OT: Italy Recommendations
- Thread starter vikings1980
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Oh my dude. There are literally thousands of places to eat and things to see in the cities that you mentioned. The good news is, you can't go wrong and you can't make a mistake. You can't eat everywhere and see everything, but where you do choose to eat will be great and the things you see will be incredible.
Rather than bombard you with actual restaurant names, I'll just say this: avoid anything that looks like it caters to American tourists. Avoid any restaurant that has a tourist menu ("menu turistico"). Do these two things, and you can't go wrong. You can pick little hole-in-the-wall places that look like nothing outside, but once you go in you see that it is actually very quaint, and the food will be amazing. Rome, in particular, has thousands of these little places, as does Florence. Venice is a little bit different, but it's very similar.
I don't normally ask for advice in hotels, but my first time in Florence I was still a novice and we asked at the hotel front desk for a restaurant reservation. The guy told us where to go, which wasn't far away. Well, this place was shall we say very unimpressive from the outside. It was literally just a doorway with little signage, but we figured it must have been the place because there wasn't anything else around. Well. We went inside, fully expecting to turn around and leave, and it was amazing. The food was incredible, the wine list was extensive and extremely fairly priced, and the whole place was rocking. You'd have never guessed from the outside. I never forgot that lesson.
The other thing is, the places that the locals and the cognescenti go to don't open early for dinner. Some of them don't open until damned near 8pm, and the locals don't go for dinner there until 9. If you show up too early, they will know that you are a dumb tourist. And as a rule of thumb, if they are serving dinner at 6pm, you probably don't want to go there.
I remember being in Siena, dead tired on the first day of our arrival, and going into a restaurant at 930pm down off of the Campo. It was just getting started around then. When we left after 11 every table was full, and the place was glorious. In the smaller cities, like Siena in particular but even in Florence and Rome at a lot of places, the table is yours for the night. They don't assume that you will leave and some other party will sit at your table next. It's your table. At least, in the smaller non-touristy places, this is what you can expect.
You will love it all.
Rather than bombard you with actual restaurant names, I'll just say this: avoid anything that looks like it caters to American tourists. Avoid any restaurant that has a tourist menu ("menu turistico"). Do these two things, and you can't go wrong. You can pick little hole-in-the-wall places that look like nothing outside, but once you go in you see that it is actually very quaint, and the food will be amazing. Rome, in particular, has thousands of these little places, as does Florence. Venice is a little bit different, but it's very similar.
I don't normally ask for advice in hotels, but my first time in Florence I was still a novice and we asked at the hotel front desk for a restaurant reservation. The guy told us where to go, which wasn't far away. Well, this place was shall we say very unimpressive from the outside. It was literally just a doorway with little signage, but we figured it must have been the place because there wasn't anything else around. Well. We went inside, fully expecting to turn around and leave, and it was amazing. The food was incredible, the wine list was extensive and extremely fairly priced, and the whole place was rocking. You'd have never guessed from the outside. I never forgot that lesson.
The other thing is, the places that the locals and the cognescenti go to don't open early for dinner. Some of them don't open until damned near 8pm, and the locals don't go for dinner there until 9. If you show up too early, they will know that you are a dumb tourist. And as a rule of thumb, if they are serving dinner at 6pm, you probably don't want to go there.
I remember being in Siena, dead tired on the first day of our arrival, and going into a restaurant at 930pm down off of the Campo. It was just getting started around then. When we left after 11 every table was full, and the place was glorious. In the smaller cities, like Siena in particular but even in Florence and Rome at a lot of places, the table is yours for the night. They don't assume that you will leave and some other party will sit at your table next. It's your table. At least, in the smaller non-touristy places, this is what you can expect.
You will love it all.
I got you on Rome and Florence my brother. We went south rather than north though. We did Airbnb and tried to stay as central as possible to attractions in each city. Not easy in Rome, but you can take a cab or Uber anywhere relatively easy.
