St-Trophime

Located in the south of France, Arles is one of the most interesting cities in Provence. It was made the second capital of Rome in 306 AD by Constantine the Great, and it has some of the best preserved Roman sites outside of Italy. Arles is also a must visit for fans of Vincent van Gogh, who did some of his most compelling work here.

Travelers appreciate the charming plaza, sidewalk cafes, good restaurants, and hotels. Plus, if you stay in the historic center of town, you can walk to almost everything.

Arles attractions.

Many of Arles attractions are included in a combination ticket that’s available at the tourist information office. If you plan to visit several museums and attractions, it will save you some money.

* The Museum of Ancient Arles is about a 20 minute walk along the Rhone River from the center of town. It has models that show how the Roman ruins looked in ancient times, some sarcophagi that date back to the Roman Christian era, and jewelry, tools, and other ancient artifacts.
* The Arena was built by the Romans in the 1st century AD. It’s still in use today, and during bull-fighting season, 20 spectators pack the stadium. Climb one of the towers for great views of Arles and the Rhone River.
* The Roman Theatre also dates from the 1st century. Today, it’s used as a concert venue during Festival d’Arles, which takes place each summer. When the weather’s fine, it’s also a nice spot for a picnic lunch.
* St-Trophime is a 12th-century Romanesque church that’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. The carved sculptures on the portal are amazing, and the adjoining cloisters are lovely.
* Modern art lovers should visit Musee Reattu which has 57 drawings by Picasso. The museum is located in the 15th-century priory of the Knights of Malta.
* Arles has a unique culture and you can learn more about it at the Museon Arlaten, which has furniture, dolls, costumes, and other everyday objects,
* Les Alyscamps is an old Roman cemetery that was painted by both van Gogh and Gaughin. It’s a pleasant walk from town, and another good place for a picnic.
* A subterranean gallery dating from 30 B.C., the Cryptoportiques has more artifacts from Roman times. And there are well-preserved 4th-century Roman baths that were part of Constantine’s palace.
* If you’re in Arles on Wednesday or Saturday morning, go to the market. On Saturdays, it’s on Boulevard de Lices. On Wednesdays, it’s on Boulevard Emily Combes.

Place de la Republique

Arles hotels.

Some of the best hotels in Arles are housed in historic buildings, so it’s not hard to find lodgings with character. If you prefer to walk to restaurants and attractions, stay near the Arena.

* The Grand Hotel Nord Pinus has hosted bullfighters and models, artists and rock stars. The location on Place du Forum is terrific, and the Brasserie is a popular spot for a meal. This is a very stylish place. Affordable rooms are small, and nice rooms are expensive.
* L’Hotel Particulier is an 18th-century mansion about a five-minute walk from town. The 13 rooms here are beautifully decorated and have polished wood floors and exposed beams. There’s a swimming pool and small spa.
* La Mas de la Chapelle occupies an old priory not far from town. It’s set in private park with tennis, a swimming pool, a 16th-century chapel.
* Hotel d’Arlatan has a pretty terrace courtyard, a swimming pool, and a glass lobby floor that looks down on part of Constantine’s 4th-century palace.
* Hotel du Forum offers good value for money in the historic part of town. Many of the rooms here overlook the Place du Forum or the swimming pool.
* With a garden restaurant, indoor swimming pool, and spa, Hotel Le Calendal has a lot to offer for the money. The location between the arena and the theater is convenient to everything.
* Hotel Jules Cesar has 56 rooms in a former Carmelite convent from the 17th century. There’s a great restaurant and a heated outdoor pool. Rooms are decorated with colorful Provencal fabrics. A very pleasant place to stay, it’s a member of the Small Luxury Hotels group.
* Although it only has two stars, Hotel de l’Amphiteatre makes up for it in charm and service. The building, which originally dates from the 17th century, has some nice architectural details, and the antique furnishings are a perfect fit. The Belevedere Suite offers 360-degree views of Arles.

