and cranberry cantucci recipe. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/2/2024/06/Cantucci-87fe4ae.jpg" width="4272" height="2848" alt="Florence, Tuscany, Italy - 03 30 2024: Cantucci are Italian almond biscuits that originated in the Tuscan city of Prato. They are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy, and may be dipped in a drink, traditionally Vin Santo (type of sweet white wine)." title="Various types of cantucci, typical Tuscan almond biscuits, displayed in a food counter inside the Central Market in the district of San Lorenzo, Florence, Tuscany, Italy" /> Panzanella Panzanella salad can be found across Italy, but it is very popular in Tuscany. In the Tuscan method, bread is soaked with water, then the extra liquid is squeezed out and the bread is mixed with the dressing and vegetables. Instead of big chunks of bread, this technique is much softer and finer. The dressing should use good white vinegar (not balsamic!), olive oil and salt, but the rest of the salad can use up whatever vegetables you have – tomatoes, cucumber, celery, even carrots. Check out our olive version of a panzanella recipe to get started. Chianti Rolling hills of vineyards are part of the definitive image of Tuscany, which produces some of Italy’s best wines. There are plenty of vineyards to explore and a huge wine culture. Chianti is the signature wine of the region, grown especially in the mountainous regions around Florence, Siena and Abruzzo. Softer red wines are good for easy drinking at aperitivo hour. For a cocktail, Sabatini Gin make a gin using Tuscan botanicals including wild fennel and olive leaves. Where to eat in Tuscany Amorini Panini E Vino, Florence A must visit in Florence – they have the best sandwiches with a huge range of flavours to choose from, in either panini or focaccia form. @amorinipaninievino Gilda, Forte dei Marmi Visit this classic bath house for a unique place to explore, then pause for lunch at the restaurant on the beach for fresh daily caught seafood. gildafortedeimarmi.com/the-restaurant/ Hotel La Guardia, Isola del Giglio Located on the Isola del Giglio (one of the most beautiful islands off the coast of Tuscany), enjoy aperitivo or a candle-lit dinner on the terrace with views of the sea and the old village. laguardiahotel.it/en/eat-and-drink/ Where to stay in Tuscany Il Borro Estate, Tuscany Doubles from £455, check availability at booking.com Il Borro is a true working 800-hectare estate, where guests visiting in autumn can take part in the wine harvest and feast alongside the workers and owners (the glamorous Ferragamo family). The hotel itself is set in the remains of a medieval village in the centre of the estate in Valdarno valley, a wilder, more rustic corner of Tuscany. This unique climate and soil isn’t solely reserved for wine - 700 olive trees provide oil, fields of buckwheat are a playground for honeybees, plus more fields of organic tomato vines, courgettes, pumpkins, green beans and melons provide the hotel’s three-floored Osteria and Tuscan bistro (and chef Andrea Campani) with the ultimate kitchen garden. The buffet breakfast is also exceptional – so abundant that sweet and savoury options are housed in separate rooms. Stay in one of the hotel double rooms or, for more of a countryside experience, the hotel has several ‘farmhouses’ available as guest suites – albeit farmhouses that come with infinity pools, vine-covered terraces and dining rooms where you can whip up your own meals. Don't miss out on a few laps in the infinity pool too. Doubles from £455, check availability at booking.com Castello di Casole, Tuscany Doubles from £667, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Roughly half way between Florence and Siena, and surrounded by 4,200 acres of quintessential rolling, forested hills and golden fields, Castello di Casole is a magnificent Italian country estate. At its centre is an imposing, ochre-coloured castle flanked by gardens of lavender, gravel-edged lawns, roses and olive trees. Castello di Casole is pitched at travellers in search of an unblemished version of la dolce vita, one with all the luxurious perks you could imagine. It has 41 rooms and suites within the castle and the hamlet that surrounds it, and another 28 villas and farmhouses (rentable by the week) scattered throughout the estate. Décor is tastefully restrained, with sage and burnt umber paintwork, beamed ceilings, antique furniture sourced from local markets, traditional cotto floors and Carrara marble bathrooms. 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Roberta d'Elia, head chef of artisanal pasta delivery Pasta Evangelists, shares her recommendations for what to eat and drink in Italy’s far north region of Trentino
Want to learn more about Trentino food? Looking for Trentino dishes to try? Read our guide below then check out the best Interrail routes for food lovers. For more inspiration, see the 10 things we love about Sicilian cuisine and Tuscan food, plus our best ever Italian recipes and Italian desserts. Now discover 10 things we love about the food from the Algarve, Puglia and Georgia. Trentino, Italy’s far north province, is usually known for its mountains, especially the Dolomites. It’s also where the Alps meets the Mediterranean – feel the breeze of Lake Garda on your skin, visit ancient olive groves and enjoy the region’s renowned sparkling wine. Follow Roberta on Instagram @chef_roberta Trentino food: 10 things we love Trentodoc Forget about prosecco – Trentodoc is the bubbles of the mountains. This delicious sparkling wine is specific to the region and only uses Trentino grapes. It’s produced using the Metodo Classico, or classic production method (the same as champagne). The Alpine growing environment, meanwhile, gives the wine its own beautiful and unique flavour profile. I adore a glass of Trentodoc as part of aperitivo, our ritual before a full meal designed to whet the appetite. Alongside the wine, I enjoy serving a light assortment of cheese and focaccia: these pair well with Trentodoc's bubbly nature and refreshing quality. Tortei da patate A typical dish of the ‘cucina povera’ (the pauper’s kitchen) tradition, tortei da patate is a delicious Trentino appetiser of fried potato, typically served with speck, carne salada, mortadella and bean and onion salad. I love it with a dollop of red currant jam on top to round off the perfect lunch! Vin santo Vin santo is a passito, or sweet dessert wine, made from raisins. But it isn’t any regular dessert wine: vin santo is considered a pearl among passito wines, due to its relative rarity – only limited amount of bottles are produced annually because the production process is so long. It has an intense flavour, sweet but balanced with the right acidity, as well as fruity and spicy notes. These qualities make vin santo a perfect complement for dry pastry like torta fregolatta (a typical Trentino cake) or local cheeses. Carne salada Carne salada is a traditional meat product made by flavouring beef rump with salt, pepper, juniper berries, rosemary, crushed garlic, and bay leaves. Given this repertoire of aromatics, it has a beautiful fragrance and flavour. It looks like bresaola, but it’s not as dry. It’s a must try if you’re in the region, either raw and thinly sliced as a starter or pan-seared and served with beans. Apples You’ll see hundreds of apple orchards as you drive around the Non and Sole valleys of Trentino. If you visit in the spring, the orchards will be covered in a sea of white and pink blossoms. The most popular cultivar from the region is the Golden Delicious, a yellow apple which locals use in a savoury strudel, although sweet strudel is also a popular choice here. Trentingrana This local Grana cheese is produced in the Alpine and lower Alpine valleys. It belongs to the same family as Grana Padano and Parmigiano-Reggiano but is produced using a slightly different technique. Trentingrana is a particularly versatile cheese and can be enjoyed in delicious, roughly cut wedges as part of a rustic northern Italian aperitivo or grated over pasta dishes. Come to think of it, it’d also be fabulous served alongside a digestivo at the end of a meal – vin santo, which we discussed earlier, would pair commendably. Torta fregolotta No visit to Trentino is complete without a visit to one of its beautiful bakeries. I recommend trying torta fregolatta, a rustic cake from the region prepared with flour, cream, sugar and not a lot else. This simplicity is in keeping with broader Italian gastronomy, where we prize foods not for their complexity but, on the contrary, the art of making something delicious with as few ingredients as possible. I particularly enjoy a slim slice of torta fregolatta for breakfast when I’m in Trento, along with a cappuccino. As the sun rises over the Alps on the horizon, it makes for a beautiful start to the day. Mezzelune Mezzelune (half moons) are a semi-circular filled pasta similar to ravioli. It’s a popular pasta shape in South Tyrol and northern Italy more widely. In Trentino, the dough is made from wheat and buckwheat flour, with typical fillings including ricotta, local herbs (depending on the season), or spinach. Served with a simple sauce, mountain butter, fresh sage and a smattering of grated Trentingrana, this is another simple dish that brings together tradition and the delicacy of local products. Grappa This digestif is a centuries-old Trentino tradition and is the best way to end your meal. White grappa is made by decanting into steel or glass vats, and yellow grappa is aged in wooden barrels. The aromas and flavours of this spirit change according to ageing, the most aged will be the most aromatic. The only problem is it goes straight to my head due to the high alcohol content – a little goes a long way: grappa must be sipped, rather than guzzled in one go. Extra-virgin olive oil Trentino is one of the world’s northernmost olive-growing regions, producing award-winning oils certified with Protected Designation of Origin. While it’s too cold to make olive oil in the mountains themselves, Lake Garda, which straddles the southernmost part of Trentino, has a milder Mediterranean microclimate which produces wonderful green-gold-coloured oils. Garda DOP extra-virgin olive oil is distinguished by its exceptionally light, delicate and fruity flavour, perfect for all those simple recipes where extra-virgin olive oil is the star of the show. I like to use this type of olive oil to dress spaghetti al pomodoro before serving, as well as a glug over freshly baked focaccia and seasonal salads. More cuisine guides Fez cuisine: 10 things we love Puglian cuisine: 10 things we love Andalusian cuisine: 10 things we love Jamaican cuisine: 10 things we love Georgian cuisine: 10 things we love Colombian cuisine: 10 things we love The Algarve's cuisine: 10 things we love Thai cuisine: 10 things we love South Korean cuisine: 10 things we love Nashville cuisine: 10 things we love Norwegian cuisine: 10 things we love Tuscan cuisine: 10 things we love Cork cuisine: 10 things we love Isle of Skye cuisine: 10 things we love Northern Ireland cuisine: 10 things we love Finland cuisine: 10 things we love
Emilia Strazzanti, co-founder of the Strazzanti shop and supper club, tells us what makes the food of Sicily so special to her and her family
Want to learn more about Sicilian cuisine? Looking for Sicilian dishes to try? Read our guide below then check out our guides to Bologna, Trentino, Tuscany, Seville and the Algarve. See Emilia's recipe for Sicilian pasta with cauliflower here, then check out her recipe for a showstopping Sicilian ricotta cake. Emilia and her two sisters, Nina and Sofia, opened Strazzanti in London’s Fitzrovia to celebrate their Sicilian and Neapolitan heritage. Emilia has worked as a chef specialising in pastry in Paris, Milan and Sicily but returned to London to help set up the family business. It started life as a shop before diversifying into a wholesale business supplying the likes of Selfridges and Bar Termini, and now hosts a supper club as well. In 2020, Strazzanti also started offering cooking kits called Il Piccolo Pacchetto – ‘the little parcel’. Sicilian food: Emilia Strazzanti's guide Pasta alla norma Named in honour of Vincenzo Bellini, from Catania – who composed the opera Norma in the 19th century – this pasta dish with aubergines is a must-try. Eating history At various times Sicily has been ruled by many other powers and that’s left an imprint on Sicilian life and food. You’ll witness it in dishes such pasta con le sarde, jewelled with raisins – the dried fruit being an Arabic influence. From dishes that are salata (salty) and dolci (sweet), to piccante (hot), Sicily’s cuisine as a whole has no strict definition – it draws on many aspects of its cultural past. Capers When it rains, the air is filled with the saline notes of the caper plants that grow up and around the rocks dotting the outskirts of towns. You breathe a scent of fresh, vibrant salinity. It’s these capers that we cook into many of our dishes. Arancina or arancino? Palermo and Catania have a friendly feud on the correct way to spell the name of the well-known Sicilian deep-fried rice ball. Palermo favours the feminine ‘arancina’ and Catania the masculine ‘arancino’; however, it’s not just the name that differs. Palermo fills its arancina with a ragu made with mince and shapes them into balls, whereas Catania’s ragu is made with slowed-cooked chunks of meat and the arancino is shaped into cones to resemble Mount Etna, which overlooks the city. Seasonal ricotta The land plays a vital part in everything we eat. What the sheep (pecora) graze on throughout the year changes the taste of their milk and alters the flavour of the ricotta that’s made with it. Whether in a cannolo Siciliano or gateau di ricotta baked ‘al forno’ (in an oven), the flavour is incomparable and subtly changes depending on when you eat it. Modica chocolate Chocolate arrived in Modica, Sicily, with the Spanish. Foodstuffs from the Americas were fashionable for those who could afford them. Stone-ground, this chocolate is never conched or heated enough to melt the added sugar, giving a granular texture. Originally it was used to make hot chocolate, and the bars produced using this method now have IGP recognition. Broccoli Siciliani Walking through the food markets you’ll see enormous green Sicilian broccoli that are around the size of four regular UK ones. They’re intense in flavour and, paired with local saffron, raisins and pine nuts, make up pasta con broccoli arriminati, a favourite dish. ‘Arriminati’ means ‘stirred’. See Emilia's recipe for Sicilian pasta with cauliflower here. Pistachios Sicilian pistachios have an intense, sweet flavour and are harvested every two years on the east coast of Sicily. The pistachio trade centres around the town of Bronte – the nuts are grown on the mineral-rich slopes of Mount Etna. The area has DOC status (denominazione di origine controllata) and the pistachios are prized worldwide. Traditional Sicilian bakes Whether it be a panettone at Christmas or colomba di Pasqua cake at Easter, a celebration isn’t complete without its traditional meals, cakes and enriched breads. Nonni (grandparents) Nonna and nonno Strazzanti were at the head of our Sicilian household – the back garden door was always open, and friends and family would call in unannounced for coffee. Nonnas often have specialist dishes, and ours made ragu with peas (we call it pasta al ragù di Nonna Strazzanti). There’s great respect for the way nonnas cook in Sicily – it’s a type of cuisine in itself. More cuisine guides Fez cuisine: 10 things we love Puglian cuisine: 10 things we love Andalusian cuisine: 10 things we love Jamaican cuisine: 10 things we love Georgian cuisine: 10 things we love Colombian cuisine: 10 things we love The Algarve's cuisine: 10 things we love Thai cuisine: 10 things we love South Korean cuisine: 10 things we love Nashville cuisine: 10 things we love Norwegian cuisine: 10 things we love Tuscan cuisine: 10 things we love Cork cuisine: 10 things we love Trentino cuisine: 10 things we love Austrian cuisine: 10 things we love