Let's hook up with the wives for drinks and we'll share what we did. Wife has a pretty sick and detailed itinerary I can share as a Google doc. It goes day by day of our trip with attractions. I'll text you link.
What a coincidence! Wear your Pitt gear and we might see each other en route. We are traveling to Florence for 8 days, then on to Venice area for another 3 days, beginning late August. We are doing a tour for the Florence/Tuscany portion; the Venice/Padua/Trentino portion will be on our own
Yes, wear your Pitt gear, eat at 5:30. Order the spaghetti. And meatballs. Don't just be a tourist, embrace being an American tourist.
@vikings1980 Like the other reply posts mention, there are loads of wonderful places to eat. We enjoyed so many of them. Milan, Como, Florence & Tuscan countryside, Sorrento, Rome.
But I will recommend one place in Florence that we really enjoyed if you’re a fan of bistecca. Buca Mario.
Other than that, poke around. Ask locals if you can. We really enjoyed the house wines at many restaurants.
In Venice we got off the beaten path. Away from the Grand Canal and St. Marks. Wandered back into the back alleys and little canals. Found several really nice little spots with great ambience to grab a bite or a glass of wine.
That was a joke. I am fully aware of not standing out like a sore thumb when traveling to foreign countries ... but thanks for the reminder
I would not stay central as possible in Rome myself. It is over priced and touristy, which is fine if you’re only there for a few days to tick off the the Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, coliseum, and Vatican. But IMO Trastevere, across the river is a better neighborhood to enjoy Rome. Lots of little cafes, cheese shops, bars, boutiques, etc. to explore.
My suggestion is to contact a professional guide,(there are a number of sources on the internet), they can best describe the history/architecture/artiistry, for your particular interest. I must add that the best place to visit Italy is in Calabria
Hah. Add, make sure you wear big clunky white sneakers. That will definitely seal the deal.
Very true. But the first-time visitor to Rome has to see all of those main, major sites. I loved Trastevere too, but you don't bypass any of the other things you listed.
I'll also be in Venice in July and was looking for places like you described online. Any specific restaurant that you recall?
I'll focus on Portofino, since others have already chimed in on Rome, Venice, and Florence.
First off, Portofino really does look like a postcard. Absolutely beautiful little village. Keep in mind Portofino is very small (you can walk through the entire village in 10 minutes.
As you probably know, August is prime travel season so everything is going to be crowded (book well in advance if you can). Since Portofino is so small there aren't a ton of hotels. Those that are right in Portofino are going to be super expensive during the prime season. Of course if money is no object, stay at the Belmond. A couple of alternatives:
1. Stay in Santa Margherita (just down the coast) and take a day trip to Portofino. Santa Margherita is much larger with more hotels to choose from. There's a bus that runs frequently between the two towns if you don't have a car. If you do have a car you can technically drive into Portofino. I say technically, because there is one road from Santa Margherita to Portofino and it is one of the most beautiful and hair raising drives you will ever experience. Italian drivers, tourists, buses, incredibly narrow road, and sheer cliffs make for quite an adventure. One additional problem, if you drive into Portofino you may never get out of the car because parking is virtually impossible. You're more likely to see Pitt in the national championship game then to find a parking spot in Portofino. There is one public parking garage uphill from the harbor that sometimes has space. All this leads to my next suggestion: If you're staying in Portofino, look into an airbnb. We found a nice two BR 2 bath that was a 2 minute walk to the harbor. The big bonus was they had underground parking for their guests. AND it was pretty reasonable (at least in the off season). Final benefit....the estate agent, Bianca, is smokin' hot. The apartment is not fancy, but it's comfortable, very clean, and has everything you need. Link is below:
In terms of restaurants, I honestly can't remember where we ate. Food was generally good, but not great (by Italian standards). Most of the restaurants were very pricey too.