Arles restaurants.

Arles is surprisingly close to both Spain and Italy, so the cuisine here is as Mediterranean as it is French. In fact, you’re as likely to find gazpacho on the menu as bouillabaisse. Tapas are a great way to try lots of dishes, and of course, the wine is marvelous. Most Arles restaurants are small, so reservations at dinner are a must.

* Speaking of tapas, Pizzeria Ecrin has a good selection, along with pizzas, and salads. Good for lunch after visiting the Amphitheatre.
* L’Affenage has food from all over the Mediterranean. There’s a terrace out front, and an appetizer buffet inside.
* L’Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel makes the most of the organic veggies grown in the extensive gardens. The restaurant has a Michelin star and commensurate prices. If you’re on a budget, Rabanel’s Le Bistro a Cote nest door is less expensive.
* La Gueule de Loup is a favorite of locals who come for baked lamb, and other Provencal specialties. Several prix fixe menus make it a good value.
* Diners at Lou Marques in the Hotel Jules Cesar can choose between the pretty dining room and the lovely terrace. The wine list and food here are first rate.
* Brin de Thym is a nice, family-run place with good food, warm service, and reasonable prices.

Read more about Arles here.

1) Museum of Ancient Arles
2) Arles Arena
3) Roman Theater
4) St-Trophime
5) Musee Reattu
6) Museon Arlatan
7) Les Alyscamps
8) Cryptoportique
9) Grand Hotel Nord Pinus
10) L’Hotel Particulier
11) Hotel d’Arlatan
12) Hotel du Forum
13) Hotel le Calendal
14) Hotel Jules Cesar
15) Hotel de l’Amphitheatre
16) Pizzeria l’Ecrin
17) L’Affenage
18) L’Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel
19) La Gueule de Loup
20) Lou Marques
21) Brin de Thyme

View Arles attractions, hotels, and restaurants in a larger map

St-Trophime Image Flickr: Allie_Caulfield
Place de la Republique Image Flickr: Wolfgang Staudt

Bottega Yountville

Although wine country is best known for its French restaurants, there are also some great Italian restaurants in the valleys.

Napa Valley Italian restaurants

With a more ambitious menu than most Italian restaurants, Bistro Don Giovanni is a popular spot in downtown Napa. Starters include an excellent Pumpkin Ravioli in brown butter sauce with sage, Carpaccio, a cheese plate, and a salad of beets and haricots verts. Pizzas emerge from the wood-fired oven thin and crispy. Try fig, caramelized onion, gorgonzola, arugula, and Balsamic vinegar. Paccheri with a Sonoma duck Bolognese and rabbit cacciatore are just the thing on a cool, fall evening. Or you could opt for grilled California sea bass or steak frites.

If you can, grab a table on the outdoor terrace near the fireplace. Bisto Don Giovanni’s owners run Scala Bistro in San Francisco and they change the menu with the seasons. As you’d expect, the wine list is very good. Reservations are a good idea, especially on weekends.

Uva Trattoria & Bar is usually jumping. In fact, they have jazz five nights a week. So this isn’t the place for a quiet, romantic dinner for two. But it’s a convivial place with good food and a lively bar. The little fried rice balls called arancini are an addictive starter. Weekly specials might include baked gnocchi with burrata cheese and pomodoro sauce, bucatini al’amatriciana, and pan-roasted sea bass. In addition to the specials, there are usually five or six pizzas, ten pasta dishes, and three or four entrees.

Celebrity chef/Food Network TV host Michael Chiarello opened Bottega in the old V Marketplace in Yountville a year ago. Zagat named Bottega the top newcomer of the year and Esquire included it in their list of the Top 20 new restaurants. The design is casual but modern with brick walls, stone fireplaces, and plenty of couches for lounging. Although it’s a huge space, it’s divided into more manageable areas, and the patio is very inviting. This is not the place to watch your figure. The soft boiled egg in the Pecorino cheese flan is deep fried. And green eggs and ham comes swimming in Cambazola crema. The salumi is made in house and the crudo is sensational. All the pastas are made from scratch and sauces made with duck, rabbit, and chanterelles are hearty and filling. Braised lamb shanks, short ribs, duck confit, and whole, wood-oven roasted fish are the stars of the secondi.

