Restaurants Rome, Milan, Florence, & Venice Italy?

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Peggy I

There is a nice restaurant a couple blocks up from the train station in Florence on the right side of Via Nazionale, before you hit Via Guelfa. I don't remember the name. There is also a good chinese restaurant on the left side closer to the train station.

Most restaurants don't open until 7, and only have one seating. Do what the locals do, and at 5 go to the bar (coffee bar, kids allowed), have an expresso and a shot, a wee bit of pastry or snack, and then go back to your hotel and lay down for an hour until it is time for dinner.

Beyond that, ask at your hotels, ask in the shops, talk to strangers, and do what we did, walk up and down the street reading the signs until you see something that catches your fancy.

In Rome definitely go to Piazza Navona, there are good restaurants. There is also a nice place near the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in the alley of San Prassede (I think) called the Bavarian or something like that. They make really good Italian food, and do a steak almost as well as a Texan.

The best meal we had in Venice was in the little square to the east of St Marks, Campo Fillipp San Giacomo. Middle restaurant, good fish, fairly pricey.

godmotherinitaly

here is a list of recommended restaurants in Rome, separated by area. http://www.wheninrometours.com/Articles/Archived-Articles/Restaurants-in-Rome.html

Paulie

In all my travels to Italy (once or twice a year), I can honestly say that I have never experienced a bad meal served either in a resturaunt or by one my family while staying with them. That said however, some of the meals eaten out have been far far better then others. These range from small trattotoria's to full service resturaunts.

So, here are a few of Paulie's recommendations:

In Rome, one of my favorites is Ambasciata d' Abruzzo. I warn you NOT to eat other then breakfast, or you will not do justice to the menu. The address is Via Pietro Tacchini, 26. If you stay in the Via Veneto area, you can cab it over. Make sure as you are finishing that you have the resturaunt call cabs to take you back to your hotel.

In Venice; located on a back canal with tables set up alongside the canal is a place called Cantinone Storico.. If you stay in the St Mark's Square area, then take the Accademia bridge and bear to your left..
BTW, after dinner, make sure you take the family and sit out in St Mark's square at the 4 or 5 different music venue's and drink Expresso and eat your desserts...after you put the kids to bed, enjoy a great single malt scotch at Harry's Bar, just off the square and at the Grand Canal. You will rub shoulders with the ghost's of Ernest Hemingway and other notibles... Also, if this is your first trip with the kids, its nice to stay for a night or two near St Marks Square. When we go to Venice now, we stay on Lido Island and spend about 1/3 of the cost of a room and meals as you will in the St Marks Square area. That and its only two stops on the Vapperretto to the Square..

In Florence, ..and this one reminds me of what K-Paul's place was like when he first started with people lining up outside to get in for the first seating...is a small Trattoria called Le Mossacce. Its located on Via del Proconsolo two blocks from the Duomo. It does not look like much from the outside or really from the inside, but the meals are huge, the meat and pasta is fresh every day.. the chef who cooks right there in front of you cause you are all jammed together will ask you how large a piece of Veal you want (and you MUST try the veal chop) for him to slice and prepare!!!

The last but one of the best... Milan...is the most expensive of the lot, but one of the very best.. Its called Tano passami L'Olio.. If you say it real fast, it almost sounds like its english translation; Tano, pass me the Oil... As you might guess, Chef Tano uses only the very best of regional Olive oils from the entire country. Don't walk in here and ask for butter, cause you will end up "Out on Da street".. They have outstanding seafood and meat dishes that are all made with fresh virgin olive oils... The tastes are wonderful.. Its located on Via Vigevano....

So, enjoy and if you need anything else........

Ciao

matthew.fechter

i've lived in Italy since 2006 and i can tell you that the best way to find a restaurant is to just walk around the city and stop in and try one.

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