Discover Italy’s historic food city with Jacob Kenedy of Bocca di Lupo, Gelupo and Plaquemine Lock in London
Bologna is where I learned to make gelato. I studied under Gianni Figliomeni at Gelatauro – the finest gelateria in the city. Bologna has three names: La Rossa (the red, in architecture and politics), La Dotta (the learned) and La Grassa (the fat). The latter refers more to the abundance of food in a city wealthy since the Middle Ages, than to calories. It is the foodie city. For more inspiration, see our complete Bologna foodie travel guide, our best ever Italian recipes and the 10 things we love about Trentino food and Sicilian cuisine. Now learn 10 things we love about Puglian cuisine and Tuscan food. 1) Mortadella The world outside of Emilia-Romagna (the region of which Bologna is capital) seems divided between those who love mortadella (the giant, emulsified, decadently fatty sausage), those who detest it, and those who can’t eat it for religious reasons. In Bologna, the debate is restricted to which the finest mortadella is. Bolognese cuisine is brutally rich and delicious – rich eggy pastas, creamy and buttery sauces, myriad cheeses, breads fried in lard. Emilian products are Italian food’s greatest successes – parma ham, parmesan and balsamic vinegar have conquered the world and rigorously upheld their standards, whereas mortadella has wheedled its way into national cuisines – in America, every deli counter has ‘bologna’ or ‘baloney’, and in South Africa, ‘polony’. The original is fine-textured, silky, delicate and nutmeg-scented, studded with fat from the jowl, and emerald pistachios. Sliced thin into sandwiches, with crescentine or in piadine – or cut into generous cubes to snack on, it is a revelation. Try it at Salumeria Simoni in the old market, Mercato di Mezzo. 2) Piadine Piadine are Italian flatbreads, from Emilia-Romagna and especially the Romagnolo coastline. The piadina is a close cousin of the flour tortilla and is filled with delights such as prosciutto or mortadella, rocket, and stracchino or squacquerone cheese. It is the thing to eat before heading out on the razzle, the thing to grab when the club closes its doors, and the hangover breakfast that will see you through till you have another one at lunch. 3) Aperitivo Bologna’s university is the oldest in the world, a place of learning since 1088. The energy of its students underpins what could otherwise be a town of the old – in what is certainly a very old place (one of the largest surviving medieval cities). Students worldwide are united, above all, by their poverty, sense of fun and appetite for drink. The aperitivo – giant fishbowl glasses of lurid spritz, accompanied by little plates of starchy nibbles or groaning banquet tables (depending on your budget) – is perfect student fodder. Aperitivo time (evening, before dinner), is not to be missed. 4) Fizzy wine (pignoletto and lambrusco) The two sparkling wines of the region are pignoletto (a delicate, quaffable white – think even-easier-drinking prosecco), and lambrusco (joyous, aromatic, fruity, cheeky sparkling red made from lambrusco grapes). Both are drunk at the start of – or throughout – a meal (not after other wines), and both are particularly good with salumi: you can make a very, very long evening out of cured meats and fizz. There are at least six varieties and subregional styles of lambrusco – look out particularly for lambrusco grasparossa (rich, dark, plush, fruity) and lambrusco di sorbara (pale, dryer, floral, spritely – akin to drinking a darker rosé). If served properly, you will not drink lambrusco from glasses but fojete – small ceramic bowls – and somehow lambrusco tastes (even) better in them. 5) Pasta in broth Both the coarsest and the finest of Emilian pastas come swimming in a limpid pool of comforting broth – chicken soup for the Italian soul. Passatelli are very coarse pasta made from breadcrumbs, egg and parmesan, perhaps 4-5mm wide, forced through a press directly into boiling broth or water – a delicious reminder that pasta is, in fact, a species of dumpling. Tortellini are the height of the art of fine pasta: egg dough rolled by hand until almost transparent, cut into tiny squares, filled with morsels of pork, prosciutto, mortadella, parmesan and nutmeg. It is okay to have parmesan on pasta in broth – and also to have pasta in broth before, instead of or after another course of pasta. The general aim in Emilia-Romagna might be to have two courses of pasta at each meal, as it is such a focus of the cuisine. 6) Golden tagliatelle and lasagne verdi The established philosophy, in Bologna at least, is that ragu must be served on egg pasta, and that egg pasta should be rolled by hand. In Bologna’s chamber of commerce, on Piazza della Mercanzia, you will find a solid gold tagliatelle, the unit against which all other tagliatelle can be judged. The key dimension is a width of 7mm. Essential to serving pasta, across Italy, is that it is pasta with sauce so that you can still taste the pasta. This is particularly important with tagliatelle al ragu – it takes a small amount of unctuous, milk-enriched bolognese to anoint the delicate ribbons of hand-rolled and hand-cut tagliatelle. While noodles are golden, in Bologna the best lasagnes are green with spinach – lasagne verdi. 7) Ragu bolognese Bologna is the capital of egg pasta – and ragu bolognese, the source of eponymous bol (from the English spag bol). Ragu bolognese is the forefather of bol – and they do share a basic identity of being a braised tomatoey meat sauce intended for pasta. But there are differences – the original is made with a mixture of younger beef and pork, a lot of dairy, white wine and much less tomato. This last results in a pinker sauce, as opposed to the enveloping red of bol. While it is possible other pastas might sometimes be offered with ragu, if you’re a purist it should be eaten only with tagliatelle or in lasagne. 8) Torta di riso and zuppa inglese Two of the most emblematic local desserts are, in one way or another, best of British. Torta di riso is also called torta degli addobbi (cake of the decorations) – there’s nothing British about it, save that it is basically our rice pudding. In Bologna, they perfume it with cinnamon, lemon and clove, stud it with candied citron and amaretti, bake it till it forms a golden crust, then let it cool, soak it in almond liqueur and serve it in little diamonds. Zuppa inglese – ‘English soup’ – is a layered confection of sponge cake soaked in alchermes (a lurid cochineal-red spiced liqueur), pastry cream, chocolate cream and whipped cream. It’s so ubiquitous in homes that many restaurants no longer make it. Gelaterie, worldwide, will often offer an ice cream made, and named, after zuppa inglese. 9) Crescentine and squacquerone Across the region perhaps the most delicious thing is a puffed-up flatbread fried in lard, cut in different forms and known by different names according to the town you’re in. But in Bologna it is diamond-shaped crescentine. These should be freshly fried and served hot, with a soft cheese and cured meat. For the cheese, you might get stracchino (a spoonable lactic delection) or squacquerone (a rarer, softer, tangier delicacy, known only around Bologna). The salumi could be culatello di zibello (cured hind leg), parma ham or bolognese mortadella. Eat the bread with a dab of the cheese and slice of the cured meat either on it or tucked into the pocket. 10) Gelato Bologna has become the very capital of gelato. Carpigiani is the most important manufacturer of gelato-making equipment and is headquartered in Bologna. So entrenched are each in the other (Carpigiani, gelato and Bologna), that the company built the world’s only gelato museum and the world’s only gelato university just outside, in Anzola dell’Emilia. 11) Parmesan Learn how one of the world’s greatest cheeses is made at a visit to a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy and factory. The care and attention with which Parmesan is produced really highlights its worth, it’s quite astonishing how these enormous cheeses are made and aged. You’ll also get an opportunity to taste Parmesan that’s been aged for different amounts of time. Book here. More cuisine guides Emilia Romagna: 10 things we love Grenada cuisine: 10 things we love Finland cuisine: 10 things we love Northern Ireland: 10 things we love Isle of Skye cuisine: 10 things we love Cork cuisine: 10 things we love Food in Fez: 10 things we love
Sardinian food: how to cook like a local
Try pasta with clams and bottarga, cured meats flavoured with fennel, and honey-drizzled cheese pastries on this rustic, wild-edged Italian island
Want to learn about Sardinian food? Looking for Sardinian recipes? Read Letitia Clark’s guide, then check our our guide to Cypriot cuisine and Venetian cuisine. Letitia Clark is a chef, illustrator and food writer. A Leiths School of Food and Wine graduate, she quit working at London’s top restaurants for a quieter life in Sardinia. Her first book Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from the Island of Sardinia (£26, Hardie Grant) is out now. Sardinian cuisine Sardinia remains one of Europe’s least explored culinary destinations. But in mainland Italy at least, the island’s food is famed for its freshness and simplicity, and for its focus on the finest ingredients, which are either grown on the island or fished from the turquoise waters that surround it. Expect fruits and vegetables that burst with the taste of the Mediterranean sun; shellfish so fresh it shimmers; an endless variety of deliciously nutty and smoky cheeses; cured meats flavoured with fennel; and a selection of typical dolci extensive enough to exhaust even the sweetest tooth. Sardinia is truly a place where time stands still, and almost everything is made at home by small-scale producers who use traditional methods. Eating is taken very seriously – meals consume the best part of most days, accompanied as they are by fruity, full-bodied red wines or deliciously crisp vermentinos. Peppery local olive oil flows freely, and unique breads and pastas form a major part of the diet, too. Sardinians are renowned for their long lives, which is attributed to their relaxed lifestyle and excellent diet. So when you visit this beautiful island, you can eat and drink in the Mediterranean sunshine all day, knowing that it really is good for you. Sardinian recipes Watermelon granita Letitia says, "There are only so many times you can serve iced, sliced watermelon to your guests during high summer in Sardinia. It’s all anybody really wants to eat but it does become a bit monotonous. This granita is as refreshing (if not more so) and delicious as a chilled slice of watermelon, and only a little more effort. I like it very sharp so tend to add lots of lemon but you may want to adjust depending on the sweetness of your melon (and palate)." What to eat in Sardinia Pane carasau Also known as carta di musica, this semolina flour-based crispbread is still made by hand and cooked in wood-fired ovens. Served at every meal, it’s the perfect vehicle for olive oil, tomatoes, salami, or just about anything you fancy. It’s also often soaked in broth and eaten in soup, alongside plenty of grated cheese. Malloreddus alla campidanese Rich, meaty and packed with herbs and tomatoes, this Sardinian sausage ragu comes with an exotic whiff of saffron. Served with the island’s famous pasta shape (little ridged nuggets called malloreddus), it’s a must-try. Seadas Cheese encased in pastry and deep-fried until golden and crisp, then served with a generous drizzle of local honey. Desserts don’t get much better (or simpler) than this. Pasta with clams and bottarga Everybody loves spaghetti with clams, right? Well, imagine an even better version. The delicious sea-saltiness of the island’s bottarga (cured mullet roe) is added to the dish to give it extra oomph. Culurgiones Any pasta lover will be unable to resist these plump, ravioli-like parcels of potato and cheese. Made by hand, they are a beautiful pleated shape, and unique to Sardinia. Words by Letitia Clark, photographs by Matt Russell. Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from the Island of Sardinia (£26, Hardie Grant) is out now.