One things you'll want to do is head to the beach in Paraggi. Water is clear and really warm. Lot's of places to grab lunch right on the beach. You can walk to Paraggi from Portofino in about 20 minutes. The hike is actually really nice. One other thing to do is to take the ferry from Portofino to Cinque Terre. Easy way to get to Cinque Terre and you can walk between the various towns once you're there.
Hope this helps.
Divertiti!
Cruzer
I too was going to recommend Siena. Plenty of restaurants and in my opinion the City to visit in Tuscany. Siena hosts the Polio on August 14th every year. This is a horse race you would want to see, if you are in the area at that time. A restaurant in Siena would be the Antica Osterio DA Diva, but just one of so many and none will disappoint
Good story from 2008. Standing in a museum in Florence looking at THE DAVID. I hear my one daughter say to my other daughter something about another small statue of a famous Italian
"I remember that name and era from the art history class I took at PITT. The other daughter says,
"yes, I do recall that as I took the same class a few years later" A few minutes go by and I said to my wife.................did you hear the girls talking about the PITT art history class etc. She said yes I heard them. I had a big ass smile on my face and said to my wife, "I guess that means they actually went to class"
"I remember that name and era from the art history class I took at PITT. The other daughter says,
"yes, I do recall that as I took the same class a few years later" A few minutes go by and I said to my wife.................did you hear the girls talking about the PITT art history class etc. She said yes I heard them. I had a big ass smile on my face and said to my wife, "I guess that means they actually went to class"
You won’t find a meatball anywhere in Italy, veal and rabbit are big there, coffee is hard to find, unless you can find a McDonald’s which they do have in very few places, growing up eating my mothers Italian cooking I was spoiled, I didn’t care to much for the Italian foods there. Trevi fountain, leaning tower, Luca a city surrounded by a wall, Venice, capri, Roman colosseum, Michelangelo’s original statue of David to name a few. They do have highway stops, have great salami sandwiches, and when I was there a few years ago I noticed they had no potholes
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Absolutely true. You have to see those if you haven’t before. I just enjoyed the neighborhood feel in Trastevere and didn’t mind the stroll from there to the sites. But if you’re only in Rome for a couple of days staying central to maximize your time would make sense.
When you’re in Venice, check out the roof top terrace of the department store. It’s free but you have to book a spot ahead of time. Great view of the city.
I've found it kind of hard to eat in Rome believe it or not. Not that it's bad, but a lot of the places kind of don't care for tourists and the food can be underwhelming. Even one that was off the main path a little, we got the Omega house treatment where we were sat with Jugdish and other tourists in the back while the locals who came in got preferential treatment in the front of the dining room. The NY times had a story about this a while back but I think it is still relevant today. Just have to research it really well to find some good places, and they probably aren't close to the centro storico.
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and order a cappuccino after dinner. Ask for it in a to go cup.
And my kid who was pretty young at the time wore his Pitt t-shirt and did get a couple of H2P's thrown his way in Rome.
There’s a lot to unpack here. Italian-American food is influenced by Italian food (mostly Southern Italy), but is its own distinct cuisine. Polpettes (meatballs) are popular in Italy, just not eaten with spaghetti or sauce. The most popular meat dishes are pork (by far the most popular), beef and chicken. And lastly, Italy is a huge coffee drinking country.
very true. Meatballs are part of the southern Italian cuisine, very rarely in sauce, almost always served fried as a standalone.
The true Neapolitan ragu is something to behold. No meatballs, no spaghetti with it.
I wouldn’t say there is any one place you have to eat at compared to others. More like cuisines. Get the ink pasta when you’re in Venice for instance. And go more seafood there compared to other spots.
Get the steak in Florence.
I found a lot of Italy’s food to be very “peasantry.” Low on protein rich dishes, and they eat the type of meats we eat for charcuterie boards, as “primi” courses and that is frequently the only protein they have.
