Italian food: what to eat in Italy, region by region
There is no single Italian cuisine. Each region cooks its own, so carbonara is Roman, risotto is northern and arancini are Sicilian. The best approach is to eat what the place you are in does best, at the hours locals eat, and to ignore menus that list everything from everywhere.
The short answer
- Order this first
- The pasta of the town you are in: carbonara in Rome, tortellini in Bologna, pizza in Naples. Local beats famous.
- When people eat
- Lunch from about 12:30 to 2:30 and dinner from about 8 pm, later in the south. Kitchens often close between meals.
- Tipping
- Not expected. A cover charge (coperto) is common, and rounding up the bill is enough.
- Where to eat well
- Small trattorie and osterie away from the main sights, and the city food guides here for named places.
What to eat in Italy
- Spaghetti alla carbonaraEgg, hard cheese, cured pork cheek and black pepper, with no cream. Roman trattorie make it best.Rome
- Neapolitan pizzaA soft, blistered crust with tomato and mozzarella, eaten with a knife and fork or folded. Naples is the place for it.Naples
- Risotto alla milaneseRice cooked slowly in broth and colored with saffron. It often comes beside ossobuco, braised veal shank.Milan
- Tagliatelle al ragùEgg pasta with a slow-cooked meat sauce. In Bologna it is never served with spaghetti.Bologna
- Bistecca alla fiorentinaA thick T-bone steak grilled over coals, served rare and sold by weight. Order it to share.Florence
- CicchettiSmall bites of fish, cheese or meat on bread, eaten standing at a bar with a glass of wine.Venice
- AranciniFried rice balls with a filling of ragù or butter and ham. Palermo's street stalls sell them hot.Sicily
- Cacio e pepePecorino and black pepper on spaghetti or tonnarelli, a simple dish that depends on the cook.Rome
- PizzoccheriBuckwheat pasta with cabbage, potato and melted cheese. A mountain dish for cold days.Valtellina, Lombardy
- Spaghetti alle vongoleSpaghetti with clams, garlic, oil and parsley. Order it on the coast.Naples and the south
- CannoliCrisp fried shells filled with sweet ricotta. The best are filled when you order.Sicily
How the food changes across Italy
The north
Butter, rice, polenta and cheese rather than olive oil and dry pasta. Expect risotto in Milan, filled pasta in Bologna and fish and seafood in Venice.
Emilia-Romagna
The richest food region: tortellini, tagliatelle, lasagne, Parmigiano Reggiano and balsamic vinegar from Modena.
Tuscany and the center
Simple food built on good ingredients: beans, bread, olive oil, grilled meat. Rome adds offal, artichokes and cured pork.
Naples and the south
Tomatoes, mozzarella, seafood, citrus and dried pasta. Pizza was born here, and the coast is for fish and clams.
Sicily
Arab, Spanish and Greek influences show in the food: couscous, citrus, almonds, sweet and sour dishes and a strong tradition of street food.
What to drink in Italy
- EspressoDrunk standing at the bar in a minute or two. Cappuccino is a morning drink, and ordering one after a meal marks you out as a visitor.
- AperitivoA pre-dinner drink such as a spritz or a glass of wine with snacks, from about 6 pm. In the north the snacks can be a small meal.
- WineEvery region makes its own. Order the local house wine by the carafe, or ask for the local red or white by name.
- Amaro and digestiviBitter herbal liqueurs, or limoncello in the south, served after dinner.
- Beer and waterItalian lager is easy to find, and tap water is safe. Restaurants will ask whether you want still or sparkling bottled water.
Where to eat in Italy, city by city
Rome
The ancient capital and the easiest place to start, with more to see than a short trip can hold. It suits first-timers and anyone who likes history on foot.
Order Cacio e pepe
Milan
Italy's business and fashion city, with the Duomo, the Last Supper and strong rail links. It suits design, shopping and a stopover on the way to the lakes.