Venice foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Explore the sights fuelled by natural wines, squid-ink spaghetti and pear, chocolate and ricotta pie
Looking for Venice restaurants? Local food writer Gina Tringali shares her insider tips for where to eat in Venice, and where to get cream-filled doughnuts, squid-ink spaghetti and more in the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region. Now learn 10 things we love about Puglian cuisine. Cantina Do Mori – for cicchetti Visiting Venice without trying cicchetti (the Venetian equivalent of tapas) at a bacaro (a neighbourhood wine bar) would be unthinkable. Venerable Cantina Do Mori is an institution where francobolli – tiny sandwiches filled with sliced meats, radicchio, gorgonzola or roasted vegetables – is the speciality. 00 39 041 522 5401 Osteria ai Promessi Sposi – for low-key dinner For a quiet meal away from the crowds, grab a table at the unassuming Osteria ai Promessi Sposi. Order the stuffed mussels, squid-ink spaghetti, ravioli with red radicchio and fegato alla veneziana (fried calf’s liver and onions). Then finish with the molten chocolate lava cake. 00 39 041 241 2747 Estro – for a contemporary enoteca (wine bar) With a list of more than 700 (mostly natural) wines from Italy and beyond, at contemporary enoteca Estro you can snack on baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod), meatballs in tomato sauce and sarde beccafico (sardines baked with lemon, cheese and breadcrumbs) at the bar or try one of three tasting menus. estrovenezia.com Where to stay in Venice – Hotel Ca’ Gottardi All hotels have been chosen and reviewed independently by our expert locals. This page contains affiliate links and we may receive a small commission for purchases made, but this comes at no extra cost to you and helps us to continue providing top-quality content for our loyal readers. Doubles from £62 per night, check availability at booking.com Conveniently located in the central Cannaregio district, in a 15th-century Venetian palace, Hotel Ca’ Gottardi oozes Italian style. Arty and elegant, the tiny hotel has comfortable rooms, helpful staff and a lounge that offers tea, coffee and biscotti throughout the day. cagottardi.com Torrefazione Cannaregio – for old-school coffee Sip on a creamy cappuccino or straight-up espresso at the lively Torrefazione Cannaregio, where beans have been roasted for more than 80 years. Stock up on chocolate-covered coffee beans to take home. torrefazionecannaregio.it Acquolina Cooking School – for cookery classes Escape to the tranquil island of Lido for a lesson with chef Marika at the Acquolina Cooking School. Dishes are prepared with local products and include stuffed calamari with braised artichokes, pasta with seafood, and panna cotta. acquolina.com Vino Vero – for natural wines A gathering place for natural-wine lovers, minuscule bar Vino Vero stands out among the mediocre restaurants and pubs located along the Fondamenta della Misericordia. Feast on sublime cured anchovy canapés with friarielli greens, baccalà mantecato and seasonal vegetables over a glass or two. vinovero.wine Osteria Alle Testiere – for a fish supper Book one of the nine tables at charming Osteria Alle Testiere, where the fish-based menu changes daily. Dine on fluffy gnocchi with baby squid, local sautéed caparossoli clams and grilled crustaceans. For dessert, ask for a tasting of the weekly featured cheese or indulge in a pear, chocolate and ricotta pie. osterialletestiere.it Dal Nono Coluss – for a family-run bakery Family-run Dal Nono Colussi is the real deal. Franco (aka Nono), daughter Linda and granddaughter Marina work tirelessly making their renowned fugassa (a sweet focaccia) and krapfen (cream-filled doughnuts). Get there just after 9am to buy the latter still warm from the oven. dalnonocolussi.com CoVino – for bistro dining Cosy CoVino features a three-course, prix-fixe menu packed with Slow Food produce. Its creative seasonal dishes include squilla mantis shrimp with radicchio and pomegranate, spaghetti in salsa di gò (a strongly flavoured Venetian sauce made with fish from the adjacent lagoon) and roast capon with a pumpkin purée. covinovenezia.com Words by Gina Tringali Food writer Gina Tringali designs food and wine tours for Casa Mia Italy Food & Wine Tours and GT Food & Travel. High waters are a common occurrence in Venice during the winter months and can cause flooding in parts of the city. If you’re planning a trip, monitor weather updates and follow the advice of local authorities. More places to eat and drink in Venice… Osteria Ca’d’Oro/ La Vedova A picturesque and historic bacaro known by two different names, people jostle at the bar here for small plates of Venetian meatballs, baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod), sardine in saor (sweet and sour sardines), and artichoke hearts to go with their drinks. Calle del Pistor 3942; 00 39 41 528 5324 La Cantina With its outside tables La Cantina is worth a stop whatever the time of day. As its name (‘the cellar’) suggests, it’s a place to drink good wine and also a house beer, Morgana. Let Francesco advise you. He prepares high quality, market-driven dishes such as raw and cooked fish with crisp seasonal vegetables. Cannaregio 3689, Campo San Felice; 00 39 041 522 8258 Alle due Gondolette In a working-class neighbourhood far from the tourist flow, don’t miss Alle due Gondolette. This restaurant’s respectable family cooking includes baccala mantecato (creamed dried cod) and the baccala alle vincentina (dried cod with polenta). Fondamenta de le Capuzine, 3016, 30121 Anice Stellato Amid an elegant yet rustic setting, packed with locals and serving traditional Venetian cooking with modern influences, Franca, the chef, and her team will take very good care of you at Anice Stellato. The menu changes every day; if it’s on, definitely try the frittura of fish and vegetables. osterianicestellato.com Osteria Bancogiro With its large terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, everything at Osteria Bancogiro is original and good, from eggplant-lardo-octopus tramezzini (little sandwiches, €2-5) to home-made bigoli (long, thick pasta) in salsa served with a cardoon (artichoke-like vegetable) puree (menu €35). osteriabancogiro.it Above words by Wby Laura Zavan This feature was published in February 2015 and updated January 2020 Photographs by Getty Images/Maremagnum
Alta Badia foodie guide: where to eat and drink
Indulge in slabs of cinnamon-spiced apple strudel, wood-fired pizzas pepped up with speck and hearty plates of polenta at this Italian mountain resort
The mountain resort of Alta Badia, in Italy’s South Tyrol region, laces together six small villages – Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano, Badia and La Val – each with its own personality. Cosy San Cassiano has a Michelin-starred restaurant and great bakeries while, in winter, Corvara benefits from direct access to the Sellaronda (a 30km ski circuit around the Sella mountain range). Alta Badia’s main claim to fame for ski-obsessed foodies, however, is A Taste for Skiing. Held throughout the ski season each year, the initiative involves Michelin-starred and other well-known chefs partnering-up with ski huts across the resort to create limited edition dishes at affordable prices for guests who ski between them; expect everything from pearl barley watercress risotto to braised venison shank. The aperitif served alongside them also changes each season – this year’s is the Al – Pino, made with pine and plum vinegar – as does an associated calendar of foodie events ranging from South Tyrolean wine tastings to sunrise breakfasts. Café Ploner – best for bombolone alla crema Whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, Café Ploner in San Cassiano (open from 6.30am until 11pm) is the place to go for cream-topped cappuccinos, slabs of apple strudel and early evening aperitifs. Snuggle up on fur-lined chairs outside, or keep toasty inside, where large wooden tables are made for sharing with fellow rosy-cheeked skiers. Admire a counter laden with pastries, but remember to order the bombolone alla crema – a puffy, light donut filled with a generous dollop of crème patisserie. Don’t want to sit in? Buy a selection to eat on the slopes later. 24 Strada Micurà de Rü, San Cassiano Delizius – best for deli produce While you’re in San Cassiano, stroll a few doors down from Café Ploner to Delizius, a deli stocked with packets of polenta (plain or pepped-up with porcini and speck), local cured meats (coppa, pancetta and salamella to name a few), preserves, fresh cheeses and grappa liqueurs. If you’re self-catering, buy a tub of vibrant pistachio or rich hazelnut spread for morning pancakes, and slices of countertop apple strudel dotted with sultanas and dusted with icing sugar. Or even buy a whole strudel, if you want to enjoy that crisp pastry and gently spiced apple filling for longer. delizius.it Rosa Alpina Wine Bar and Grill – best for dessert If you can’t stretch to Michelin-starred dining at the legendary Rosa Alpina hotel, book a table at its wine bar and grill instead. You’ll get the same glamorous vibe, but a more casual dining experience. Inside, it’s smart-chic meets the slopes: parquet flooring, exposed wooden beams, teal-washed walls and a scattering of faux-fur throws. Start with a glass of sparkling arunda – a local, straw-yellow South Tyrolean wine made with chardonnay, pinot blanc and pinot noir – before tucking into crispy wood-fired pizzas (mozzarella slices are added post-cooking, and there isn’t a soggy bottom in site), or slurp freshly made pasta pomodoro flecked with salty olives. Don’t miss the wooden dessert cart at the entrance to the dining room; this comes temptingly stacked with colourful patisserie including torched lemon meringue pies, dainty raspberry tarts, and cocoa-dusted tiramisu. Unless you’re really hungry, order the latter to share. rosalpina.it/restaurant-wine-bar-grill Ütia de Bioch – best for hot chocolate Alta Badia isn’t short on hot chocolate spots, but at Ütia de Bioch (near the Biok lift) is the place to go if you like your mug to come topped with whipped cream and, perhaps, a splash of amaretto or rum. Thick and rich, Ütia de Bioch’s hot chocolate is best enjoyed outside on a long wooden table strewn with woollen blankets. While you’re there, check out the modern wine room with its bottles of montepulciano, ploner sauvignon and sparkling arunda. Piz Sorega – Loc. Bioch Ütia Las Vegas – best for slopeside views Close to the Ciampai lift, Utia Las Vegas is everything you’d expect from a slopeside refuge – sturdy wooden tables, low beams, chequered cushions and disused wooden snowploughs, with the day’s newspapers hanging from them. Order the Bombardino, a local drink rich enough to be a dessert. Sip this eggnog and brandy blend (served hot, with a frothy whipped cream head) on the balcony upstairs for the most impressive mountain views. 