Green Eggs and Ham

Ten years ago, Chiarello was the partner/chef at Tra Vigne in St. Helena. One of the most romantic restaurants in the valley, it has a lovely vine-covered patio that seems like it was plucked from a Tuscan hill town. It’s magical at night when the trees are dressed with little white lights. Inside, the stylish dining room has brick walls, high ceilings, and a hand-carved bar. Papperdelle with rabbit ragu and wild mushrooms, carbonara with guanciale and organic eggs, and duck confit risotto pave the way for wood-oven roasted Dungeness crab and pan-seared Quinault River steelhead. The 200-wine list changes frequently.

Just around the corner on Main Street, Pizzeria Tra Vigne serves authentic Neapolitan pizzas in a casual setting. The garlic rolls are perfect for taking the edge off while you wait for your pizza, but they’re hard to stop eating. There are several salads, pasta dishes like spaghetti and meatballs and shrimp fettuccini, and a nice selection of oven-baked flatbread with salad on top. But it would be a shame to come here and not order pizza. Traditional pies like Margherita and Ducati with Italian sausage, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes compete with unconventional pizzas like Positano with gulf shrimp and fried lemons, and Gardiniere with brocolli, cauliflower, and spicy garlic soffrito.

Sonoma Valley Italian restaurants.

Red Grape Pizzeria

Sonoma is one of the most charming towns in California Wine Country. Shops, hotels, and restaurants line its 19th-century plaza and there’s a farmer’s market on Tuesday evenings in summer.

The Della Santina family comes from Lucca, Italy, and they’ve been serving Tuscan-inspired cuisine in Sonoma since 1990. They found a beautiful old stone building to house their restaurant. You’ll find all the usual pastas and entrees — the gnocchi della nonna is especially good — but what’s really special here are the spit-roasted meats. You can choose from chicken, pork, rabbit, or duck. Or if you can’t choose, you can order skewers with three different meats. The 3-course dinner special is a good value at $30 per person. On Tuesdays, they have a prix fixe menu that features Italian wine pairings. If the weather’s nice, opt for a table out on the brick patio. There’s a nice selection of wine for less than $40 a bottle.

It’s hard to visit wine country without enjoying all the world-class restaurants. But sometimes, you just want a pizza and a cold draught beer. If you’re in Sonoma, Red Grape Pizzeria is a great spot. They have dozens of wines by the glass and many bottles for around $30. You can start with an antipasto, one of the tasty flatbreads, or a salad. If you don’t want pizza, there’s a nice selection of wraps and Panini — who doesn’t want pork and brie with caramelized onions and sliced green apple. The imaginative pizza list include clams casino with apple wood-smoked bacon, roasted duck and gorgonzola with a Cabernet reduction, and shrimp scampi.

1) Bistro Don Giovanni
2) Uva Trattoria
3) Bottega
4) Tra Vigne
5) Pizzeria Tra Vigne
6) Della Santina’s
7) Red Grape Pizzeria

View Italian Restaurants in Napa and Sonoma in a larger map

See our list of the best Italian restaurants in San Francisco here.

Carpaccio from Drago Centro

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t terrific Italian restaurants in South California. They’re just not all concentrated in one area. Which means that no matter where you are, there’s probably one that’s not too far away.

