What to eat in Italy by region: the ultimate guide
My trips to Italy generally involve a strict regime of two pastas per day (a diet I break only when I swop one of my daily pastas for a pizza instead), wine in the sun (generally at both lunch and dinner), and gelato at least once daily (apart from when I have it twice daily). Italian food is regional, and finding and eating local specialities is part of the fun of a trip to Italy.
That said, a great thing about Italy is that it is quite difficult to have a bad meal (provided you avoid crowded tourist hotspots). Even pretty random grocery stores in the middle of nowhere stock all sorts of delights – olives, artichokes, cheeses and charcuterie and absolutely delicious pesto, as well as excellent and well-priced wine.
Read on for my ultimate guide to what to eat in Italy, by region.
Italy generally
Before diving into the regional suggestions, a few overall must-eats. Probably the most important thing to eat in Italy is gelato. Gelato is silkier and less dense than ice cream, and is served at a slightly lower temperature. Good gelato is also made with fresh additions, such as fruit or nuts. There is nothing better than a gelato on a hot Italian afternoon, and one of the best things about a trip to Italy is finding your favourite flavour (I am fiercely loyal to nocciola).
Cornettos are another sweet treat found all over Italy. Traditionally a breakfast item, a cornetto is similar to a croissant, but filled with a sweet flavoured cream. If your blood sugar can handle sweets for breakfast, carry on, but if you tend to be on the hangrier side and wish to preserve relations with your travel companions, ask for a plain or “empty” cornetto (“cornetto semplice” or “cornetto vuoto”).
Rome
First and most delicious things foremost, cacio e pepe. Most people have romantic memories of the first night of their honeymoon, and mine was no exception – finally getting to try Roman cacio e pepe was worth the excruciating wait. Traditionally made from just pecorino, water and black pepper, this indulgent dish tastes a bit like a grown up mac and cheese. I was smitten from my first encounter, and had at least one per day during our week in Rome. I now suffer severe withdrawal symptoms (it is notoriously difficult to make). Try it at Osteria da Fortunata (open late), Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina, or La Ciambella.
A close runner up, one cannot go to Rome without trying a carbonara. It is always made without cream in Italy, and traditionally just with bacon, egg yolk and cheese. Try it at Luciano or Don Pasquale.
Roman pastas tend to be richer and more indulgent than in more rural parts of Italy, reflecting the relative wealth of its population – if you need a break, switch it up with pizza. Roman pizza is crisp with a thin base (a nice throwback to the 90s for those of us old enough to remember), unlike the fluffier, chewier Neapolitan pizzas. Try it at Emma Pizzeria in Rome. Alternatively, Bonci Pizzarium, close to the Vatican, is very popular, and not only with tourists, for pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice).
Lastly, if you have any space left, you should not leave Rome without trying a maritozzo, the famous Roman cream filled bun. Traditionally a breakfast item, sweet brioche pastry is filled with whipped cream, sometimes flavoured with orange and vanilla. Try it at Antico Forno Roscioli, an iconic Roman bakery.
Florence and Tuscany
I am not generally someone who gets excited about sandwiches, but I do get excited about schiacciata. These are traditional Tuscan street food sandwiches made from olive oil bread (a lot like focaccia) and filled with truly lovely things – cheeses, tomatoes in various formats, charcuterie, and delightful pesto-y treats. The best place to get one is All’Antico Vinaio in Florence, but be warned, there is a long queue and it moves slowly. There isn’t a lot of space inside, so expect to sit on the pavement or around the corner. My hanger got the best of me so we actually went next door to La Schiacciata and had an excellent schiacciata, with (bonus!) a table, chairs and wine!
As a side note, we were over the moon when this Florentine sandwich shop opened close to us in London soon after we returned from our trip – not to brag, but I feel I may have manifested its opening purely due to my obsessing over schiacciata. It feels authentic, with Italian staff who shout at each other and a line out the door.