15 Strada Piz Sorega, San Cassiano Restaurant Da La Vedla – best for a Hugo aperitif After a long day swooshing down the slopes, stop off a Restaurant Da La Vedla in San Cassiano for the signature Alta Badia aperitif, the Hugo. A refreshing spritz, made with prosecco, elderflower and mint, enjoy it alongside wood-fired pizzas complete with crispy bases and anchovies, speck or hot peppers. There’s covered seating that looks over a charming street market selling mulled wine, hot apple pancakes and loaves of freshly baked bread, or sit at the bar on a high red stool and see if you can spot the resident dog, who lounges in the corner watching all the comings and goings. dalavedla.com Piz Boè Alpine Lounge – best for hearty alpine dining Take the Boè bubble lift from Corvara up to Piz Boè Alpine for hearty alpine dishes and sweeping mountain views. There are two options when you arrive: a formal à la carte menu served in a smart dining room, or a choice of gnocchi, pasta and polenta (a favourite with the locals) in a self-serve canteen-style area. Settle down next to the bar’s roaring fire with a glass of organic fruit juice (pineapple, peach or pear) in hand, or if you want the best seat in the house, bag a black leather booth for views through floor-to-ceiling windows. If it’s on the menu, order the smooth polenta topped with bouncy mushrooms and nuggets of blue cheese that melt into the grain, creating a comforting puddle. Or a simple plate of silky spaghetti tossed in tomato sauce is another good shout. There’s a pop-up Aperol bar just outside the restaurant, so grab a spritz and sip it from the comfort of a deckchair in the snow. boealpinelounge.it/it Agriturismo Ciablun – best for traditional Ladin dishes For a true taste of the region take a taxi higher up the mountains until you reach Agriturismo Ciablun, a farm/restaurant/apartment that serves a traditional Ladin (an ancient local culture native to the Dolomite Mountains) dinner. There are picnic tables outside (a picturesque place to eat in the summer months), but step inside for rustic comfort, with stone walls and flickering candles. Start with a bowl of nourishing barley, vegetable and lardon broth, with a side of panicia cun tutra (flaky pastry circles filled with spinach and ricotta), the Ladin version of a samosa. Other must-orders include fluffy dumplings with a cheesy coating, and deep-fried pastry coils topped with elderberry jam. Grappa is the thing to drink, with an array of flavours to sample – sweet blueberry and grassy hay were our top picks. Check out the selection of homemade fruit syrups and jellies, made using ingredients grown on the farm, for great gift ideas. ciablun.it/it/ Pizzeria Fornella – best for pizza It’s hungry work skiing the Sellaronda, so finish with a well-deserved pizza in Corvara. Open seven days a week with two sittings (12-2.30pm and 6-11pm), friendly Pizzeria Fornella offers generous portions of pasta (be it bowls of rich venison ragu or spaghetti carbonara) and pizzas (crispy bases and portions large enough to take half home for later). With an extensive menu, it’s ideal for families with children in tow. But it’s no bookings, so get there early if you want to be sure of a table. facebook.com/Pizzeria.Fornella NaturHotel Miraval – best place to stay Doubles from £165 per night, check availability at booking.com Perched in the village of La Villa is NaturHotel Miraval, a family-run, 12-bedroom hotel with seven self-catering apartments. Natural wood and cool stone are the main materials you’ll find in the bedrooms, with pops of colour adding a touch of warmth. Book ground-floor Sompunt if you’re after a private terrace and garden (even better in the summer months, where flowers fill the lush meadows), or Dolomites Tyrolian Stube for a spacious sitting area and private balcony. No matter which room you book, you’ll wake up to striking mountain views. The buffet-style breakfast includes local jams, chunks of cheese and freshly baked cakes, while an ever-changing four-course dinner menu features regional ravioli and dumpling dishes. After a day of activities, soak up some time in the spa, relaxing in the Finnish sauna, aroma steam bath, or outdoor movie theatre. naturhotelmiraval.com/en For more information, visit altabadia.org Words and photographs by Ellie Edwards, January 2020
The Amalfi Coast foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
The greedy Italian himself, Gennaro Contaldo, shares ten of his favourite places to eat and drink along the Amalfi Coast, where he was raised
Looking for Amalfi Coast restaurants? Want to know where to eat in Minori? Local chef Gennaro Contaldo shares his insider tips for the best restaurants along the Amalfi Coast, along with where to find the best pasta, pizza and espresso. Agriturismo Villa Maria, Minori – for local cuisine It’s a bit of a hike but if you book a table at this farmhouse, above Minori [the tiny town Gennaro grew-up in], the owner, Vincenzo, can pick you up from the centre of Minori. All the produce is home-grown and cooked by Vincenzo’s wife, Maria. The couple’s homemade hams and salami are a delight, as is their own wine. There aren’t many tables, so it’s best to book in advance. And if you do decide to hike up to it, you’ll be rewarded with pretty views of the bay and excellent food. The agriturismo is surrounded by an ancient, fragrant lemon grove. There’s a vegetable garden, olive trees and vines to admire, and six country-style, pastel-hued bedrooms to book if you want to stay over, all with lemon-framed terraces. agriturismovillamaria.it Giardiniello, Minori – for lunch Gennaro grew up eating at family-run Giardiniello , in the centre of Minori (it opened in 1955) – the owners, brothers Tonino and Giovanni, are family friends - and you can expect excellent fish dishes made with produce caught that day, handmade pasta and pizza, and a warm welcome from Tonino and Giovanni. In the warmer months there’s even more reason to visit; sit and eat fried anchovies stuffed with smoked mozzarella, lemony seafood salad, spaghetti alle vongole, and grilled local octopus outside in the garden, under a canopy of bright green foliage. ristorantegiardiniello.com Pasticceria Andrea Pansa, Amalfi – for espresso Everywhere in Italy is pretty great at making an espresso but, for a little elegance and an yesteryears vibe, head to Pansa, in Amalfi’s main square, next to the steps of Amalfi Cathedral. Try one of its delicious pastries to-go with your espresso. Gennaro also recommends the hot chocolate. The pasticceria was opened in 1830 by its namesake, Andrea Pansa, and still retains its 19th-century interior, gleaming with gilded mirrors. Try chocolate-dipped lemon and orange peel, or a babà – a Neapolitan speciality that sees a mushroom-shaped sponge cake soaked in citrusy rum syrup, then glazed with jam. Delicious with a short-and-strong espresso. pasticceriapansa.it Torre Normana, Maiori – for a romantic meal This Maiori restaurant used to be an old Norman look-out tower (it was built between 1250 and 1300), so it’s set high in the hills with beautiful views of the Mediterranean. With excellent food and impeccable service it’s the perfect place to woo your loved one over a long, leisurely dinner. Torre Normana is run by four brothers and local ingredients come from their on-site garden, as well as from neighbouring farms, local vineyards and the sea below. Try the restaurant’s signature seafood risotto, handmade ricotta dumplings in an anchovy, hazelnut and walnut sauce, or ravioli stuffed with lemony buffalo ricotta cheese in a butter and mint sauce. To go with it, order a bottle of the restaurant’s own wine, which is made from grapes grown at Vigna Traversa on a hillside outside nearby Ravello. ristorantetorrenormanna.com Sal de Riso, Minori – for a drink This pasticceria is near the seafront in Minori and is great for an aperitivo and cocktails. You can people-watch while sipping on a spritz or negroni, and enjoy delicious nibbles to accompany your drink. If you’ve time to linger, order a slice of ricotta and pear cake, made with Giffoni hazelnuts. Panettone comes with limoncello cream, and the Grandfather Antonio sorbet (it’s served in a hollowed lemon and has a sharp lemon flavour) is the thing to order when the sun is shining. To drink, there are more than 10 local liqueurs to choose from, including versions made from wild Amalfi fennel seeds, mandarins and, of course, Sfusato – the lemon variety so typical to the Amalfi Coast. salderiso.it Ristorante Donna Rosa, Positano – for pasta A 20-minute uphill drive from the sizzling cliffside village of Positano, Ristorante Donna Rosa is a countryside trattoria run by the Villani sisters, Rosida (front of house) and Erika (chef), while Papá Vincenzo (the father of the family) is in charge of a 400-strong wine list. With a little help from her mother, Mamma Raffaella, Erika makes amazing fresh pasta – order the caramelle di aragosta (little tortellini parcels filled with Amalfi lobster). Other must-trys include tubettoni with squid and potatoes, spaghetti tossed with garlic, olive oil and salted anchovies, and turbot served with fine slices of homegrown potatoes. Book ahead to try and guarantee one of the two outside tables – the tiny terrace has unrivalled views of Positano and the glittering Mediterranean beyond. drpositano.com Giuliana’s View, Ravello – for pizza This pizzeria is a little way outside the centre of Ravello but it’s well worth the trip for its amazing views (you’re sitting in the clouds, high above the coast), delicious wood-fired oven pizzas with blistered crusts, and casual, family-friendly vibe. Pizza toppings make the most of homegrown vegetables, local cheeses (including provolone del Monaco) and cured sausage. Giuliana’s View also serves as a b&b; its three sunny bedrooms (one suitable for families) all make the most of those pristine views and guests can wake up to a breakfast of croissants and coffee on the terrace outside. lagiuliana.com Gelateria Buca di Bacco, Positano – for ice cream Visit Gelateria Buca di Bacco in Positano for artisan ice cream in delicious local flavours – my favourite is the sfogliatella, inspired by the shell-shaped pastries that you find all over Campania. It’s right next to the beach and the gelato is made fresh every day. Pistachio, coconut, coffee and chocolate chip are all popular, and vegans will love the dark chocolate sorbet with candied orange pieces. You get plenty of ice cream for your money, but remember to pay at the counter first before picking your flavours. facebook.com/GelateriaBucaDiBaccoPositano Aqua Pazza, Cetara – for seafood Aqua Pazza, in the quaint coastal village of Cetara, is a simple fish restaurant that serves the freshest fish and seafood. It’s famous for its anchovies, which are the best along the whole Amalfi Coast, and it’s a great place to try Colatura di Alci, an amber-coloured fish sauce made by ageing Gulf of Salerno anchovies in chestnut barrels. Try it tossed with fresh spaghetti, then buy a bottle to take home. The focus is firmly on excellent ingredients at Aqua Pazza, served simply and quickly. Seared fresh fish might come with riced potato, olive oil and grated tuna bottarga, and a reimagined pasta alla genovese adds tuna to the pesto and potato mix. Be kind and chances are you’ll get a complimentary bag of fresh Amalfi lemons to take home, or a limoncello at the end of your dinner. facebook.com/acquapazzacetara Where to stay on the Amalfi Coast – Hotel Botanico San Lazzaro, Maiori Donna Clelia restaurant, at the five-star Hotel Botanico San Lazzaro, in Maiori’s oldest quarter, San Lazzaro, juts from the cliffside as if suspended between sky and sea. This creates an infinity effect, with outside tables at the restaurant appearing almost at one with the horizon. You reach the restaurant via a glass funicular so the journey is always a memorable one but, if you happen to be there during a special festival like Ferragosto (celebrated on 15 August across Italy), it’s even more spectacular, with views of fireworks. Marvel at the views over a pizza, or a plate of lobster and chilli pasta, then stay over in one of the hotel’s 19 bedrooms – all come with sea views, Vietri terracotta tiles and hand-decorated furniture. There’s also an impressive garden in the grounds, featuring giant cacti and spindly succulents. hbsl.com Italian chef and restaurateur, Gennaro Contaldo, is the brand ambassador for leading Italian holiday specialist, Citalia. For more information please visit citalia.com Listen to our podcast with Gennaro Contaldo here: View oEmbed on the source website
Bologna, Italy foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Local markets, mortadella pizza and 'tree bark' chocolate make this northern Italian city a foodie hotspot
