Italy: Food, Glorious Food!

Italy. Or as we like to call it… EAT-aly.

With all those carbs, creamy gelato and cheesy perfection around every corner, you’ll be tempted to park up and feast for days. But then you’ll catch sight of the Roman ruins, golden coastlines, crumbling hilltop villas and rolling vineyards – and suddenly, doing everything sounds like the dream.

Add in sun-drenched piazzas, zippy Vespas and locals who somehow make everything look effortlessly stylish… and you’ll be planning how to stay forever.

Before you start packing your stretchy pants (trust us, you’ll need them), here’s everything you should know to make the most of your Italian adventure.

From silky carbonara in Rome to truffle-dusted risotto in the north, these are the bites worth booking your flights around.

Our favourite things to eat in Italy

1. Risotto al Nero di Seppia: The original Italian risotto derives from northern Italy but you’ll want to try the speciality of the Veneto region, Risotto al nero di seppia. Particularly fun to eat because it’s black; a result of the key ingredient, cuttlefish, which are cooked with their ink-sacs intact.

Try it: Ristorante Tintoretto in the Veneto capital, Venice. Off the main canals and more relaxed than most Venetian pit stops, the black risotto is always a main player on the menu.

📍Fondamenta Trapolin, 2578, 30121, Venice

2. Gelato: Peaks of pastel-coloured gelato tumble from their plastic tubs and an assortment of sweet sugary treats rest perfectly across the top.

Try it: You’re in Florence’s renowned Gelateria La Carraia – AKA gelato heaven. 

📍Piazza Nazario Sauro, 25/r, 50124, Florence.  

3. Panna Cotta: You thought cream was creamy, but wait until you discover Italian panna cotta. Combining cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and gelatine, the result is beyond magnificent.

Try it: All the desserts are sublime at Cinghiale Bianco Ristorante in Florence, but you'll leave raving about the panna cotta.

📍Borgo S. Jacopo, 43, 50125 Florence.

4. Tortellini: Said to be inspired by Lucrezia Borgia’s navel button (she was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI) Tortellini reigns from the region of Emilia and - if you look at it from the right angle – resembles the shape of a belly button.

Try it: In the gastronomic heart of Italy, Bologna. Renowned for bolognaise but also tortellini. Ignore the guidebooks that recommend all the obvious spots and seek out La Traviata instead. A family run trattoria serving all of Bologna's finest creations. 

📍Via Urbana, 5, 40123 Bologna.

5. Affogato: Combining two of Italy's finest creations, a big dollop of gelato is added to a single shot of espresso. Add a crunchy side-serve of biscotti and a nip of Frangelico, a hazelnut liquor, and you're in business.

Try it: Rome’s Bar San Calisto. A local favourite with a cheery vibe to match. Bag yourself a seat outside and order that affogato - nothing mixes better than Italian coffee, gelato and people watching.

📍Piazza di S. Calisto, 3, 00153 Rome.

Did you know?

• Traditional home-cooked food: Baghino Restaurant in Prato. An old Italian tavern offering the best in Italian hospitality, it’s authentic, charming and bursting with enticing smells. You’ll enjoy traditional Tuscan cooking at its very best - so much so there are more locals here than visitors, so you know it's good. 

• Italian Cooking Class -What better way to learn how to cook (and devour) authentic Italian cuisine. Use fresh ingredients and watch the masters at work - a must-do while in Italy. Don’t want to cook; you can dine with a local in their home – another amazing experience. We recommend Pensiola experience in Sorrento - cook authentic Italian recipes in a family home in in one of the outer villages of Sorrento! Learn to cook authentic generations old family recipes with Cristiano in his family home in a village in Sorrento.

• Seasonal Food Festivals – Italy’s food culture is deeply tied to the seasons. From the Alba White Truffle Festival in Piedmont to chestnut festivals in Tuscany and the vibrant citrus celebrations in Sicily, these local events offer a chance to taste hyper-seasonal, regional specialties at their freshest. It’s the perfect way to dive into authentic flavors and mingle with locals who truly live for their food.