Order Risotto alla milanese
Florence
Compact and full of Renaissance art, and a good base for Tuscany. It suits art lovers and people who want a walkable city.
Order Bistecca alla fiorentina
Venice
A car-free city of canals that is best early in the morning and in the evening, once the day trippers have gone. It suits couples and anyone who wants somewhere unlike anywhere else.
Order Cicchetti
Verona
A small, pretty city with a Roman arena and an easy pace. It suits a short stop between Venice and Milan or Lake Garda.
Order Bigoli
Bologna
A university town with long arcades and some of Italy's best eating. It suits food-led trips and is a short train from Florence, Venice and Milan.
Order Tagliatelle al ragù
Naples
Loud, crowded and good, with the best pizza reputation in the country and Pompeii and Vesuvius nearby. It suits people who want real city life over polish.
Order Pizza margherita
Sorrento
A cliff-top town on the Bay of Naples, used as a base for Capri, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. It suits a beach-and-sights week.
Order Gnocchi alla sorrentina
Lake Como
Mountain-ringed lake villages reached by ferry. It suits slow days, gardens and villas, and is easy to add to a Milan trip.
Order Polenta uncia
Palermo
Sicily's capital, with a mix of Arab, Norman and Baroque buildings and some of the country's best street food. It suits travelers who want a different Italy.
Order Pani ca meusa
Siena
A medieval hill town with a famous shell-shaped square. It suits a quiet night or two in Tuscany, usually on the way between Florence and Rome.
Order Ricciarelli
Turin
A grand, orderly northern city with big museums and good cafes, and few tourist crowds. It suits repeat visitors and anyone heading to the Alps.
Order Vitello tonnato
How Italy eats
- Meal timesBreakfast is a coffee and a pastry at the bar. Lunch is the main meal, and dinner starts around 8 pm. Many kitchens shut between the two.
- CoursesA full meal runs antipasto, primo (pasta or rice), secondo (meat or fish) and dolce. Nobody expects all four; a primo and a salad is a normal meal.
- CoffeeCappuccino with breakfast, espresso after lunch. Standing at the bar costs less than sitting.
- ReservationsBook dinner in the cities, especially Friday and Saturday. Many small places keep few tables, and some close one day a week.
- TippingNot expected. Check the bill for a cover charge or service charge before you add anything.
Signs of a place to walk past
A menu with photographs and the same dishes in five languages.
A staff member outside calling people in from the pavement.
A menu that lists pizza, sushi, burgers and pasta alike, with no sign of the local dishes.
A place beside a major monument with no Italian customers at the tables.
Food in Italy: questions people ask
What food is Italy known for?
Pasta, pizza, risotto, cured meats, cheese, gelato and coffee. Each region has its own specialities, so the food in Bologna is not the food in Palermo.
What is the most traditional Italian food?
There is no one dish. Pasta in its regional forms, bread, olive oil, cheese and cured meats are the base. Local dishes such as carbonara, risotto or arancini vary by region.
What should I eat in Italy besides pasta and pizza?
Risotto, polenta, grilled meats, seafood, regional cheeses, cured meats, soups and pastries. Cicchetti in Venice and arancini in Sicily are good places to start.
What do Italians eat for breakfast?
A coffee and a pastry such as a cornetto, taken at the bar. Savory breakfasts are rare outside hotels.
Is it hard to eat vegetarian in Italy?
Not in cities. Pasta with tomato, pizza margherita, vegetable antipasti, risotto and ricotta dishes are common. Ask whether a sauce or filling contains meat or lard, since some do.
Do you tip in Italian restaurants?
No tip is expected. Some restaurants charge a cover charge per person and a few add a service charge, so check the bill. Rounding up is welcome.
What time do Italians eat dinner?
Around 8 pm in most places, and later in the south and on the coast in summer. Restaurants that open at 6 pm are mostly catering to tourists.