An unassuming little place that’s nearly always packed, Angelini Osteria serves some of the best Italian food in Southern California. Start your meal with Pumpkin Tortelli with butter, sage, and asparagus or Bombolotti all’Amatriciana with guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, and hot pepper. If you love Roman food, there’s even warm tripe. The whole sea bass encrusted in salt and herbs is sensational, and the grilled bistecca here will remind you of your trip to Florence. Lasanga Verde, a homage to the chef’s grandmother, is the most popular dish. Topped with frizzled spinach, it’s a rich, dense block of meat, pasta, and cheese. Specials each day features Italian classics like saltimbocca, oxtail, and porchetta. The wine list has lots of affordable Italian wines.

Celestino Drago has several restaurants in Los Angeles, but Drago Centro is the best Italian restaurant on the Eastside. The sleek, stylish décor and downtown City National Plaza location make this one of the most sophisticated and expensive Italian restaurants in town. No spaghetti and meatballs here. The glass wine cellar displays some of Drago’s rare Italian wines. But don’t worry — there are plenty of reasonable selections and 100 wines available by the glass. The concept here is to take traditional Italian dishes and update them with modern techniques and ingredients. The six-course tasting menu is a good value at $75 per person. Dungeness crab tagliolini with tomatoes and basil and pappardelle with roasted pheasant and morel mushrooms are achingly good. If you can, save room for the little doughnuts called I Bomboloni.

Also owned by the Drago family, Il Pastaio is a popular Beverly Hills trattoria. There are three kinds of carpaccio to start your meal — beef, tuna, and swordfish, but regulars can’t resist the fried rice balls called arancini. Mussels and clams steamed in a garlicky tomato broth taste like you‘re next to the sea. There are more than a dozen salads, including a tasty panzanella made with leftover bread. With so many pastas and risottos to choose from, most diners never make it to the Secondi section of the menu. Their panna cotta provides the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

Burrata from Drago Centro

No discussion of Italian restaurants in Los Angeles can omit the Mozza trilogy. The brainchild of culinary stars Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton, and Joseph Bastianich, Pizzeria Mozza is actually the casual sibling of the more up-scale Osteria Mozza. But for our money, Pizzeria Mozza is the better choice. The pizzas here — baked at high temperature in a wood-burning oven — are miraculous with a thick, puffy crust that’s lighter than air. But there’s plenty of other great Italian food like fried squash blossoms, baked bone marrow, goat cheese with lentils, and oven-roasted pork ribs. Daily specials include crisp duck leg with lentils, chicken alla cacciatore, and lasagna. Make reservations or plan to wait. And don’t miss the butterscotch budino. It’s one of the most delicious desserts you’ll ever eat.

As the name implies, Trattoria Tre Venezia specializes in the cooking of Northeastern Italy. It’s tucked away in a cute little building in Old Town Pasadena. And from the outside, you’d never guess that it has been awarded a Michelin star. The dishes here are a far cry from what you’d find in Southern Italy, and Austrian influences are apparent in marinated venison and smoked pork chops with gorgonzola sauce and sauerkraut. From the Veneto region, there are seafood specialties like cuttlefish, black-ink ravioli filled with halibut, and chestnut tagliatelle with lobster. For desserts, the custards — such as Crèma del Gondoliere — are especially good.

Valentino has been the leading Italian restaurant in Los Angeles for thirty five years now. Its staying power can be attributed to attention to detail. From the elegant ambience of the four romantic dining rooms to the world-class service to the 140,000-bottle wine cellar, owner Piero Selvaggio provides an exceptional dining experience. Which explains why they have a Michelin star. The menu has delectable items like risotto with squid ink and mixed seafood, lasagna with duck ragu and porcini mushrooms, and ossobuco, but your best bet is to put yourself in the chef’s hands and order the tasting menu. Those looking for something lighter and less expensive can opt for the Vin Wine Bar, which offers an appetizer, entrée, and dessert for just $35. Affordable vertical wine tastings are also available. Dress up.

