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Frary´s

Frary’s (San Polo 2559, fundamenta dei Frari, Venice) – this restaurant attracts those who want a break from Italian food in Venice. Here, Middle Eastern and Greek dishes are served, such as Tzatziki, Couscous, Mansaf (Rice with chicken, almonds and yogurt), as well as vegetarian options – prepared by a Kurdish, Iraqi, and Jordanian kitchen crew.

Etabli

Etabli (Vicolo delle Vacche 9/1, Navona, Rome) – this establishment is a cafe, wine bar and restaurant (depending on the time of day). Dishes served there include antipasti such as its Burrata (mozzarella with cream inside) — accompanied by grilled vegetables, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed tomatoes, and olives; the Roman style artichoke, Carciofi Alla Romana; and its pasta dish, the Bucatini alla Amatriciana.

Da Fiore

Da Fiore (Sestiere San Polo 2202, Calle del Scaleter, Venice) – this Venetian restaurant serves a variety of dishes – some local (such as its Venetian risotto moleche), others fusion specialties, such as its Japanese-influenced tuna tataki, and the Venetian sardine cicchetti (laid on a bed of sushi rice).

Da Dora

Da Dora (Via Ferdinando Palasciano 30, Chiaia, Naples) – located by the city’s seafront, this small restaurant has gained a solid reputation for its seafood dishes (such as its linguine alla Dora, laden with local seafood and fresh tomatoes, as well as its clam-laden spaghetti con vongole). The international travel magazine Departures has given it a strong recommendation. Photos proudly hung on the restaurant wall of famed visitors there, such as Giorgio Armani and Angelica Huston only add to Da Dora’s credibility.

Cul de Sac

Cul de Sac (Piazza Pasquino 73, Piazza Navona, Rome) – this is one of the best wine bars in Rome – with 1,500 wine labels to choose from. Various cold dishes (such as sundried tomatoes in Calabrian olive oil, wild boar pâté and baba ghanoush — mashed eggplant) along with its Greek salad are what’s expected here in terms of food.

Cibreo

Cibreo (Via del Verrocchio, Florence) – this is one of Florence’s finest restaurants, serving dishes (especially tasty fresh fish), cooked with zest. The menus here constantly changes, which includes a vast selection of appetizers, first courses (soups and polenta) and main dishes (fish, meat). The cuisine, of course, Tuscan, serving specialties from marinated chicken giblets to roasted duck with raisins. Desserts are very good (as expected in Italy): ranging from chocolate cake, to cheesecakes.

Al Faretto

Al Faretto (Via Marechiaro 127, Naples) – this restaurant already gets points just for its modern, minimalist interior décor, as well as for its seaside location. No doubt, seafood is this restaurant’s focus, with dishes like trancio di ricciola (amberjack fillets) and crudo di gamberoni e scampi (raw Sicilian jumbo prawns and langoustines) highly recommended. Vogue Magazine’s Italian edition endorsing this restaurant helped attract a number of well-heeled local diners, as well as Italians from other regions passing through Naples.

Agata e Romeo

Agata e Romeo (Via Carlo Alberto 45, Termini, Rome) – located near the Vittorio Emmanuele Monument, and recommended by various food critics (such as Michelin, which called it “one of the capital’s culinary institutions”), this restaurant’s tasty regional dishes range from cannelloni filled with a white duck ragù, to coda di vaccinara in celeriac sauce, and risotto with saffron, taleggio cheese, rabbit croquettes, and thyme. Its signature dessert, semi-sweet chocolate cake with chocolate sorbet and chocolate semifreddo, is not to be missed.