Looking for restaurants in Bologna? Want to know where to eat in the Italian foodie capital? Local food and travel writer Sarah Lane shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Bologna, along with where to find the best pizza, handmade pasta and mortadella sausage. For more inspiration, see our best ever Italian recipes and the 10 things we love about Trentino food, Sicilian cuisine and Tuscan food. Now learn 10 things we love about Puglian cuisine. Osteria del Sole – for local atmosphere Market stall holders have gathered to drink and put the world to rights at Osteria del Sole since 1465; nowadays they’re joined by students, tourists and professionals drawn to its old-time vibe and good wine. osteriadelsole.it Mercato di Mezzo – for pizza A beautifully converted market pavilion is home to Mercato di Mezzo, the new hot spot at the heart of Bologna’s historic open-air food market. Here there are a dozen stalls serving local snacks. Head upstairs for the main event, a ricotta and mortadella pizza. Via Francesco Rizzoli 9 Vecchia Scuola Bolognese – for a cookery school TV chef Alessandra Spisni, who picked up her traditional style of Bolognese cooking from her grandmother, is partly responsible for the recent surge in popularity of handmade pasta. After a half-day course with lunch at her Vecchia Scuola Bolognese you’ll come away with some much-sharpened pasta skills. lavecchiascuola.com Salumeria Simoni – for a food tour Book a mortadella tour with Davide Simoni of the Salumeria Simoni deli and you’ll be rewarded with an hour of culture and history focussed on Bologna’s famous sausage. Alternatively, buy a few slices from the deli to make your own panino filling. salumeriasimoni.it Trattoria Serghei – for authentic cuisine Tiny Trattoria Serghei, one of the city’s temples of authentic Bolognese cuisine, hides behind an unassuming exterior. Inside the cosy wood-panelled interior, choose from specialities like tagliatelle al ragù, stuffed courgettes with meatballs and sautéed chicory. Via Piella 12, 00 39 51 233 533 Osteria Dal Nonno – for a farmyard lunch A favourite treat for the locals is a trip into the hills for fragrant crescentine (fried dough puffs) and tigelle (baked bread discs) served with cold meats and cheeses. Find them at the farmyard tables of Osteria Dal Nonno. osteriadalnonno.bologna.it Da Maro – for Sicilian dishes Mediterranean-style Da Maro offers a lighter alternative to Bologna’s meatheavy menus. Sicilian chef Cristian Salas creates dishes inspired by his native island. Try the spaghetti with mussels, clams, frigitelli peppers and tomato confit. trattoriamaro.it Majani – for chocolate Italy’s first solid chocolate, the crinkly Scorza, which translates as ‘tree bark’, was made in 1832 by Bologna-based Majani. Another long-standing favourite worth stocking up on is the Fiat – a smooth and tender nutty flavoured chocolate commissioned in 1911 to mark the launch of the Fiat Tipo 4. majani.it/en Photographs: Matt Munro/Lonely Planet Traveller, Fabio Baradi
Milan foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Graze on ossobuco, salads laced with orange, fennel and thyme honey, and scoops of velvety hazelnut gelato in Italy’s design capital
Looking for restaurants in Milan? Want to know where to eat in the Italian design capital? Local food and travel writer Jaclyn DeGiorgio shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Milan, along with where to find the best saffron risotto, pillowy pizza and gourmet gelato. Next discover our favourite foodie city breaks by train. olive's top 10 foodie must-visits in Milan Ratanà – for risotto Each plate at Ratanà fuses old-school Milanese food culture with contemporary flair. Chef Cesare Battisti is a carnaroli whisperer, so make sure you order risotto, either a seasonal speciality or “alla Milanese” (with saffron and bone marrow) to go with ossobuco. ratana.it Tipografia Alimentare – for lunch Speciality coffee and artisanal baked goods are available all day at Tipografia Alimentare, while the lunch menu changes weekly, with at least four vegetarian choices. Recent dishes include tacos stuffed with wild Nero di Parma pork belly, Lucca red beans, spring onions, chillies and coriander. tipografiaalimentare.it Crosta – for baked goods Crosta is a bakery, pizzeria and bottega rolled into one. At lunch, try the pillowy pizza alla pala topped with marinara sauce and stracciatella cheese or prosciutto. Dinner is all about the pies: try the fior di latte, sausage and friarielli (greens typical of Campania). @crosta_milano Trippa – for meaty dishes Diego Rossi’s minimal menu at trattoria Trippa might include snails, spleen and horsemeat, and the more familiar gnocchi al ragù; however, the lustrous vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce) and crispy slivers of fried tripe are the must-tries. trippamilano.it Pasticceria & Dessert – for sweets and pastries Don’t miss Pasticceria & Dessert, Marcello Rapisardi’s pastry shop in the tranquil Piazzale Bacone. As well as classics like cannoncini (little pastry horns filled with vanilla cream), there are chocolates flavoured with marine plankton, and pâte de fruit in edible bonbon wrappers. pasticceriarapisardi.com Nebbia – for an Italian-style bistro Located on a sleepy street near the Naviglio Pavese, Nebbia melds Italian traditions with French bistronomy. Keep an eye out for risotto with sweet Montoro onions and tart Calabrese bergamot, finished with a sprinkling of dehydrated capers. nebbiamilano.com Gelato Giusto – for gelato Vittoria Bortolazzo puts her Cordon Bleu pastry degree to good use at Gelato Giusto, concocting gourmet gelato from top-quality ingredients. Flavours range from a creamy fior di latte to a velvety Tonda Gentile Romana hazelnut, and there are plenty of vegan choices to boot. If it’s on the list, order a scoop of the refreshing Uva Fragola grape. gelatogiusto.it QuBi – for cooking classes Where better to master risotto than the Lombardian capital? During a specialist cooking class, QuBi chefs Gabriele and Mariagiulia teach participants how to prepare the city’s signature broth-based rice dish step by step (vegans get to prepare a version senza butter and cheese). qubipersonalchef.com FUD Bottega Sicula – for al fresco dining When the comfort-food craving hits, turn to FUD Bottega Sicula. Its burgers, sandwiches and salads are crafted from the finest Sicilian ingredients. Order a Littel Itali salad (with orange, fennel, olives and thyme honey) and eat it at one of the outdoor tables to soak up the energy of the buzzing Navigli quarter. Dip into the bottega before you go, for edibles such as Sicilian olive oil and honey. fud.it Where to stay in Milan – La Favia urban guesthouse The four-bedroom La Favia guesthouse, an urban hideaway tucked inside a refurbished 19th-century building, takes its inspiration from owners Fabio and Marco’s travels: no two rooms are the same. On sunny mornings, start the day with breakfast in the rooftop garden – eggs cooked to order, pastries, cakes, bread, homemade jams, fruit and juice squeezed from oranges grown in the owners’ own citrus grove. lafavia4rooms.com Words above by Jaclyn DeGiorgio. Jaclyn is a Milan-based food and travel writer who runs food tours (asignorinainmilan.com). Follow her on instagram @jaclyndegiorgio More places to eat and drink in Milan Rossi & Grassi – for deli products At Rossi & Grassi pack yourself a gourmet picnic from the seductive deli counter (try the lentils with artichoke or arancini), or stock up on artisan cheese, dried porcini and homemade pasta. rg.mi.it La Latteria – for simple cooking Its handful of tables and no reservations can make La Latteria a tricky place to get a seat. But simple is sensational here: bottarga with juicy tomato, plump slices of goose roasted with potato, and a carafe of house wine costs €60 per person. (Mon to Fri only.) 0039 2 659 7653 La Rinascente – for cocktails on the roof Have cocktails on the roof at La Rinascente, a department store with the best Duomo views in town. Drink an Aperol spritz within near-touching distance of the cathedral’s curling gothic spires. Inside, buy this season’s Bialetti Moka Alpina coffee pot, styled to look like an Italian Alpino mountain guard, complete with a neat feather-capped lid. rinascente.it N’Ombra de Vin – for a boozy dinner Under N’Ombra de Vin’s vaulted ceilings eat fish crostini, veal meatballs and burratina salad, plus a bottle from the 1,000-strong list. At weekends, kitsch crooner acts encourage the polished crowd to push plates aside and dance on the tables. nombradevin.it Princi – for flashy bakes Princi, the flagship bakery in Rocco Princi’s growing international empire, is still the flashiest and buzziest. Cure foggy heads with a stracchino-filled focaccia (a Lombard cheese sarnie) and cappuccino. princi.it Viale Papiniano – for an outdoor food market Try Milan’s outdoor food markets. At Viale Papiniano’s you’ll find pungent cheese and fennel-scented salsiccia. Ponte Rosso – for lunch Lunch at the playfully decorated Ponte Rosso to eat puntarelle (winter chicory) with a punchy anchovy dressing and ‘stinco alla birra’ (beer-marinated ham hock) with Milanese saffron risotto. Find room for a glass of pistachio gelato. trattoriaponterosso.it Enoteca Cotti – for wine At cavernous Enoteca Cotti buy regional Italian wine ranging from a €10 chianti to a 15-year old-Barbaresco for €399. Staying at Antica Locanda Solferino? Make a quick bottle stop; it’s just opposite. enotecacotti.it Da Rita e Antonio – for pre-theatre dinner Tuck into Neapolitan pizza, cotoletta alla Milanese (breaded veal cutlet) and a carafe of house for around €30 per head at Da Rita e Antonio. This is the perfect pre- or post-theatre dinner spot; Teatro dal Verme is next door, a more affordable experience than La Scala. 0039 2 875 579 Words above by Sarah Barrell Costanza – for foodie apartments Created by Milan-based Costanza Cecchini Bonfanti, with input from renowned designer Ilse Crawford, these three contemporary apartments (in the city’s Porta Venezia district) all have design at their heart. Housed in historic buildings, the spaces offer a peaceful retreat from the city, with a modern approach, calming natural colour schemes, lots of greenery and a peppering of local artwork (including watercolors by Roberto Bonanomi and origami by Uros Mihic). Better still, for visiting foodies, the apartments’ sleek yet practical marble kitchens mean you can cook your market goods with ease each day. The largest property, the Pastel Home, also comes with a separate dining area. costanzamilano.it Words above by Ellie Edwards Photographs: ALAMY, Matteo Carassale/SIME/4Corners, Stefano Amantini/4Corners.Guido Baviera/SIME/4Corners
Rome foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Feast on suppli (mozzarella-filled fried rice snacks), pistachio gelato slicked with whipped cream, glasses of chilled grechetto and bowls of cacio e pepe in the Italian capital
Looking for restaurants in Rome? Want to know where to eat in the Italian capital? Local food stylist Alice Adams Carosi and food writer Rachel Roddy share their insider tips for the best restaurants in Rome, along with where to find Roman sandwiches, slices of pizza and the best gelato. olive’s must-visits for foodies in Rome Castroni – for coffee Stop for coffee at the Castroni emporium on Via Cola di Rienzo. Its house bar is wedged beside shelves of the best Italian specialty produce; find a spot at the bar and sip a cappuccino al vetro (cappuccino served in a glass) surrounded by the smell of just-ground coffee and the buzz of the Prati neighbourhood. castronicoladirienzoshop.it Mercato Rionale Niccolini – for fresh produce If you’re self-catering, the outdoor market on Via Niccolini (open every day but Sunday in Monteverde Vecchio) is the place to head for the pick of the season’s crops. Seek out buffalo milk ricotta and chargrilled mozzarella at Alimentari Carlo in the middle of the strip, as well as one of Rome's best fish stalls. Via Giovanni Battista Niccolini Ristorante Piperno – for cosy, old-school atmosphere Double fried carciofi alla giudia are one of the undisputed pillars of the Roman table. For some of the best, make your way to Ristorante Piperno, tucked down a small street in the city’s Jewish ghetto. It serves meltingly soft artichoke hearts encased by crisp leaves in Rome’s most charming dining room. ristorantepiperno.it Marigold – for fresh, modern cooking Chef Domenico Cortese, of microbakery and restaurant Marigold, exalts the best of every season in dishes like shaved fennel and puntarelle with toasted hazelnuts, and aubergines with roasted pepper romesco salsa. Completing the picture are Sofie Wochner's sourdough breads and a great natural wine list. Book for dinner, on Friday and Saturday nights only. marigoldroma.com The Pasta Factory – for pasta lessons As the name suggests, Veronica Paolillo’s unique studio kitchen lies in an old pasta factory. Which is appropriate since her focus in the small group workshops she leads is firmly on pasta. Learn how to make three different types of pasta before enjoying them first-hand at a shared meal with your fellow students. airbnb.co.uk/experiences