Italy is a great country that gives us many great things including awesome supercars, great fashion designers, and some of the best food in the world. Italian food is extremely influential and you can find a great Italian restaurant in nearly any country; it’s universally accepted as amazing. We are indebted to Italy for pizza, spaghetti, fine-wine, and a bunch of other great food. Obviously the country is filled with amazing restaurants, but like everything else in life, not all things are equal. We are going to take a look at ten amazing restaurants in Italy; one’s that you have to visit if you are in the country. All of these restaurants are amazing in their own right, and they are put in no particular order.
10. Ristorante Roof Garden – Rome
The Ristorante Roof Garden is a fantastic restaurant in Rome. The menu changes nearly everyday and expect to see a fair amount of fish being served. You can get all your favorite dishes here, but the main attraction is the view. As the name implies the restaurant is on a roof and has views of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, making it a truly amazing experience.
9. Alle Testiere – Venice
Alle Testiere is a small, slightly “off the grid” restaurant in Venice. They offer a very intimate setting and a menu that changes everyday. They also like their fish at Alle Testiere and you can expect many Northern Italian dishes here. It is decorated very nicely and they always have the perfect wine to match your meal.
8. La Madia – Licata
La Madia is a 40-seater restaurant located in southern Sicily. Chef Pino Cuttaia provides guests with some truly authentic Sicilian cuisine that you cannot really get anywhere else. All of their ingredients come from the local area and are about as fresh as it gets. The calamari ravioli is a definite must have, should you happen to find yourself here.
7. Osteria Santa Marina – Venice
Another Venetian restaurant on our list, Osteria Santa Marina is also a great choice if you’re in the area. In-between casual and fancy, they offer a great selection of food here that they call “creative Venetian”. Essentially its traditional Venetian fare with small twists, like the salt-cod flan with leek pureé for example.
6. L’Etoile d’Or – Catania
L’Etoile d’Or is a very interesting restaurant. Really it’s more of a bar that serves up a bunch of amazing Sicilian snack food that are popular all over the country. It is open 24 hours a day, making it great last-stop before you top off your night.
5. Masseria Barbera – Puglia
When a restaurant has its own farm to provide it fresh ingredients, you know you are in good hands. Masseria Barbera is not just a restaurant with a farm, it also offers guests accommodations for the night an even a spa. Still the food here is pretty amazing. The bread here just came out of the oven, the spaghetti was hand made recently, and all the ingredients are fresh. That’s what you can expect here.
4. Imàgo – Rome
Imàgo in Rome is not your typical Italian restaurant. Head chef Francesco Apreda was born and raised in Naples, moved to Tokyo to work in restaurants, and now has come back to Rome to offer customers a unique experience. Expect to find very interesting dishes here that combine Asian and Italian ingredients. The restaurant is also on a roof of a building that offers amazing views of the city.
3. Il Pellicano – Porto Ercole
Located on the Tuscan coast, Il Pellicano offers some pretty amazing dishes. From the fresh seafood to the wine list, you cannot go wrong eating here. They also offer an amazing six-course tasting menu that offers a wide variety of things to try.
2. La Ciau del Tornavento – Treiso
Located all the way out in the Italian countryside and wine country is La Ciau del Tornavento. While the restaurant may give off an “old world feel” to some, that’s perfectly okay. Heck, I would even consider it being a complement. Still they combine traditional Italian food with modern elements to deliver superior dishes. Like many of the other restaurants, all of the ingredients here are sourced from local areas.
1. Solo Per Due – Vacone
Advertise as the “smallest restaurant in the world”, Solo Per Due has only one table that sits two. This obviously gives you a very unique dining experience, and a costly one. Still it’s certainly a place to make a good impression and obviously the food is amazing. The menu changes almost daily and they uses the freshest ingredients around, you just have to hope you can get a reservation.
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