Food & Wine
Best food in Italy: a region by region guide, and where to stay
Italian food is not one cuisine but twenty. Here is Picolo’s guide to the best food in Italy region by region, from ragù in Bologna and carbonara in Rome to cicchetti in Venice and arancini in Palermo, with a hotel in each region.
Ask an Italian about the best pasta and the answer depends on where they were born. In Bologna it is tagliatelle with ragù, in Rome carbonara, in Genoa trofie with pesto and in Naples spaghetti with clams. Italian food is deeply regional, which is exactly why a food trip to Italy never gets boring.
Below we go through the regions we would travel to for the food, what to eat there, and a hotel that makes a good base.
The links to the hotels are partner links. If you book through them, Picolo may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How to plan a food trip to Italy
Eat local: order the dishes the region is known for, not the same thing everywhere.
Eat at the right time: lunch from one, dinner from half past seven or later.
Visit the markets: local markets show what is in season.
Pair with wine: every region has its own grapes and wines.
Emilia-Romagna: Bologna, Parma and Modena
Art Hotel Commercianti
In central Bologna
Bologna: ragù, tortellini and mortadella
Emilia-Romagna is often called Italy’s food basket. In Bologna you eat tagliatelle al ragù and tortellini in brodo, Parma has the ham and Parmigiano, and Modena has the balsamic vinegar. The market streets of the Quadrilatero, by Piazza Maggiore, are perfect for a food walk.
Art Hotel Commercianti is in a medieval building by the cathedral, in the heart of the old centre.
Book your food trip: See rooms at Art Hotel Commercianti
Lazio: Rome
Hotel de Russie
The garden by Piazza del Popolo
Rome: carbonara, cacio e pepe and supplì
Rome has four pasta classics: carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia. Try supplì, fried rice croquettes, as a snack, and visit the market in Testaccio or Campo de’ Fiori.
Hotel de Russie is by Piazza del Popolo, with a beautiful garden for an aperitivo before dinner.
Book your food trip: See rooms at Hotel de Russie
Tuscany: Florence and wine country
Portrait Firenze
By the Ponte Vecchio
Florence: bistecca and lampredotto
Tuscany is simple food of high quality: bistecca alla fiorentina, ribollita, pecorino and olive oil. In Florence, try lampredotto, a traditional street food, from the stands around the San Lorenzo market.
Portrait Firenze stands on the Arno, right by the Ponte Vecchio.
Book your food trip: See rooms at Portrait Firenze
Campania: Naples and the Amalfi Coast
Grand Hotel Parker’s
Views over the Bay of Naples
Naples: pizza and buffalo mozzarella
Campania has pizza, buffalo mozzarella, lemons from the Amalfi Coast and seafood. In Naples you will find the pizzerias and street food we cover in our guide to the best pizza in Naples.
Grand Hotel Parker’s stands high in Chiaia with views over the bay.
Book your food trip: See rooms at Grand Hotel Parker’s
The Amalfi Coast: lemons and seafood
Along the Amalfi Coast you eat lemon pasta, fresh fish and limoncello made from local lemons. Ravello sits high above the sea, calmer than Positano and Amalfi.
Caruso is a palace hotel in Ravello with an infinity pool that seems to hang over the coast.
Book your food trip: See rooms at Caruso, A Belmond Hotel
Sicily: Palermo
Villa Igiea
Art nouveau by the sea in Palermo
Palermo: arancini, cannoli and the markets
Sicily has some of Italy’s best street food. In Palermo you eat arancini, panelle and sfincione at the Ballarò and Vucciria markets, and finish with cannoli filled with ricotta.
Villa Igiea is an art nouveau palace by the sea in Palermo, with gardens and a pool.
Book your food trip: See rooms at Villa Igiea
Veneto: Venice
Hotel Danieli
A Gothic palace by St Mark’s Square
Venice: cicchetti and spritz
In Venice you eat cicchetti, small bites, in the traditional bars known as bacari, with a glass of wine or a spritz. Try sarde in saor, marinated sardines, and seafood risotto.
Hotel Danieli is by St Mark’s Square, in a Gothic palace overlooking the lagoon.
Book your food trip: See rooms at Hotel Danieli
Piedmont and Liguria
Piedmont means truffles, Barolo and vitello tonnato, and the town of Alba is the centre of the white truffle season in autumn. Liguria means pesto, focaccia and fish along the coast, with Genoa and the Cinque Terre the best places to eat it.
When is the best time for a food trip to Italy?
Autumn is a great time for food trips, with the harvest, truffle season in Piedmont and vineyards in full colour. Spring brings artichokes and fresh vegetables. In August many restaurants close for the holidays, especially in the cities.
When should you book your hotel?
Autumn in Piedmont and Tuscany: popular during the truffle and harvest season.
Summer on the coast: book early, especially on the Amalfi Coast.
Flexible rates: choose a cancellable room if you are planning far ahead.
Frequently asked questions about food in Italy
Which region of Italy has the best food?
Emilia-Romagna, with Bologna, Parma and Modena, is often called Italy’s food basket. But Campania, Sicily, Tuscany and Piedmont have equally strong food cultures, so it is best to choose by what you like.
What should you eat in Rome?
Try the four Roman pasta classics, carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia, and supplì as a snack. A visit to the Testaccio market is well worth it.
What are cicchetti?
Cicchetti are small bites served in Venice’s traditional bars, the bacari. They are usually eaten standing up with a glass of wine or a spritz.
When is truffle season in Italy?
White truffle season in Piedmont is in autumn, and Alba is the centre of the truffle trade. Check the dates of the Alba fair for the year you travel.
Where should you stay on a food trip to Italy?
Choose a city or region and stay central. We like Art Hotel Commercianti in Bologna, Hotel de Russie in Rome, Portrait Firenze, Grand Hotel Parker’s in Naples and Villa Igiea in Palermo.