Supplizio – for street food The original Roman street food, supplì is a mozzarella-filled fried rice snack. At Supplizio, in the middle of the meandering streets around Via dei Banchi Vecchi, you can try a perfect rendition of the original tomato supplì, as well as cacio and pepe and carbonara varieties. supplizioroma.it Circus Maximus Farmers Market – for porchetta sandwiches The long tradition of bringing herb-stuffed and crackling-coated roast pork from the hinterland towns into the city continues with the selling of porchetta sandwiches. One of the best porchetta paninos is to be found at the Campagna Amica Farmer's Market in Via San Teodoro every Saturday and Sunday. circusmaximumfarmersmarket.wordpress.com Il Goccetto – for wine Enoteca are the best kind of wine shops: those you can have a drink in. Even better if they serve small plates of appetisers alongside the wine, as Il Goccetto does. If you’re visiting in the summer ask for a glass of chilled Grechetto from northern Lazio. facebook.com/Ilgoccetto Spoon Gelateria – for artisan gelato Steps away from Piazza San Pietro, Spoon Gelateria is Rome's newest gelato gem. The purist’s pick is hazelnut, pistachio and chocolate with a slick of whipped cream, or try a scoop of the Gentillini made with the iconic Roman biscuits. @spoongelateria Urbana 47 – for a foodie place to stay in Rome A modern twist on the guesthouse tradition, Urbana 47’s pared-back bedrooms are set above a happening bar and pizzeria in the ivy clad streets of the Monti neighbourhood. Its owners have been leaders in the drive to use more seasonal, local and ethically raised produce in Rome’s kitchens, using free-range eggs from one of Lazio's best poultry farms in dishes and offering an impressive local wine selection among other policies. Breakfast is typically Roman and no-frills (a coffee and a cornetto) but if you’re after something more substantial you can order eggs with toast and seasonal vegetables, mushroom and mozzarella omelettes, eggs benedict or croque monsieur made with mozzarella down in the restaurant. urbana47.it Panificio Bonci – for pizza It’s hard to walk past this spot, on Via Trionfale, without stopping for a slice of pizza al taglio, maybe potato and mozzarella or a classic pizza rossa. If you’re self-catering you’ll also want to pick up a loaf made using the best organic stoneground flours, or a bag of artisan pastries. bonci.it Piatto Romano – for comfort food Aged sheep's milk pecorino cheese is a cornerstone ingredient in the big four Roman pastas: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana and la gricia. Pull up a chair at Testaccio trattoria Piatto Romano and dive into a bowl of pasta cooked the way it should be – simple, unsophisticated and blanketed with pecorino. piattoromano.com Words by Alice Adams Carosi, June 2019 Trust olive: Alice Adams Carosi is a cook, food stylist and the creator of Latteria studio in Rome (latteriastudio.com). Spending time at the city’s markets is happily part of her job description. Follow her on Instagram @alicekiandra.adams Rachel Roddy's best places to eat and drink in Rome Armando – for traditional Roman food Metres away from the Pantheon, Armando is a quietly elegant, but not at all precious, trattoria serving excellent, traditional Roman food. Try the fettuccine con le rigaglie (fresh egg pasta with chicken livers) and the torta antica. armandoalpantheon.it VinoRoma – for wine tastings Hande Leimer’s wine tastings at VinoRoma are illuminating and relaxed. Her most popular tasting is ‘My Italians’, a two-hour event held in her handsome studio near the Colosseum. vinoroma.com Mordi & Vai – for sandwiches At Mordi & Vai ex-butcher Sergio Esposito’s sandwiches are some of Rome’s greatest (and best value). The classic, panino con l’ allesso, is a soft roll dipped in rich meat broth, filled with meltingly tender boiled beef. mordievai.it Il Gelato – for gelato In case of indecision, nocciola e cioccolato (hazelnut and chocolate) is a good default position at Il Gelato. A brisk 10-minute walk from the Colosseum other favourites at this gelateria include lemon and wild strawberries, pear, port and almond, and the Roman favourite, stracciatella. ilgelatodiclaudiotorce.com Forno Campo de' Fiori – for pizza Get to Forno Campo de’ Fiori by 11 to grab a late-morning snack. Order a slice of both pizza bianca (olive oil and salt) and pizza rossa (with tomato). Don’t stand by the door or the bins – take your hot pizza into the relative calm of Piazza Farnese and eat it beside one of the fountains. fornocampodefiori.com Testaccio market – for market shopping Modern and bright Testaccio market is as tremendous and genuine as its grubbier previous incarnation. Wander between stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese, then buy mozzarella from Lina (box 89), bread and pizza from Artenio (box 90), and tomatoes and strawberries from Gianluca (box 32). Between Via Aldo Manuzio and Via Beniamino Franklin Flavio al Velavevodetto – for pasta At trattoria Flavio al Velavevodetto, partly burrowed into Monte Testaccio, the quartet of classic roman pastas – carbonara, gricia, amatriciana and cacio e pepe – are all superb. In season, order artichokes either Roman-style (braised whole with mint and garlic) or Jewish-style (deep-fried until they look like an exquisite bronze flower). ristorantevelavevodetto.it Bar Barberini – for coffee Rome is peppered with bars in which the real business of life is conducted over small cups of espresso, drunk standing at the counter. Follow suit at Bar Barberini; pay first, stand at the counter holding a small coin on your receipt, order, and drink in both coffee and atmosphere. Via Marmorata 41, 00 39 06 575 0869 Best street food in Rome Demand for more affordable dining options has brought delicious changes to Rome's food scene, not least a growing number of venues providing high-quality street food. At Trapizzino in Testaccio thick and spongy pizza corners are toasted, sliced open and filled with spoonfuls of hearty Roman dishes like oxtail stew, braised beef, aubergine parmigiana and meatballs. Head to historic bakery Antico Forno Roscioli (Via dei Chiavari 34), where pizza con la mortazza (mortadella-filled flatbread) is an inexpensive sandwich served year-round. Across the river in Prati, porchetta (deboned roast pork) sandwiches, are the specialty at Birra e Porchetta (Via Ciro Menotti 32) and the pizza con la porchetta (roast pork filled flatbread) from Panificio Bonci (Via Trionfale 36) has to be the city’s most satisfying street-food bite. Trust olive: Rachel Roddy is a Rome-based food writer. Her first book, Five Quarters: Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome is published by Saltyard books.
Florence foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
The best places to eat and drink in Florence, Italy. Gin sommeliers, sandwiches laced with truffle cream and black sesame seed gelato are shaking up the restaurant menus in Tuscany’s food hub
Looking for restaurants in Florence? Want to know where to eat in the Italian cultural capital? Local food writers Emiko Davies and Nardia Plumridge share their insider tips for the best restaurants in Florence, along with where to find natural wines, slices of pizza and the best gelato. I’ Brindellone – for local bistro vibes I’ Brindellone sits on the corner of Via del Leone, near Piazza del Carmine, a resolutely un-touristy spot in the San Frediano district. It’s where the locals come for an honest bistecca and down-to-earth service. Piazza Piattelina, 10; 00 39 055 217879 Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino – for offal In Florence’s cutest piazza, Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino specialises in making offal undeniably delicious. The house antipasto plate is a must; their lampredotto meatballs will turn even the pickiest eater into an offal fan. The pear and taleggio cheese risotto is definitely worth a trip. Piazza della Passera 2; 00 39 055 215969 Trattoria Mario – for a busy trattoria You can’t come to Florence and not have lunch at Trattoria Mario. It’s very busy, with a no-bookings policy, so you may well find yourself eating elbow-to-elbow with other diners, but it’s a Florentine institution – and worth the crush. trattoria-mario.com Le Volpi e L’Uva – for natural wines For a glass of wine, look no further than lovely wine bar, Le Volpi e L’Uva. The carefully chosen (and often changing) list of boutique or natural wines here means you’ll always find something wonderful to drink. The crostini with lardo, honey and black pepper or a platter of Italian cheeses go down well, too. Piazza dei Rossi 1R, 50125; 00 39 055 2398132 Cafe Verrazzano – for coffee and pastries My favourite spot for a snack is Cafe Verrazzano. It serves some of the best coffee in town as well as delicious pastries, focaccia and cecina (thin, crêpe-like pancakes). There’s not much space to sit, so sip your coffee standing up, as locals do. verrazzano.com Zeb Gastronomia – for a family-run atmsophere Mother and son Giuseppina and Alberto Navari serve fresh spring flavours at the 21-seat Zeb Gastronomia. Sit at the gallery table and enjoy dishes such as pecorino and pear ravioli, which are made to old family recipes. Ditta Artigianale – for coffee Redolent of cafés in New York and Melbourne, Ditta Artigianale serves rare coffee blends by barista Francesco Sanapo. At night, gin sommelier Cecilia creates sublime cocktails – try the Gin Mule. via dei Neri, 32; 00 39 055 274 1541 Il Mercato Centrale – for street food The recently opened food hall at Il Mercato Centrale is a worthy addition to Florence’s legendary culinary scene. Head to SUD for southern-style pizza or go for the local delicacy, a tripe sandwich, at Il Lampredotto. Taste Florence – for foodie tours Visit some of the best food spots in town by joining one of Taste Florence’s morning walks (9.30am–2pm, €79). You’ll discover San Lorenzo’s renowned food market and family-run shops, with tastings of cheeses, salumi, sweets and wines. La Prosciutteria – for a quick bite When exploring Florence, a panino is the ideal quick bite between galleries. At La Prosciutteria choose from an array of freshly sliced meats in ciabatta; other fillings include truffle cream and marinated aubergine. Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina – for Tuscan wines Oenophiles should head to Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina, where brothers Eduardo and Zeno Fioravanti’s extensive list of Tuscan wines range from bold Brunello to softer Chianti Classico. Resident chef Donatella’s delicious Tuscan cuisine complements the booze. La Bottega del Buon Caffè – for Michelin star dining Riverside restaurant La Bottega del Buon Caffè received its first Michelin star in 2015. Chef Antonello Sardi creates delicate dishes from the finest Tuscan produce, much of which is grown at the restaurant’s country farm. Gelateria Santa Trinita – for gelato No Italian trip is complete without sampling the local gelato. Gelateria Santa Trinita next to the Santa Trinita bridge hand-makes its selection every morning. Try sesamo nero (black sesame seed) or cioccolata fondente (dark chocolate). Words by Emiko Davies and Nardia Plumridge Photographs Getty, Phototravel/Corbis, Rob Streeter
Inland from the sparkling shores and spangling yachts of northern Sardinia’s glitzy Emerald Coast are mountains fragrant with wild herbs and kitchens serving deep-fried cheese ravioli and succulent suckling pig
