30 casual dining worth the trip across Italy, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Italy guides.
L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele ★ 4.7 · Naples
forcella · Via Cesare Sersale 1, 80139 Napoli
Da Michele in Naples' Forcella has baked margherita and marinara since 1870, the city's defining pizza counter. The Eat Pray Love queue still wraps the block at 13:00.
Tip: Take a numbered ticket from the door and wait outside. Margherita is 5 euros 50; cash preferred.
Concettina ai Tre Santi ★ 4.7 · Naples
sanita · Via Arena della Sanità 7, 80137 Napoli
Ciro Oliva's Concettina ai Tre Santi in Naples' Sanita is the modern pizza fine-dining counter, with tasting menus of six small pizzas and a wine pairing in the historic 1951 room.
Tip: Book on the website three weeks ahead. Tasting runs 45 euros; the historic counter still serves the classic pizzas.
Pizzeria Starita a Materdei ★ 4.6 · Naples
materdei · Via Materdei 27/28, 80136 Napoli
Starita in Naples' Materdei has run the wood ovens since 1901, with the montanara fried pizza (Sophia Loren's screen choice) the unmissable order alongside the classic margherita.
Tip: Closed Monday lunch; otherwise daily 12:00 to 24:00. No bookings; arrive 12:30 or 19:30 for the shortest queue.
Gino e Toto Sorbillo ★ 4.6 · Naples
centro-storico · Via dei Tribunali 32, 80138 Napoli
Gino Sorbillo's headquarters on Via dei Tribunali in Naples is the third-generation family pizzeria, with 21 siblings carrying the dough across four city counters since 1935.
Tip: No bookings; arrive 12:30 or 19:00 for the shortest queue. Lievito Madre two doors down handles overflow.
Trattoria al Gatto Nero ★ 4.6 · Venice
lagoon-islands · Fondamenta della Giudecca 88, 30142 Burano, Venezia VE
Trattoria al Gatto Nero on Burano is the 1965 Bovo family room now run by Massimiliano Bovo, the canonical lagoon-fish lunch on the colourful fishing island.
Tip: Book two weeks ahead. Ferry 12 from Fondamente Nove takes 45 minutes. Closed Mondays.
Salumeria Simoni ★ 4.5 · Bologna
quadrilatero · Via Drapperie 5/2, 40124 Bologna BO
Salumeria Simoni on Via Drapperie in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the 1960s-founded family salumeria with a dine-in tasting room behind the counter, slicing mortadella and prosciutto to order.
Tip: The dine-in tasting room behind the counter takes walk-ins for the tagliere; the salumi counter is busiest at 11:00.
Zeb ★ 4.5 · Florence
san-niccolo · Via San Miniato 2r, 50125 Firenze
Zeb in Florence's San Niccolo quarter runs the mother-and-son counter-seating format, a 16-seat L-shaped bar where Alberto Navari plates his mother Giuseppina's tortelli to order.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Sunday dinner. Counter-only; first-come, no bookings.
Trattoria Sostanza ★ 4.5 · Florence
santa-maria-novella · Via del Porcellana, 25/r, 50123 Firenze
Trattoria Sostanza in Florence's Santa Maria Novella quarter has cooked the same bistecca and butter chicken on a coal grill since 1869. Two seatings, one menu, six communal tables.
Tip: Cash only; book three weeks ahead by phone. Two seatings at 19:30 and 21:30.
Trattoria Nennella ★ 4.5 · Naples
quartieri-spagnoli · Vico Lungo Teatro Nuovo 105, 80134 Napoli
Nennella in Naples' Quartieri Spagnoli runs the most theatrical service in town: shouted orders, plastic stools, 13-euro three-course lunch. Sunday queue starts at 11:30 around the block.
Tip: No bookings, cash only. Arrive by 12:00 for lunch or 19:00 for dinner. Closed Sunday all day.
Tandem Ragu ★ 4.5 · Naples
centro-storico · Via Paladino 51, 80138 Napoli
Tandem on Via Paladino in Naples is the modern trattoria built entirely around the Neapolitan Sunday ragu: paccheri, ziti spezzati and the bread-dunking ritual, daily noon to 24:00.
