What is delicious food and where to try on vacation in Italy? What are the prices for food in restaurants and on the street? Let's consider all the traditional dishes that must be ordered on a gastronomic trip, find out how much money to take with us and how to save money on a trip abroad.
The impression of visiting any country depends not only on the local beauties of nature and architectural monuments, but also on the national cuisine. Not every country can boast of dishes that are famous anywhere in the world. Italy is perhaps in the first place. Today, almost every restaurant has Italian food, however, these delicious delicacies are truly made only in Italy. This is due to the peculiarities of the local climate and the products that are common in each region. Therefore, each region of the country can boast of its own unique recipes.
What to try in Italy from food?
Traditional dishes in Italy have long been a culinary attraction. Meet 10 national dishes that you should definitely try, performed by Italian chefs.
- Pizza - the queen of Italian cuisine - open flatbread with cheese, tomatoes and various fillings,
- Lasagna - puff pastry with minced meat, bolognese sauces, béchamel and parmesan,
- Risotto - the culinary symbol of the country - a dish made of rice with the addition of seafood or other ingredients,
- Carbonara paste - spaghetti with pieces of salted pork meat with egg and parmesan sauce,
- Minestrone soup - classic Italian soup made from seasonal vegetables with the addition of spaghetti or rice,
- Tortellini - a kind of pasta in the form of dumplings familiar to us with aromatic sauces,
- Caprese - a light snack made of tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and olive oil, imitating the colors of the Italian flag,
- Tiramisu - dessert with layers of savoyardi cookies, moscarpone cheese, coffee, sugar and chicken eggs,
- Panna cotta - perhaps the most famous dessert made of cream, sugar, gelatin and vanilla,
- Gelato - a kind of ice cream with the addition of chocolate, nuts, berries
Best Street Food (Street Food)
When the rhythm of a big city does not allow you to allocate time for a cozy restaurant, and you really want to satisfy your hunger, food from street food comes to the rescue. Thanks to only fresh and high-quality products, street food in Italy is not inferior in aroma and taste to restaurant food. In addition, we recommend street street food primarily not for a budget holiday in Italy, but for lovers of various tastes.
What to eat on the street in Italy?
- Deep-fried seafood... In many port cities, this is the main delicacy made from the freshest shrimp, octopus, squid or small fish. All this is placed in a paper cone for the convenience of eating yummy.
- Seppole Is the most common snack on the streets of Italy. These are deep-fried balls of dough stuffed with custard, chocolate or marmalade, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- Panellet - chickpea slices fried in olive oil, drizzled with lemon juice and embedded in a bun sprinkled with sesame seeds.
- Panini with porchetta - hot roasted pig sandwiches. When you see a white truck on your way, hurry up to it, because it sells the most popular food in central Italy.
- For exotic lovers, we advise you to try stiggiola - Sheep gut fried on a wire rack, seasoned with spices and herbs.
Food prices in Italy
The prices for food in Italy are quite democratic; when traveling on your own, you can quite afford to go to any supermarket or market and buy the products you need, without denying anything, but within reason, of course. The cost of groceries in supermarkets is approximately the same in all regions of Italy. The cost of vegetables and fruits in the markets is sometimes even higher than in stores. Winter pricing policy differs from summer one.
We offer you to familiarize yourself with the prices for the main types of products:
- milk 1l - 1.3 EUR
- butter 1 kg - 37 EUR
- baguette - 2 EUR
- eggs 6 pcs - 2-2.7 EUR
- 0.5 kg pasta - 0.8-1.9 EUR
- ham - 11-26 EUR
- hard cheese - 11-19 EUR
- fruits and vegetables 1 kg - 2-4 EUR
- pork - 5.5-11 EUR
- beef 16-19 EUR
- chicken fillet - 7-15 EUR
- salmon - 19-24 EUR
- tuna - 43 EUR
- shrimp - 13-28 EUR
The price of alcohol in Italy is quite comfortable even for a budget wallet:
- beer - 2-3.5 EUR
- wine - 3-100 EUR
- vodka 1 l - 8.5 EUR
Food prices in Italy in 2021 remain quite European. You will be surprised, but dinner in Moscow will cost more than dinner in an Italian restaurant. If you are on a budget, there is always a cheap option where you can buy take-out food. And also find a place where you can eat while standing at the tables. This way you will not have to pay the table service fee.
Where to eat in Italy?
It doesn't matter where you are, in Rome or in Florence, any other city. Finding a place where you can have a full and tasty meal is not difficult. These are all kinds of bars, cafes, restaurants, taverns, pizzerias and fast food. The cost of food in Italy is cheaper than in neighboring countries, nevertheless, for a Russian tourist, food prices are still high. You can save money by preparing food yourself, or in numerous inexpensive trattoria, taverns and rosticheria.
We advise you to choose restaurants away from the central streets, because the prices for food in Italy in cafes and restaurants are more expensive the closer they are to the city center and hiking trails that include the main attractions. The usual set meals are not accepted here, and if there are, then they are too expensive - from 15-20 euros. Also in many places of food there is a service charge of 2-4 euros.