The heart of Vincenti is the wood-burning oven and rotisserie. You can watch all the action in the exhibition kitchen. Starters include a warm octopus salad, tuna carpaccio, and stuffed zucchini blossoms. Tagliolini with clams and potato gnocchi with shrimp, lobster, and asparagus are delicious. But it’s the roasted meats that steal the show. Try sea bass or Dover sole, quail, leg of lamb, or pork tenderloin. The six-course tasting menu is $60. And excellent pizzas are also available.

1) Angelini Osteria
2) Drago Centro
3) Il Pastaio
4) Pizzeria Mozza
5) Trattoria tre Venezia
6) Valentino
7) Vincenti

View Italian restaurants in Los Angeles in a larger map

Find more Italian restaurants here. And find great Pizza restaurants in Los Angeles here.

Puerto Madero

Some of the best Italian restaurants in South America are here. And there are also plenty of great pizza restaurants.

Italian restaurants in Puerto Madero.

An outpost of the well-regarded Milan restaurant of the same name, Bice serves meat and fish, but it’s the pasta dishes that really stand out. Ravioli quattro formaggi, fettuccini with spinach and shrimp, and tri-colored gnocchi with Parmesan are all winners. The wine list is affordable, and there are tables outside along the Puerto Madero riverfront promenade.

Based on the success of their Puerto Madero location, the owners of Sottovoce decided to open a second restaurant in Libertador. The chef here trained at the Ritz in Paris and Cipriani in Venice before returning to Argentina and going into business with his brother. Starters include bresaola with burrata cheese and prawns, beans, and arugula salad. Veal rolls and rabbit with mustard sauce compete with pastas like pappardelle with chanterelles and portabellos. Have a glass of late harvest Torrontes with rice pudding with dulce de leche ice cream.

One of the first restaurants to open in Puerto Madero in 1995, Sorrento del Puerto is still the only two-story restaurant at the port. If you can’t get a table on the patio, opt for a second-story spot with a view of the waterfront. Sorrento is a great choice is you’re tired of Argentina’s ubiquitous beef because the seafood is really good. There’s a variety of fresh fish available grilled. Or you can opt for a more imaginative preparation like trout stuffed with crab. Although it’s not Italian, the Paella Valenciana is very good.

Italian restaurants in other Buenos Aires neighborhoods.

With its red-and-white checkered tablecloths. Broccolino — which is a corruption of Brooklyn – would be equally at home in New York City. Not far from Calle Florida, it’s a favorite of actor Robert Duvall. Start your meal with calamari sautéed in wine and garlic. Try one of the wonderful pastas or a spicy pizza from the brick oven. You can choose a pasta, a sauce, and a variety of toppings like grilled vegetables. But save room for the wonderful Italian-style gelato.

Piegari restaurant in Recoleta

Located in the happening Palermo Viejo neighborhood, La Baita fills up at lunch and dinner with locals craving great Italian food. Start with beef carpaccio or the antipasto with local prosciutto and salami. Risotto with squid ink, baked lasagna, and saltimbocca are popular choices. And the crepes filled with crab then baked with parmesan cream are wonderful. Wine is available by the bottle or glass.

Tucked away under a freeway in Recoleta, Piegari serves huge portions of leg of lamb, short ribs of beef, spaghetti, and other hearty dishes. It’s a good ideas to go with others so you can share them family style. In addition to the homemade pastas, there’s fresh seafood, risottos, and deep-dish pizzas. The wine list here is quite extensive.

1) Bice
2) Sottovoce
3) Sorrento del Puerto
4) Broccolino
5) Filo
6) La Baita
7) Piegari

View Italian restaurants in Buenos Aires in a larger map

Find more Italian restaurants here.

Puerto Madero Image Flickr: blmurch
Piegari restaurant in Recoleta Image Flickr: Pedro Angelini

Short Rib Pasta

The North Beach neighborhood was once the home of most of the city’s Italian restaurants. But these days, you’ll find them in every part of town, from the Mission District to Nob Hill.