Planning a Sardinia holiday? Read our guide to some of the best bars, restaurants and places to stay in Sardinia, Italy. From small plates of antipasti to large plates of charcuterie and cheeses, and, big bowls of homemade pasta and bubbly bellinis. Here are to some of the best places for Sardinian food and drink in Sardinia. Thinking of making a trip to The Mediterranean? Learn 10 things we love about Puglian cuisine and Tuscan food, plus the best honeymoons for foodies. The north coast of Sardinia is famously flashy. This is not the low-key luxury of private hideaway-peppered Italian islands such as Pantelleria and Panarea. Ever since the Aga Khan spotted the potential of this wild, untrammelled stretch of coastline from his yacht in the late 1950s, and went on a monumental building spree, bling has been king. Among its rocky coves, sugary sand and languorous seas Prince Karim Aga Khan IV created an exclusive playground and renamed this jewel-like enclave the Costa Smeralda, or Emerald Coast. Porto Cervo, Sardinia The north coast's hub, Porto Cervo, a pseudo terracotta-trimmed fishing village, is a kind of Sardinian Bicester-on-Sea. Pedestrianised streets form a necklace strung with wallet-draining restaurants and designer boutiques – Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada – while its marina is packed like sardines in a tin with gaudy super-yachts. Princess Margaret, Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and Peter Sellers once partied here. Today, you might still glimpse Hollywood A-listers, icons of Formula One, ageing rock stars and a Russian oligarch or two. Costa Smeralda, Sardinia The Costa Smeralda slinks seductively along the shore for a mere 34 miles, however. Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily (read our guide to the best places to eat and drink in Sicily, here). Dip inland, or wind your way further around the coast, and you’ll find another, more authentic, side to the island. In the region of Gallura, around Arzachena, a sprawling archaeological park is littered with Neolithic remains and Bronze-Age Nuragic settlements. A world away from Porto Cervo, the landscape here has been sculpted by the elements, dramatic granite rock formations dubbed the Dolomites of Sardinia whipped into shape by wild winds. Olive trees prick the stony ground, along with ragged myrtle (used to make the syrupy Sardinian digestif mirto). The scrubby vegetation or macchi a (maquis) is a fragrant mix of Mediterranean herbs, a tangle of rosemary, thyme, mint and oregano. There are twice as many sheep as people. And row upon row of vines. Maddalena Archipelago, Sardinia For now, however, we are living the high life, lounging on deck as we scud across the waves to explore the Maddalena Archipelago, a cluster of Instagram-ready islands in the Bonifacio Strait, which separates Sardinia from Corsica. Our skipper, Andrew, tells us that every type of fish in the Mediterranean swims through this channel, from John Dory to grouper, gilt-head bream to the majestic tuna. He has sailed these waters since 1976, once working on Norfolk turkey baron Bernard Matthews’s yacht. Dropping anchor just off Budelli Island for lunch, we slip into the sea for a swim, the water a vivid turquoise, shoals of shimmering sea bream swirling around us. “Sometimes I drop a hook and line over the side while guests are swimming,” he tells us. “Then I dig up a couple of potatoes and pick the salad from my garden, and that’s dinner sorted.” Andrew barters fish for cheese with local farmers. Ittico Sarda, in Arzachena, is the best fish market, he tells us. The best restaurant for fish? La Gritta in Palau. All the local villages have fresh produce markets, stalls piled high with wonky, garden-grown, pesticide-free fruit and veg. You don’t need to scratch too far beneath the surface to find Sardinia’s rustic roots and farm (or sea)-to-fork ethos. Siddura Vineyard Near the medieval village of Luogosanto, the Siddura Vineyard is cradled by craggy hills. It’s a bucolic location, with 22 hectares of the 200-hectare estate planted with vines and harvested by hand. The subterranean state-of-the-art winery has architectural wow factor, half-burrowed into the hillside. After wandering through the vineyard we take a seat in the ancient tasting room (now decked out with striking modern art) where a handful of bottles are lined up. The first, Spèra, is a vermentino, the most famous of the region’s grape varieties that thrives on the granite terroir. The second, Maìa, won a Decanter award. It’s also a Vermentina di Gallura but is more full bodied. It’s one of the reds that I fall for, however: Bàcco is made from the cagnulari grape. It’s intensely ruby red, smooth and velvety but almost medicinal on the nose – think Fisherman’s Friend with a hint of farmyard. siddura.com Foodie places to stay in Sardinia Villa del Golfo & Spa Our hotel, the Relais Villa del Golfo & Spa, a cluster of pretty adobe-style buildings linked by cactus- and oleander-fringed paths, tumbles across a hillside above the sea in Cannigione. It has a Santa Fe New Mexico feel about it – and a focus on food. The open-air MiraLuna restaurant, overlooking the Gulf of Arzachena, dishes up starters such as shrimp with potato purée and mint and almond foam followed by pan-seared sea bass with pea and sea urchin purée. hotelvilladelgolfo.it La Colti agriturismo Villa del Golfo also has an organic agriturismo venture and farmhouse restaurant nearby, La Colti, which specialises in local Gallurese cuisine. Everything at La Colti is produced on its own 120-hectare farm, where they breed pigs, cattle, sheep, goats and rabbits, and keep chickens and bees. As well as producing their own honey, they grow all their own vegetables. Arriving as the light starts to fade, the farmhouse courtyard is floodlit. Rustic-chic communal tables are dotted under the trees. As soon as you sit down the antipasti start to arrive, large plates of charcuterie and cheeses: ricotta, pecorino, goat’s cheese and spicy farmhouse salami, bowls of fava beans, homemade pasta and zuppa cuata – a meaty sheep’s broth packed with cheese, aromatic herbs and bread. The main event, however, is the porcetto or suckling pig, a Sardinian speciality. In an open-sided barn a huge fire crackles. Splayed out and sizzling on racks is the porcetto. The roasted pork is chopped into rough chunks, the meat soft and succulent, the skin crisp and coated in sweet fat. For dessert, another local speciality: seadas – deep-fried ravioli stuffed with a mild cheese and soaked in hot honey. Heavenly. lacolti.it The hotel offers cookery classes where you can learn how to make homemade pasta and dishes such as chiusoni Galluresi (Sardinian dumplings in a rich tomato and sausage ragout), ravioli Galluresi (pasta stuffed with ricotta and lemon) and seadas. It also organises private tours to an off-the-beaten-track winery not generally open to the public. Hotel Su Gologone We’re venturing further off the beaten track for the next few days, winding into the Barbagia mountains to the Hotel Su Gologone. Just a two-hour drive from the Costa Smeralda this is more bandit than paparazzi territory – probably one of the reasons Madonna hid out here, although she could have been swayed by the hotel’s gob-smacking beauty, hippy chic vibe and gourmet credentials. Food is at the heart of Su Gologone, which started life as a restaurant in the 1960s. Today, it might be a chic, art-themed hotel – a pretty huddle of whitewashed buildings laced with vivid purple bougainvillea and bedded into the mountainside – but it’s still famous for its food. And the family’s matriarch, Mrs Pasqua, is still there every night, although her daughter, artist Giovanna, now runs the hotel. Giovanna’s vibrant artworks pepper the bedrooms’ walls while the corridors are hung with traditional embroidered skirts and shawls. Secret alcoves are dotted around the gardens, there’s an open-air cinema and pool, a small spa, rooftop lounging areas for stargazing and a fabulous bar– whitewashed, open-air, scattered with white cushions and teetering above the valley. Sip a frothy bellini here, as the sun sinks, soaking up the Ibiza vibe and jaw-dropping views. sugologone.it What you’re gazing at is the Supramonte Massif, a 35,000-hectare protected site, riven with deep gorges, cliffs and canyons, and laced with mountain trails lined with wild rosemary and juniper bushes. Scrabbling up a dirt track during our stay we explore Bronze Age remains and a Nuragic village, and plunge into deep limestone caves where shepherds once brought their sheep to drink from the icy pools inside. Wild sheep and wild boar roam the woods of holm oak here and golden eagles soar overhead. It’s a good idea to work up an appetite. The natural larder in this remote region is overflowing. Nearby Oliena is famous for its olive oil and wine. Su Gologone buys its sheep’s cheese and lamb here. “It’s important for us to have a low carbon footprint,” Mrs Pasqua explains. They make their own bread and handmade sweets using local almonds. The hotel has a farm and organic kitchen garden, and in the nido del pane (bread nest) local women dressed in traditional costume give guests breadmaking demonstrations, including the local pane carasau, a crisp, wafer-thin flatbread baked in a brick oven. At the hotel’s open-air restaurant, with its brightly painted tables and chairs, and sweeping views, one of the dishes is filindeu, a sheep’s broth with a bird’s nest of pasta. Originally eaten by the poor, the handmade pasta contains no eggs – just semolina wheat, salt and water, dried into laces in the sun – and it’s now a local delicacy. We gorge ourselves on homemade fennel and gnochetti ravioli with an earthy wild boar sauce. The star of the show has been cooking all day, however. In two giant open-air fireplaces racks of porceddu allo spiedo are slowly turned. Su Gologone is famous for its suckling pig – bred on the family farm, cooked over an open fire and dished up to raucous, chattering tables of hungry diners. Su Gologone is not fancy but the hearty, field-to-fork food is fabulous. WHERE TO STAY IN SARDINIA AND HOW TO GET THERE Citalia offers seven-night holidays to Sardinia from £1,235 per person, including four nights’ b&b at the Hotel Relais Villa del Golfo & Spa, three nights’ half board at Su Gologone, car hire and return flights from London Gatwick to Olbia with easyJet (citalia.com). For more info: sardegnaturismo.it. Words by Lucy Gillmore Photographs by Getty, Lucy Gillmore, Antonio Saba, Sergio Melis Follow Lucy on Instagram and Twitter @lucygillmore, #olivetravels
Palermo, Sicily foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Sicily’s largest city is famous for its street food, but don’t miss the grilled fish, suckling pig cooked with pears and breakfasts (yes, really) of brioche buns filled with gelato
Looking for restaurants in Palermo? Want to know where to eat in the Sicilian city? Local food writer Gina Tringali shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Palermo, along with where to find the best gelato brioche, sourdough pizza and Sicilian sandwiches. For more inspiration, see our Bologna foodie travel guide, our best ever Italian recipes and the 10 things we love about Sicilian cuisine. Now learn 10 things we love about Puglian cuisine. Mercato il Capo – for market grazing Be mesmerised by the banter of the vendors at Mercato il Capo as you shop for capers from Pantelleria, bread baked in ovens stoked by olive branches, and wild fennel. Stroll the market with a paper cone of snails marinated in olive oil, parsley and garlic, or sfincione (thick pizza topped with tomato sauce, onions and a dusting of caciocavallo cheese). Via Cappuccinelle; enter at Porta Carini. Pasticceria Cappello – for Sicilian desserts Down a run-down lane, Pasticceria Cappello is a temple to Sicilian desserts, going beyond the classic ricotta-filled cannoli, cassata Siciliana and frutta martorana (marzipan pastries); don’t miss a fried, ricotta cream-filled iris and the settestrati, a mini-dessert of chocolate mousse, hazelnut cream and chocolate sponge. pasticceriacappello.it Ferro di Cavallo – for a Sicilian trattoria A typical Palermitano trattoria, Ferro di Cavallo opened its doors in 1944. Within its rustic red walls, at simple wooden tables, enjoy polpette di sarde, pasta con acciughe e mollica and bollito prepared by the Ciminna family. ferrodicavallopalermo.it Nino u'Ballerino – for Sicilian sandwiches A culinary rite of passage in Palermo, visit Nino u’Ballerino to try a pani c’a meusa, a traditional sandwich made with beef spleen and lung sprinkled with ricotta cheese, grated caciocavallo cheese, or a spritz of lemon juice, served on a sesame bun. ninouballerino.it Gelateria La Delizia – for gelato brioche buns Follow local custom and start the day with gelato heaped inside a sweet and soft brioche bun at family-run Gelateria La Delizia. Choose between nut, pastry and fruit flavours; coffee, pistachio and almond are outstanding. ladeliziagelateria.it Gagini Social Restaurant – for communal dining At the Gagini Social Restaurant, local, slow, and seasonal reign. Book a seat at the communal table and chat with fellow diners over the tasting menu, or order the pasta buttons stuffed with Slow Food-blessed Madonie provola cheese and served in chicken broth. The Nebrodi suckling pig cooked with pears, mustard and cabbage is also good. gaginirestaurant.com Friggitoria Chiluzzo – for fried food Queue-up at Friggitoria Chiluzzo for Palermo’s renowned fried snacks. The cart’s specialty is pane panelled – square fritters of chickpea flour topped with potato croquettes and served in a seeded bun. Pair this with traditional meat ragù and pea-stuffed arancini to go. facebook.com/panineria.chiluzzo Trattoria da Salvo – for casual seafood grill Sit at a streetside plastic table at Trattoria da Salvo, in the lively Kalsa quarter, and watch cooks toss whole fresh fish, shrimp and calamari on smoky outdoor barbecues. These are served alongside daily pasta specials but the grilled seafood platter is the dish to order. Via Torremuzza 19, 00 39 334 335 1329 Where to stay in Palermo Double rooms at the Hotel Porta Felice cost from €115, room only. Trust olive: Food writer Gina Tringali divides her her time between Rome, Naples and Sicily, designing gastronomic tours (italyfoodandwinetours.com) and writing (gtfoodandtravel.com) the team reminisce about their favourite foodie adventures in Italy; plus, editor Laura talks about the recent renaissance of authentic, regional Italian restaurants in the UK olive magazine podcast ep62 - Gibraltar gastronomy and Italian food adventures View oEmbed on the source website