For more substantive meals, Bistecca alla Fiorentina (or Florentine steak) is one of the most well-known Florentine dishes, and is available all over Tuscany. Parpardelle al cinghiale (wild boar ragu) is another favourite, a rich meaty pasta – you can’t blink in Tuscany without finding one of these on a menu.
Amalfi Coast
In the Amalfi Coast, you must have lemon everything. Italy is really good at elevating ordinary things, and there is something very glamorous about Amalfi lemons, which are the gold standard. Try lemon sorbet, pasta al limone, and limoncello. Also, try the lemon granita (sugar, lemon and crushed ice) served alongside the road.
Apart from lemons, the seafood on the Amalfi coast is excellent, and the spaghetti alla vongole is not to be missed (try it at Chez Black in Positano).
Capri
Although you have probably had a Caprese salad before, there is something immensely satisfying about finally having one in Capri, and this is a must do. Something you may not have had before is a Torta Caprese – a delicious and very rich flourless chocolate and almond cake. And lastly, I had a daily Ravioli Capresi: lusciously fat ravioli parcels stuffed with caciotta cheese and marjoram, served with a tomato and basil sauce. Try it at La Palette or Il Geranio.
Naples
Naples is definitely not as high-end as Rome or Florence, or as glamorous as the Amalfi Coast. Nevertheless, I seriously self actualised during our single night there, because eating pizza in the birthplace of pizza = LIFE.FUCKING.GOALS.
The best place for an authentic Neapolitan experience is L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. You might recognise it as the scene of Julia Roberts’ muffin top discussion in Eat Pray Love. In keeping with the general laid back, slightly grungy vibe in Naples, this place is very casual, serving only four pizzas and no wine (they only serve Nastro Azzuro beer and soft drinks). But don’t let that fool you – the pizza is delicious, excellent value for money, and enormous.
One thing to note is that there is often quite a serious queue here. You have to get a ticket and wait for your number to be called when a spot becomes available. Hot tip if it is moving slowly: get your number, then go to one of the restaurants across the road, from which you can see the queue, for an aperitivo. We got up once or twice to check which numbers were being called, and got back in good time for ours.
Bologna
Our single night in Bolonga should have been another moment of self actualisation – who doesn’t want to eat Bolognese in Bolonga? As an aside, one of the really fun things about Italy, if you are as food-obsessed as I am, is how many of these you can do – Parma ham in Parma, balsamic vinegar in Modena, etc.
As it turns out, traditionally there are two kinds of ragu in Italy: white ragu (ragù in bianco) and red ragu (ragù alla Bolognese). The red is what most of us non-Italians are used to, Bolognese sauce made with meat and tomatoes. White ragu, however, is made without the addition of tomatoes, and is a much meatier sauce. All very well if that is what you actually want, but quite alarming if you have not done your research. So be warned, white ragu is a thing.
Sicily
For most of my life until visiting Sicily, I’d always had very neutral feelings towards pistachios (being loyal to hazelnut gelato, for example). But pistachios are everywhere in Sicily (known as “green gold”), and after one pistachio pesto pasta at a random Sicilian seaside restaurant, I had developed a full blown food fixation. Try the gelato, the pesto, and the sweet pistachio cream in cornettos and cannolis.
Arancini are another Sicilian delight – delicious deep fried breaded risotto balls, the Sicilian ones tend to be much bigger than the ones served in London restaurants (just one of these makes a pretty good lunch for one person).
Lastly, I was pleased to discover that cannoli are traditionally Sicilian in origin. There is nothing quite like a fresh (read: not pre-filled) cannoli while strolling around Sicily after lunch. I was surprised to like them as much as I did, having never really enjoyed them prior to our trip to Sicily, and they managed to usurp my usual post-prandial gelato on more than one occasion.
Milan
Milan’s most famous dish is Risotto alla Milanese, cooked in saffron and often served with osso buco (veal shanks). It is light and delicate, while still being comforting. Try it at Il Piccolo Milano.