Here, listed alphabetically is our list of the best Italian restaurants in San Francisco:

1) The Italian region of Campania is noted for a flavorful cuisine that centers around tomatoes, onions, cheeses, pasta, and cured meats. A16 – named for the autoroute that runs through the region – features Campania-inspired dishes like braised pork shoulder, pasta with cauliflower and crab, or rustic duck meatballs. The starters here are especially good. Try roasted asparagus with walnut cream; house-made prosciutto with persimmons, hazelnuts, and pomegranate seeds; or creamy, rich burrata cheese with crostini. There are 40 wines – mostly Italian varietals – available by the glass, and carafes of wine are also an option. A16 is also one of the best pizza restaurants in town.

2) Located in a building that was once a chapel, Acquarello is one of the most sophisticated Italian restaurants in the Bay Area. The menu, which changes frequently, might feature contemporary Italian foods like gnocchi and Swiss chard in brown butter and sage, a grilled sea bass on warm artichoke and potato salad, or lobster panzerotti. The 500-bottle wine list has lots of great choices from Italy and California. The chocolate cake dusted with gold is worth saving room for. If you’re on a budget, the four-course tasting menu is a good value.

3) Another excellent pizza restaurant, Delfina’s is a Mission District favorite. Making the most of what’s fresh from the farm as well as locally made cheeses and naturally raised beef and lamb, Delfina’s features starters like grilled calamari and white bean salad, incredible pastas like pappardelle with braised lamb, and bistro classics like steak frites. The eclectic menu changes nightly. The heated, covered terrace is a nice spot on balmy evenings. Prices for both food and wine are very reasonable.

Salumi

5) A family-owned North Beach trattoria, l’Osertia del Forno has a limited menu, but everything on it is delicious. First of all, there’s the delicious focaccia to tide you over until the food arrives. Then there are a few pasta dishes, a couple of daily specials – hope for the milk-braised pork – a daily roast, some polenta, and good, thin-crust pizza. It’s inexpensive, informal, and good.

6) The chef and co-owner at La Ciccia is Sardinian, and the menu here recalls the dishes he grew up with on the island. Start with the seafood salad, dressed with lemon and fresh herbs or calamari with mint and white wine. Then sink into pasta with clams, tomatoes, and saffron. or spaghetti with mullet row. The food pairs perfectly with Sardinian wines like Vermentino.

7) Dishes from the Northern Italian regions of Liguria and Piemonte dominate the menu at Perbacco. The antipasto of house-made salumi is a clear winner. Try pappardella in a ragu made with braised short ribs, veal-stuffed agnolotti in cabbage and meat sauce, or milk-braised pork shoulder. The two-story, exposed brick space is sophisticated and lively. And the wine list is excellent, but not cheap.

8) Located in a brick building in Jackson Square, Quince is one of the most elegant Italian restaurants in San Francisco. Chef Michael Tusk did stints at Chez Panisse and Oliveto, and the invention of those trend setters shines through. The best way to experience all of Quince’s delights is to invest in their five- or eight-course tasting menu. That way, you’ll get to try small portions of sensational dishes like pasta with foie gras; pork loin, belly, and sausage with chestnut puree; and veal rib chop with chanterelles and fontina cheese. This is one of the top tables in town for a celebration dinner.

1) A16
2) Acquarello
3) Delfina’s
4) Incanto
5) L’Osteria del Forno
6) La Ciccia
7) Perbacco
8) Quince

View Italian Restaurants in San Francisco in a larger map

Find more great Italian restaurants here.

Short Rib Pasta Image Flickr: stu_spivack
Salumi Image Flickr: WordRidden

Roman Coliseum

Some of the best Italian restaurants in the world are in Rome. The cuisine of Rome is rich and rustic, with hearty meat dishes and terrific pastas. Two of the best known are Spaghetti alla Carbonara with pancetta, eggs, and Parmesan cheese, and Bucatini all’Amatriciana with tomatoes, pancetta, and onions.