Tip: No bookings; arrive 12:30 or 19:30 for the shortest queue. Three Tandem rooms share the carte.
Ristorante Umberto ★ 4.5 · Naples
chiaia · Via Alabardieri 30/31, 80121 Napoli
Umberto in Naples' Chiaia has run the family room since 1916, with tubettoni do treddeta (3-fingered seafood pasta) and spaghetti alle vongole anchoring the historic carte.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat 12:00 to 15:30 and 19:30 to 23:30; closed Sunday. Book a week ahead via the website for weekends.
Bonci Pizzarium ★ 4.5 · Rome
prati · Via della Meloria 43, 00136 Roma
Gabriele Bonci's Pizzarium near the Vatican in Rome is the pizza al taglio counter that re-wrote how the city does slices, with toppings that rotate every two hours.
Tip: Open from 11:00 daily; line moves fast. Slices are sold by weight. Eat standing or take to nearby park.
Antico Forno Roscioli ★ 4.5 · Rome
centro-storico · Via dei Chiavari 34, 00186 Roma
The Roscioli family's Antico Forno in Rome's Centro Storico is the 200-year-old neighbourhood bakery counter, with pizza bianca, pizza rossa, and the city's best maritozzo to order.
Tip: Open Mon to Sat 07:00 to 19:30; closed Sunday. The maritozzo sells out by 11:00.
180g Pizzeria Romana ★ 4.5 · Rome
centocelle · Via Tor de' Schiavi 53, 00172 Roma
Jacopo Mercuro's 180g Pizzeria Romana in Rome's Centocelle quarter has put the modern Roman pizza on the city's must-eat list, weighing each crust at the namesake 180 grammes.
Tip: Closed Monday. Book a week ahead; the room holds 40 covers. Metro C to Pigneto then 10 min walk.
Volpetti ★ 4.5 · Rome
testaccio · Via Marmorata 47, 00153 Roma
Volpetti in Rome's Testaccio is the 1973-founded salumeria counter with 300 Italian cheeses, a salumi case stocked from every region and a takeaway pasta lunch for €8.
Tip: Open Mon to Sat 08:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:15. Closed Sunday. Cheese tour by request.
Vini da Gigio ★ 4.5 · Venice
cannaregio · Calle Stua Cannaregio 3628A, 30121 Venezia VE
Vini da Gigio on Calle Stua in Venice's Cannaregio is the Lazzari family's canal-side trattoria since 1981, the canonical traditional Venetian dining room.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The 1,200-label cellar leans heavily on Friuli whites. Book a week ahead.
CoVino ★ 4.5 · Venice
castello · Calle del Pestrin 3829A, Castello, 30122 Venezia VE
CoVino on Calle del Pestrin in Venice's Castello is the 12-seat modern bistro with a Slow Food Presidia carte and a daily-changing five-course tasting menu.
Tip: 12 seats total. Email a week ahead for booking. Closed Wed-Thu in some weeks; confirm with the email response.
Tamburini ★ 4.4 · Bologna
quadrilatero · Via Caprarie 1, 40124 Bologna BO
Tamburini in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the 1932-founded salumeria-and-self-service operating from Via Caprarie, with cured-meat counters, a daily-changing carte and aperitivo from 18:00.
Tip: The self-service runs 11:00 to 22:00 daily; the salumi counter closes at 19:30 and the aperitivo crowd takes over after 18:00.
Trattoria Cammillo ★ 4.4 · Florence
oltrarno · Borgo San Jacopo 57r, 50125 Firenze
Trattoria Cammillo in Florence's Oltrarno has been the Masiero family's white-tablecloth trattoria on Borgo San Jacopo since 1945, with crepes alla fiorentina and the wood-grilled bistecca.
Tip: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday; book three weeks ahead. Cash only, dinner only.
Trattoria da Burde ★ 4.4 · Florence
campo-di-marte · Via Pistoiese 154, 50145 Firenze
Trattoria da Burde in Florence's western edge has been the Gori family's working-quarter osteria since 1901, with the Friday-night dinner the only evening service and a daily lunch carte.
Tip: Lunch Mon-Sat; dinner Friday only. Book three weeks ahead for Friday; bus 35 from Santa Maria Novella.
