If you can take a food tour in Italy, it’s possibly the best choice that you’ll make on your holiday. Otherwise, sit back and read about the most popular food in Italy for tourists to try when they’re visiting. Get a real taste of Italian culture with the best Italian dishes you can find during your next short stay in Italy.
Struggling to figure out how to find the best food in Italy? Book one of our private tours today and ask your tour guide to make some recommendations for your next meal. Italy is full of exquisite dishes and our Italian Adventures private tour guides will be more than happy to help you find the best places to eat.
Finding Authentic Food in Italy
Tourism is a big industry in Europe, so to find the best Italian dishes during your trip, you’ll need to do a little exploring and keep your eye out for restaurants that are hidden away off the beaten path.
You’ll find that a lot of the big, busy restaurants are full of tourists and though they will be enjoying an Italian experience, it’s not the Italian experience. Hole-in-the-wall restaurants are hard to find if you don’t know the area, but you can avoid tourist traps by just eating away from the city centres of Rome, Venice, and Piazza San Marco.
Try neighbouring towns and small villages to find the best Italian dishes you’ll ever try. If you can, travel to somewhere more rural where there are small, local eateries and cafés.
Best Italian Dishes and Food to Try in Italy
Pizza from Naples
For the best food in Italy that will feel nostalgically close to home, we highly recommend a trip to Naples. Naples claims to be the birthplace of Pizza Margherita, the simplest and most popular form of pizza everywhere.
Made with a nice, thin crust, beautifully-crafted tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil, Naples’ pizza is definitely something you should seek out.
Spaghetti Carbonara from Rome
Stay in Rome for this popular food in Italy and don’t ever mention the jar of carbonara sauce you have at home. Real Italian Carbonara is a silky spaghetti dish made with egg yolk and cheese.
Not only will you get to taste fresh, Italian spaghetti noodles, but you’ll also get to experience the stunning architecture of Rome if you decide to try one of our Archaeological Tours of Italy and stay around for dinner.
If you’re wondering how to tell if you’re eating genuine spaghetti carbonara, look at the sauce. If it’s egg yolk yellow, you’ve found the perfect place to eat the best food in Italy.
Focaccia from Liguria
Liguria is known as the motherland of focaccia and is home to several variations of this stunning enriched dough. There are several to look out for if you decide to venture across to North West Italy and spend some time in that area to find the best Italian dishes.
The Genoese focaccia should be at the top of your list. It’s the simplest version, but it’s also the mother of all other focaccia. Additionally, keep an eye out for bakeries and restaurants selling focaccia di Recco, this focaccia is two layers of dough wrapped around Ligurian cheese (though modern versions use crescenza or stracchino).
Risotto from Milan
Head to Milan to find the traditional yellow saffron risotto, which is a popular food in Italy for tourists and locals, alike. However, there are plenty of other risotto and rice dishes to dance on your taste buds.
In Liguria, for example, there’s the Risotto di Mare, which is a wonderful authentic dish to try while you’re there looking for focaccia.
Wine and Dine with Italian Adventures
Italian cuisine is vast. There are so many dishes to try that are attempted in other parts of the world, but this is your chance to try them as they should be prepared.
Book an Archaeological Tour with us at Italian Adventures to experience six or eight days of Italian history, architecture, delicious wine, and some of the best food in Italy that you can find. We offer an amazing eno-gastronomic affair during your stay with us, where each restaurant is chosen to ensure that our guests experience a true taste of Italy.
Contact us today to enquire about our next tour, we’ll work with you to find the perfect dates for our excursion together into the ancient history that lies within Italy.