Foodie road trip in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia
Read our expert foodie guide to Friuli-Venezia-Giulia in Italy. Sandwiched between Vienna and Venice, and bordered by Slovenia, Austria and the Veneto, this corner of Italy has an eclectic food culture that spans tiramisu, apple strudel, nutty coffee, rustic ham-stuffed loaves and minerally white wines
Looking for things to do in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia? Read our expert foodie guide to Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Trieste, Italy. Including a guide to Trieste's Venezia and Collio wine region for Friuli wine... Where to eat and drink in Trieste A sour spat is raging over Italy’s most famous dessert. Who invented tiramisu? Those in the Veneto splutter that the dessert is theirs, created in Treviso in 1969. However, last summer the Italian government decreed that neighbouring Friuli-Venezia Giulia was the birthplace of the creamy, coffee laced concoction after cookery writers Gigi and Clara Padovani unearthed documents proving once and for all that tiramisu had been served in restaurants there since the 1950s. At Harry’s restaurant, cocooned within the Grand Hotel Duchi d’Aosta on stately Piazza Unita d’Italia in Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s capital, I dip my spoon into a shot glass frothing with cocoa dusted whipped cream, plunging down to the icy shot of deep, dark espresso underneath. On the side is a slim wafer sandwich oozing creamy mascarpone custard. ‘Like a tiramisu’ is the tasting menu’s wishy-washy stance, the deconstructed dessert a surprise amid the heavy-draped, old-world elegance. But then, you’d expect a restaurant in the same stable as the Veneto’s infamous drinking den, Harry’s Bar in Venice, to sit on the fence. It’s all a bit of a storm in an espresso cup, the crema whipped up by hot air – or perhaps a blast of the bora wind, which whistles through this north-eastern corner of Italy. Trieste, once a grand maritime port, is sandwiched between Vienna (read our foodie guide to Vienna) and Venice (we've got the best places to eat and drink in Venice here) at one of the most strategically important crossroads in Europe. The region stretches from the Adriatic coast to the Alps (click here for the best foodie ski resorts in the Alps) via the vine-threaded hills of the Collio, and is bordered by Slovenia (check out some of the best restaurants in Slovenia here) and Austria as well as its Italian sparring partner. The Romans, Byzantines and Austro-Hungarians have all left their mark. You can clamber around a Roman amphitheatre, wander through grand palazzo-lined piazzas and the Jewish ghetto’s narrow alleys, and soak up the sumptuousness of Habsburg Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian’s 19th-century palace, Miramare Castle. It’s a melting pot of cultures – and cuisines. Goulash and sauerkraut sit side by side with gnocchi and spaghetti on blackboard menus, while pasticceria Eppinger bakes strudel and sachertorte as well as local speciality, presnitz, a pastry coil stuffed with grappa-soaked fruit and nuts. If there’s one region of Italy (discover some of the best Italian foodie trips here) never likely to be touted as the new Tuscany, this is it. Coffee, not a coffee-laced dessert, is Trieste’s claim to fame, however. This is the home of coffee giant Illy – and its university (unicaffe.illy.com). In the 18th century Trieste became a gateway for coffee into Europe, and in the 19th and early 20th centuries opulent Viennese-style coffeehouses sprang up where writers and revolutionaries would huddle in corners. The oldest still in operation is Caffe Tommaseo, founded in 1830. Coffee culture remains king. People here drink almost twice as much coffee as anywhere else in Italy and even have their own vocabulary – a “capo in b” is a mini cappuccino in a bicchiere or small glass. If you want an espresso, order a “nero” – but only in Trieste. Anywhere else and you’ll wind up with a glass of red wine. Sandalj, overlooking the city’s Grand Canal (Venice’s has the edge), has been an importer of green coffee beans for more than 70 years. Here, I have a tutored tasting. Two tiny espresso cups are lined up, one taller and thinner to “nose”, 31/2g of sugar added to the short cup. It’s easier to tell if the bitterness is covering a defect in the beans if you add sugar, I’m told. The tasting is done on a spoon with a short, sharp slurp to break down the oil and release the aromas. The Colombian arabica is complex, with fruity apricot notes and some acidity. The Ethiopian arabica is slightly astringent with a hint of peanut. Sandalj has created 20 blends, named after composers. Vivaldi, 100% arabica with citrus, passion fruit and a spicy honey aftertaste, gives a cappuccino a hint of sweet ginger. The company also trains baristas and develops bespoke blends for bars and restaurants, including the most famous café in Trieste, Caffè San Marco. Founded in 1914, this was a favourite haunt of novelist James Joyce. I pull up a stool at the bar and order a gocciato (an espresso with a dash of milk), drinking in the café’s old-world charm, the cool jazz playlist and, with a nod to its literary heritage, the in-house bookstore. Before lunch I swing by a Trieste institution, Gran Malabar, for an aperitivo (Piazza San Giovanni 6; 00 39 040 636 226). Locals prop up the marble bar, glass of wine in hand, flicking through newspapers. Shelves are crammed with some of the 600 or so vintages from the cellar along with well-thumbed books on wine. The region is famous for its whites and the wines from the karst, the limestone plateau circling the city, reflect its distinctive terroir. Friulano is one of the regional varietals but I’m drawn to winemaker Edi Kante’s vitovska. Kante, one of the pioneers of orange wine, was the first to believe that the grape was strong enough to withstand a whipping from the bora winds and the rocky ground. The wine is dry, mineral-laced with a hint of salt from the sea. Another Trieste institution is the buffet, a handful of hole-in-the-wall joints serving nose-to-tail pork. The most famous is Buffet da Pepi, dating back to 1897, but I join the scrum, three deep at the counter, at Trattoria da Giovanni, with its cramped cluster of tables spilling outside and wooden casks of local wine, for a ham, shaved horseradish and hot mustard baguette. I’m staying at the Savoia Excelsior Palace, a Belle Époque grand dame overlooking the Gulf of Trieste. From my balcony I can look down on the 21/2-mile promenade or Lungomare, which curves round the bay, packed with gelato-guzzling holidaymakers in summer. It’s just a short stroll to Piazza Unita d’Italia, the largest seafront square in Europe and perfect for an aperitivo. The old fish market on the seafront, dating back to 1913, has been converted into an eye-catching exhibition space, but many of the trattorias in this seaside city still specialise in seafood. For dinner, I’ve been given a top tip: tiny Alla Sorgente, hidden down a small alley, its rustic tables decorated with flowers and a moreish signature dish, barbon fish fillets fried in rich pistachios on a crunchy bed of bitter red radicchio, a local speciality (Via della Sorgente 2; 00 39 347 939 6519). Where to eat and drink along the Collio wine route The next day sees me veering inland to explore the Collio wine route, stopping off first in UNESCO World Heritage Site Cividale del Friuli, on the river Natisone. Founded by Julius Caesar in 50BC it’s home to an exquisite eighth-century temple, a 15th-century bridge over a river gorge, and gubana, a sweet pastry-clad delicacy (and cousin to the presnitz) packed with honey and grappa-marinated pine nuts, raisins and bitter chocolate. Trattoria al Giardinetto in the little town of Cormons, has been in the Zoppolatti family for more than a hundred years and is run by three brothers, one a TV chef (Via Matteotti 54; 00 39 048 160 257). George Zoppolatti shows me the rosa di gorizia, the radicchio grown here from November to March. It looks like a deep-red rose, its bitterness the perfect foil for the fatty richness of the venison salami antipasto I’m tucking into. After lunch George produces a digestivo made from the outer leaves, a bit like a syrupy Campari. These gently rolling hills are peppered with artisan producers. The Zoff biodynamic farm on the edge of the hamlet of Borgnano near Cormons has been in the same family for three generations. They breed a small herd of Italian red pezzata cows and produce organic raw milk, yogurt, ricotta, latteria and caciotta cheese to sell from their small farm shop. The cows are grass-fed in the summer and eat herb-laced hay from their fields in winter. The wheels of caciotta cheese are coated with herbs and flowers (rosemary, thyme, nettle, rose petals, marigold and elderflower) and aged for a month. The dairy diversification doesn’t end there – they have five rustic b&b rooms – from byre to bed. The Gravner family’s vineyards are another passion project, straddling the Slovenian border and cultivated biodynamically. Josko Gravner cares for the vines, the land, the wildlife, the cycles of the moon. He ferments the wines on the skins, creating the orange hue, and ages them in giant clay amphorae from Georgia, buried in the earth. The wines are nurtured like children. “We believe at seven years old a wine is old enough to go out into the world,” Josko’s daughter Mateja laughs. The 2008 Bianco Breg is a blend of pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and riesling. It’s big and bold, bone dry and round in the mouth. “I like to think of it as a 16-year-old boy going to a club and showing off.” The ribolla is more elegant. “It has no need to show off.” Sometimes you are lucky enough to stumble on a place that blows you away. Gravner is one of those, Josko Gravner more alchemist than winemaker. My bed for the night is on another family vineyard, home to Roberto and Alessia Picech. My breakfast the next morning, at a communal table with views of sun-soaked vines, is an artisan spread with montasio cheese, prosciutto di cormons, rich coffee, homemade grape juice – and a succulent slice of apple strudel. No one is arguing about that. HOW TO GET TO TRIEST AND FRIULI-VENEZIA-GIULIA Return flights from Gatwick to Venice start at £80 (ba.com). WHERE TO STAY IN TRIESTE Double rooms at Savoia Excelsior Palace start from €125, b&b; and at Picech from €100, b&b. For more information see turismofvg.it. Words by Lucy Gillmore. Follow Lucy on Instagram and Twitter @lucygillmore. Photographs by Alamy, Getty, fabrice gallina, Ulderica Da Pozzo, Maurizio Valdemarin, Luigi Vitale, Lucy Gillmore, Savoia Excelsior Palace Trieste – Starhotels Collezione