They also don’t eat breakfast really. Their breakfast spots are more like a little kid’s dessert menu, followed by a cappuccino and a cigarette, because breakfast for them is more like a pleasure experience than the “most important meal of the deal.” So if you’re a breakfast person, you’re going to want to pick hotels with a legit continental breakfast, since they cater to non-Italians.
Get the steak in Florence.
I found a lot of Italy’s food to be very “peasantry.” Low on protein rich dishes, and they eat the type of meats we eat for charcuterie boards, as “primi” courses and that is frequently the only protein they have.
They also don’t eat breakfast really. Their breakfast spots are more like a little kid’s dessert menu, followed by a cappuccino and a cigarette, because breakfast for them is more like a pleasure experience than the “most important meal of the deal.” So if you’re a breakfast person, you’re going to want to pick hotels with a legit continental breakfast, since they cater to non-Italians.
You sound like you already have accommodations everywhere, so I will stick to food and sights.
I agree 100% about asking your hotel concierge or front desk for restaurant recommendations. We had some of our best meals in Italy at places recommended by hotel employees. We had a lunch in Venice that I still remember 40 years later at a place we couldn’t find at first even though the concierge drew us a map. It was literally a restaurant in what was almost a cave, with no windows but the food was extraordinary. And, never ending. There were three generations of an Italian family there celebrating the grandmother’s birthday and they were eating when we arrived and still eating when we departed two hours later. Still one of the best meals I ever had. We didn’t order a single dish. The concierge had called and made the reservation and explained there would be no ordering.
I think Venice is fine for short stays, but in my opinion 3 days there is enough to see everything. The Piazza San Marco is very photogenic, but the only one of the buildings there where we really enjoyed the inside was taking the elevator (and then stairs) to the top of the Campanile. The views are extraordinary. Advance tickets a must.
One big caution: Google Maps doesn’t work in Venice. You have to use an old fashioned map.
I highly recommend taking the public ferry to the island of Burano for a 1/2 day trip. There are two popular islands for visitors. The other is Murano, where they do the glass blowing. We found that boring. But just walking around Burano and stopping for an espresso and pastry was great. All of the houses are painted in very bright colors. We also found time to spend half a day in Cannaregio, a working class neighborhood. Masha is a photographer (in Ukraine she did wedding photography and portrait photography before the war) and we often go on photographic tours of places we visit with a professional photographer. Obviously, they know places we never would find on. our own but they also know the right times to visit the main sights and the right angles to get the best light. Ours took us to Cannaregio for two hours along with the obligatory canal and bridge locations. After 3 days, we were canalled-out and happy to move on to Florence.
Florence (Firenze) is by far my favorite city in Italy and one I never tire of visiting. It is nice and compact although it is located in both sides of the Arno. The statue of David at the Academia is one of the most extraordinary creations I ever have seen, and we see it on every trip.
We use a service called Tours By Locals a lot of the time when we travel. It isn’t cheap, but we find that we see a lot more in less time than if we try to see things on our own. They are licensed English speaking tour guides and generally know the workers at the major sites. At the Academia there is a line to buy tickets and then a separate line to get in with your ticket. We bypassed both and went in a side door with no line. Same thing at the Uffizi, the great art museum, and two other attractions. Probably saved us a good two hours, plus our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and took us to places not usually on packaged tours and a great luncheon spot.
Tours By Locals has guides in many major cities. You can go on their site, choose the city and browse through all of the possible tours. Often 5 or 6 guides will offer similar tours.
We have taken three full day tours by car of Tuscany on trips to Florence, each with a different itinerary. On one, the major stop was Sienna, on the second San Gmignano and on the third Montepulcino. All were great. Because of the distances you really can only do one town in a day without really rushing it.
I agree 100% about asking your hotel concierge or front desk for restaurant recommendations. We had some of our best meals in Italy at places recommended by hotel employees. We had a lunch in Venice that I still remember 40 years later at a place we couldn’t find at first even though the concierge drew us a map. It was literally a restaurant in what was almost a cave, with no windows but the food was extraordinary. And, never ending. There were three generations of an Italian family there celebrating the grandmother’s birthday and they were eating when we arrived and still eating when we departed two hours later. Still one of the best meals I ever had. We didn’t order a single dish. The concierge had called and made the reservation and explained there would be no ordering.