Now let's consider the issue of prices by city, where you can sit in a restaurant inexpensively, and where you can leave a decent amount at all. The coast of Italy is filled with a variety of resorts for all tastes. There is always a more secluded place near the popular resort, where the quality of service is no less than in respectable vacation spots. Let's see how food prices differ in different resort regions of Italy. We have chosen 2 establishments where you can eat deliciously and at the same time not overpay for pleasure.
Tuscany
The most famous resorts are Viareggio and Follonica.
- In the first, we suggest visiting a restaurant Trattoria Fronte Del Porto on Via Michele Coppino, where for 25 euros you get an appetizer, pasta, main course, wine and water without limits.
- AND Bagno lelia - a restaurant located on the beach with a beautiful setting and delicious food within 30 euros.
In Follonica, for 30 euros for two, you will perfectly satisfy your hunger in cozy restaurants:
- Trattoria Da Santarino, Piazza 24 Maggio, 21
- and Nel Giardino di Cri on Viale Italia, 305
Rome
Arriving in the capital of Italy, sooner or later the question arises where to dine in Rome? From the abundance of restaurants we offer:
- TavernLa Scaletta on Via della Maddalena, 46/49, where you get a full lunch for 10 euros and dinner for 14 euros.
- Another place on Via degli Spagnoli, 48 - Tavern The tavern 48... For 15 euros you will experience a pleasant atmosphere and taste traditional Italian cuisine.
- La Casa del Caffe Tazza d Oro - the cafe prepares delicious coffee and pastries. Address: Via Degli Orfani 84, 00186,
- Tazza D'Oro Is another place where delicious coffee is served. Address: Via Marche 52, 00187,
- Trecaffe - do you like croissants and espresso? Then from the very morning they are waiting for you at the address: Via Dei Due Macelli 107, 00187,
- D'Angelo - delicious pizza according to traditional recipes, fresh pastries and other dishes that can be enjoyed at lunchtime are prepared here. Address: Via Venti Settembre 25, 00187.
Rimini
- While resting in the largest Italian resort, you can get confused by the abundance of attractions (excursions around the surroundings and the city) and drinking establishments, when answering the question where to go to eat in Rimini? There are few expensive restaurants here, mostly available to middle-income and low-income guests. We will recommend a cafe La Posada»On the Rivabella beach. A family with a child can dine here for 20-30 euros.
- Fish lovers will love the restaurant La marianna on Viale Tiberio, the best way to go is from the Ponto di Tiberio bridge. For 25 euros, you will be very full.
Cagliari
- In the capital of Italian Sardinia - Cagliari, we offer to visit a picturesque place Trattoria Lilliku at Via Sardegna, 78. For 30 euros you can try fish appetizers, a first course, and homemade wine.
- At the exit from Cagliari towards Pula, opposite the Maddalena Spiaggia beach is the elegant and most famous restaurant in Sardinia Sa Cardiga and Su Skironi. The menu from 45 euros includes gourmet food and wine.
Florence
- Panini Toscani - here you can taste the local cuisine from cheeses to cured meats. Address: Piazza del Duomo, 34, directly opposite the Brunelleschi's Dome.
- Chianineria Trattoria dall'Oste Duomo - a restaurant where deliciously prepared Florentine steak from fresh meat, an establishment of a medium price range. Address: Borgo San Lorenzo 31, 50123.
- Street food in Florence is best eaten in Amici di Ponte Vecchio, most locals buy pizza and fast food right here, prices are low, for example, a burger with meat will cost 4 euros. Address: Via Dei Bardi 39, 50125.
Naples
- Seafood restaurant Pescheria lo squalo - everything from seafood is prepared here, from soup to grilled shrimp. Address: Via giustiniano 273, 80100.
- From pizzerias, first of all we recommend Pizzeria Sandropizzettata - from Italian classic to Mediterranean with different fillings and low prices in comparison with restaurants of this category. Address: Via Francesco Solimena 72, 80129.
- From steak houses, be sure to check out Colantuono's Steak and Grill - a good steak will cost about 7 euros. Address: Via Belvedere 1 / A.
Venice
- In this city there is an opportunity to diversify its gastronomic possibilities and visit a gourmet restaurant Ai mercanti... Average bill is about 27 euros, but the food service and atmosphere are worth it. Address: Calle Dei Fuseri Sestiere San Marco 4346 / A, 30124 (290 meters from the Grand Canal).
- Street food and delicious panini only in La Bottiglia, amazing sandwiches with jerky meat, you can eat deliciously from 12 euros. Address: San Polo 2537 Campo San Stin, 30125.
Reviews of tourists about food in Italy are always positive. Good, full portions and reasonable value. Finding a good place to eat is not difficult. And further. The food here is incredibly delicious!
Our section with full information for planning a trip will help you answer: where to go on vacation in Italy, how much money to take, what interesting places to see on excursions, other nuances.