Other Roman specialties you should try include stuffed fried zucchini blossoms, Saltimbocca, which is veal stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, and sage, and porchetta, or roast suckling pig. You’ll also find traditional Italian foods like gnocchi and pizza on most menus.

The best expensive Italian restaurants in Rome.

The proud recipient of three Michelin stars, La Pergola is generally acknowledged to be the best Italian restaurant in Rome. Located in the roof garden atop the Cavalieri Hilton, La Pergola has sweeping views of Rome and a beautiful frescoed ceiling in the elegant interior. Chef Heinz Beck is actually German, but he has wholeheartedly embraced Italian culinary tradition and used it as a launching pad for his creations. You’ll find everything here from the simplest tortellini or tomato salad to an ambitious duck-liver scallop with crisp pigeon. The 48,000-bottle wine cellar and the service are both superb. Make reservations well in advance and take a credit card with a high ceiling.

Pantheon

Conveniently located near the Pantheon, Il Convivio is one of the best Italian restaurants in Rome. It’s a traditional, formal place with old-world elegance and service. The clientele leans heavily toward affluent Italian executives. The kitchen’s attention to detail is apparent even in standards like risotto and fava beans. Roasted pigeon and duck dishes are top notch. And organ meats, which are popular in Rome, are as good as you’ll get.

Although fish is not as popular in Rome as it is in Naples or Sicily, Rome does have a very good seafood restaurant called Quinzi & Gabrieli. It’s in a 16th-century building not far from the Pantheon, and the terrace opens onto a small square. The fish couldn’t get any fresher – chances are, it was swimming in one of the tanks before it made its way to the kitchen. Clams (vongole) in a garlicky wine broth or calamari are a great way to start your meal, which could be perfectly cooked swordfish or sea bass. The three rooms are painted with frescoes of Portofino, Capri, and Elba. If you love seafood, this is your best bet in Rome.

The best affordable Italian restaurants.

Piazza Navona

Located on Piazza della Coppelle, not far from Piazza Navona, Maccheroni serves traditional Roman dishes and specialties from other regions of Italy as well. The most popular dish here is the Spaghetti Carbonara. But triofie al pesto, which originates in Santa Margherita Ligure, is another standout. The rustic interior is cozy in winter, and if you’re seated inside, you can watch the chefs at work. On a nice day, take one of the tables outside and enjoy the action on the piazza.

Owned by married couple Agata Parisella (who cooks) and Romeo Caraccio (who manages the dining room), Agata e Romeo has all the charm of a family-run place. The cooking here is modern, but steeply routed in tradition. Expect dishes like oxtail stew, rabbit croquettes, and inventive pastas. The modern décor is a nice change, and the restaurant is centrally located near the Vittorio Emanuele Monument (the dentures). Try to save room for the especially good desserts.

For the price, Antico Arco serves some of the best food in Rome. Above Trastevere on the Gianicolo Hill, Antico Arco serves imaginatively prepared rabbit, duck, and pheasant, in addition to the expected meats and pasta dishes. Chef Patricia Mattei uses lots of fresh vegetables and herbs, and her flavors are clean and bright — the duck breast starter is a must have. Antico Arco has a good wine list, and service is friendly and professional. There’s no terrace, but the attractive interior was redone in 2007. Reservations are required.

Located in the old courtyard of a 16th-century palazzo, Casa Bleve is the most elegant wine bar in Rome. It has one of the best selections of wine – both by the bottle and the glass – in town. But the lunchtime antipasto bar here is equally appealing. Platters filled with rolled veal tonnato, braciole, turkey rolls, marinated vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, and Sicilian desserts beckon. Indicate what you want to one of the servers, and he’ll compose a plate for you. It’s a great way to sample lots of Italian foods without breaking the bank.

Read more about food in Italy here.

Find the best Italian restaurants in Florence here.