I think Venice is fine for short stays, but in my opinion 3 days there is enough to see everything. The Piazza San Marco is very photogenic, but the only one of the buildings there where we really enjoyed the inside was taking the elevator (and then stairs) to the top of the Campanile. The views are extraordinary. Advance tickets a must.
One big caution: Google Maps doesn’t work in Venice. You have to use an old fashioned map.
I highly recommend taking the public ferry to the island of Burano for a 1/2 day trip. There are two popular islands for visitors. The other is Murano, where they do the glass blowing. We found that boring. But just walking around Burano and stopping for an espresso and pastry was great. All of the houses are painted in very bright colors. We also found time to spend half a day in Cannaregio, a working class neighborhood. Masha is a photographer (in Ukraine she did wedding photography and portrait photography before the war) and we often go on photographic tours of places we visit with a professional photographer. Obviously, they know places we never would find on. our own but they also know the right times to visit the main sights and the right angles to get the best light. Ours took us to Cannaregio for two hours along with the obligatory canal and bridge locations. After 3 days, we were canalled-out and happy to move on to Florence.
Florence (Firenze) is by far my favorite city in Italy and one I never tire of visiting. It is nice and compact although it is located in both sides of the Arno. The statue of David at the Academia is one of the most extraordinary creations I ever have seen, and we see it on every trip.
We use a service called Tours By Locals a lot of the time when we travel. It isn’t cheap, but we find that we see a lot more in less time than if we try to see things on our own. They are licensed English speaking tour guides and generally know the workers at the major sites. At the Academia there is a line to buy tickets and then a separate line to get in with your ticket. We bypassed both and went in a side door with no line. Same thing at the Uffizi, the great art museum, and two other attractions. Probably saved us a good two hours, plus our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and took us to places not usually on packaged tours and a great luncheon spot.
Tours By Locals has guides in many major cities. You can go on their site, choose the city and browse through all of the possible tours. Often 5 or 6 guides will offer similar tours.
We have taken three full day tours by car of Tuscany on trips to Florence, each with a different itinerary. On one, the major stop was Sienna, on the second San Gmignano and on the third Montepulcino. All were great. Because of the distances you really can only do one town in a day without really rushing it.
My understanding is that Italy will not allow Starbucks or any non-Italian coffee chain to open there.
Almost every town in Italy looks like a postcard.I'll focus on Portofino, since others have already chimed in on Rome, Venice, and Florence.
First off, Portofino really does look like a postcard. Absolutely beautiful little village. Keep in mind Portofino is very small (you can walk through the entire village in 10 minutes.
As you probably know, August is prime travel season so everything is going to be crowded (book well in advance if you can). Since Portofino is so small there aren't a ton of hotels. Those that are right in Portofino are going to be super expensive during the prime season. Of course if money is no object, stay at the Belmond. A couple of alternatives:
1. Stay in Santa Margherita (just down the coast) and take a day trip to Portofino. Santa Margherita is much larger with more hotels to choose from. There's a bus that runs frequently between the two towns if you don't have a car. If you do have a car you can technically drive into Portofino. I say technically, because there is one road from Santa Margherita to Portofino and it is one of the most beautiful and hair raising drives you will ever experience. Italian drivers, tourists, buses, incredibly narrow road, and sheer cliffs make for quite an adventure. One additional problem, if you drive into Portofino you may never get out of the car because parking is virtually impossible. You're more likely to see Pitt in the national championship game then to find a parking spot in Portofino. There is one public parking garage uphill from the harbor that sometimes has space. All this leads to my next suggestion: If you're staying in Portofino, look into an airbnb. We found a nice two BR 2 bath that was a 2 minute walk to the harbor. The big bonus was they had underground parking for their guests. AND it was pretty reasonable (at least in the off season). Final benefit....the estate agent, Bianca, is smokin' hot. The apartment is not fancy, but it's comfortable, very clean, and has everything you need. Link is below:
In terms of restaurants, I honestly can't remember where we ate. Food was generally good, but not great (by Italian standards). Most of the restaurants were very pricey too.