Buca Lapi ★ 4.4 · Florence
santa-maria-novella · Via del Trebbio 1r, 50123 Firenze
Buca Lapi in Florence's Santa Maria Novella has cooked the bistecca alla fiorentina in the Palazzo Antinori cellar since 1880, a candlelit basement of long communal tables and dry-aged Chianina.
Tip: Cash and card; book three weeks ahead. The cellar is hot in summer; ask for the front room.
Fierucola di Santo Spirito ★ 4.4 · Florence
oltrarno · Piazza Santo Spirito, 50125 Firenze
Fierucola di Santo Spirito in Florence is the monthly Tuscan-small-producer market on Piazza Santo Spirito, every third Sunday since 1984, with 70 stalls and a focus on contadini, cheese-makers and bakers.
Tip: Third Sunday only, 09:00 to 19:00. The piazza fills out from 10:00; Tuscan producers cluster on the south side.
Bu:r di Eugenio Boer ★ 4.4 · Milan
porta-romana · Via Mercalli 22, 20122 Milano
Bu:r in Milan's Porta Romana is Eugenio Boer's modern-Italian fine bistro, the Dutch-Italian chef's flagship since 2018, holding one Michelin star.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead. The lunch carte at 65 euros is the cheaper way in; vegetarian tasting available with notice.
Morelli ★ 4.4 · Milan
centro-storico · Via Aristotile Fioravanti 4, 20154 Milano
Morelli in Milan's Sempione is chef Giancarlo Morelli's flagship dining room, opened 2010, with one Michelin star. The veal-stuffed tortelli and risotto define the c
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead. The chef's counter at the open kitchen is the seat to ask for; vegetarian tasting available.
Pizzeria di Matteo ★ 4.4 · Naples
centro-storico · Via dei Tribunali 94, 80138 Napoli
Di Matteo on Via dei Tribunali in Naples has fried pizza, frittatine and crocchè from the streetside window since 1936; Bill Clinton's 1994 lunch stop is in the legend.
Tip: Open daily 10:00 to 24:00. Cash preferred at the window; sit-down service runs upstairs.
Salumeria Upnea ★ 4.4 · Naples
vomero · Via Annibale Caccavello 26, 80129 Napoli
Salumeria Upnea on Vomero in Naples is the deli-bistro hybrid pouring Campania natural wines, with salumi-and-cheese boards and a daily-changing pasta from the kitchen behind the counter.
Tip: Closed Monday. Open daily 12:00 to 23:00 otherwise. Walk-in counter; bookings for the back room.
Pizzeria Veridico ★ 4.4 · Naples
chiaia · Via Filippo Palizzi 33, 80127 Napoli
Veridico in Naples' Vomero area runs a top-30 Italian pizza counter on the 50 Top list, with a 60-hour fermentation dough and a vegetable-led pizza carte alongside the classic margherita.
Tip: Book a week ahead on the website for weekends. Sunday-only specials use seasonal Campanian vegetables.
Supplizio ★ 4.4 · Rome
centro-storico · Via dei Banchi Vecchi 143, 00186 Roma
Arcangelo Dandini's Supplizio in Rome's Centro Storico is the suppli specialist counter, with 12 daily versions including cacio e pepe and mortadella, fried to order.
Tip: Cash and card. Open 12:00 to 22:00 Tue to Sun; closed Monday. Small standing counter only.
Antica Trattoria della Gigina ★ 4.3 · Bologna
centro-storico · Via Stendhal 1/B, 40128 Bologna BO
Antica Trattoria della Gigina in Bologna's Bolognina is the long-running family room with the canonical Sunday-lunch carte and the carrello dei bolliti at lunch on Wednesday and Sunday.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead for Sunday lunch; the carrello dei bolliti is the order to make and sells out by 13:30.
Vicolo Colombina ★ 4.3 · Bologna
quadrilatero · Vicolo Colombina 5, 40125 Bologna BO
Vicolo Colombina in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the small-room trattoria one alley off Via Drapperie, with the Bolognese pasta canon, a strong local cellar and a 30-seat dining room.
Tip: Book three days ahead online; the dining room is intimate and the Quadrilatero passeggiata is loud after 19:30.