One things you'll want to do is head to the beach in Paraggi. Water is clear and really warm. Lot's of places to grab lunch right on the beach. You can walk to Paraggi from Portofino in about 20 minutes. The hike is actually really nice. One other thing to do is to take the ferry from Portofino to Cinque Terre. Easy way to get to Cinque Terre and you can walk between the various towns once you're there.
Hope this helps.
Divertiti!
Cruzer
Well according to Google, there are 31 Starbucks locations in Italy. The real question is why? Anyone who travels all the way to Italy and goes to Starbucks for coffee, should instantly be prohibited from ever returning.
You can get ”Americano”. But we like strong coffee. And when you order coffee, you get espresso unless you stipulate otherwise.
Cafe doppio. Double espresso. The coffee in Italy was wonderful!
So was the gelato. In Florence, go to Vivoli for gelato. Fantastic! It’s down a small side street. Beautiful little old churchyard across the street with some benches. Your can sit over there and enjoy your gelato!
Vivoli was a block away from the B&B we stayed in on our first trip to Florence in 1984. It was the first time I ate gelato, and little did I know that it would be the best gelato I ever ate. That church, Santa Croce, and the square in front of it are a wonderful place to spend an hour people watching.So was the gelato. In Florence, go to Vivoli for gelato. Fantastic! It’s down a small side street. Beautiful little old churchyard across the street with some benches. Your can sit over there and enjoy your gelato!
If you are going to be there in July or August, be prepared for extremely long lines.
Venice was my least favorite city in Italy. Florence was cool, the Statue of David is a must. Rome has a ton of landmarks, the Trevi fountain is a must see. If you get a chance Sienna is a beautiful small town ( ~ 60,000 ) in Southern Tuscany. It will be hot in Southern Italy in August. Have fun. A beautiful country.
The greatest cup of coffee ever was sitting at a small table in Siena inside the walls of the piazza . In second place was looking at Crater Lake
I could rank a few more but it would take me a while to think about it.
I could rank a few more but it would take me a while to think about it.
Did anyone even mention the Vatican? It’s an absolute must, and not for any religious reason. Probably the world’s largest collection of priceless medieval art, stunning grounds and architecture, oozing with history, and of course the Sistine Chapel. One of the best pieces of advice anyone gave us before we went to Italy was to hire a private guide for the Vatican. For a couple hundred bucks you bypass all the lines, get access to areas of the Vatican that others can’t, and get a really good historical narrative that puts everything in context. Followed by the guide taking us to eat and drink with her at an awesome off the path trattoria down a medieval alley in Rome with amazing food and good wine.
Thank me later.
Thank me later.
It's been a few years now, so I don't remember the restaurants in Venice. I apologize for that.
Here's something funny (?) about Venice, though. We're eating at a place right on one of the smaller canals, seated outside after dark. Looking back behind my wife, I happen to notice a small creature walking down the edge of the walkway, right against the water, sort of in the shadows. As it gets closer, of course I can see it is a rat. Now, I can see this thing, and my wife can't. I don't think it is in anybody's best interests if I point this creature out to my wife, but I also wonder if the other seated patrons will notice. If the little guy keeps walking, he's going to be no more than 5-6 feet away from the outermost tables, and I can't help but think that the mix of American and British people eating at this place aren't going to be too happy. He doesn't make it all the way down to us, though; somehow he went down an alley or some such other nook/cranny and avoided us. To nobody's surprise, I guess, there are lots of rats in Venice. Something to keep in mind if you are eating outside and it's not all that well-lit.
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