If there’s a couple things Italy is known for, it’s the tasty food and stunning cities. So, it makes total sense to combine the two for a well-deserved break in the Mediterranean.
Whether it’s pizza, pasta, gelato or coffee, Italy’s city break destinations are a haven when it comes to food and drink. Without further ado, here are the best Italian cities for foodies!
Best for steak or Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine Beefsteak)
Florence, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region is well-known for its renaissance art and architecture. The Duomo is a must-see when visiting the city as well as the Galleria dell’Accademia which displays Michelangel’s sculpture of “David”. A trip to the Uffizi Gallery has a display of Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation”.
When it comes to food… You won’t be missing out with a holiday to Florence!
The Florentine Beefsteak - Mmm, Florence at its finest! This dish shows off the flavours of Florence, especially as the flavourful “T-bone” steak itself comes from Tuscany and is from a well-known breed of cattle called the Chianina.
The meat is very lightly seasoned before it’s then grilled briefly. You can then enjoy a caramelised outside and a rare and tender inside. Finally, the size of a Florentine Beefsteak is huge, so it’s definitely a meal you’ll want to share with family and friends.
Best for cicchetti
As the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, Venice comprises 100 small islands. Think Renaissance and Gothic buildings, no roads and just canals, along with wonderful sights… there’s no wonder why Venice has always been an Italian city break favourite.
And if you’re wondering what your meals will consist of with a trip to Venice, well, plenty of delicious food is the answer.
In fact, something you have to experience in Venice is the hole-in-the-wall bars called bacari. They’re especially prominent in the San Polo and Cannaregio districts and they dish out cicchetti which is Venice’s equivalent to tapas.
Cicchetti can be small sandwiches, olives, halved hard-boiled eggs or small slices of bread covered in toppings like prosciutto and gorgonzola, or other selections seafood, meat and veggies.
Best for tagliatelle al ragù and lambrusco
Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, in northern Italy. Best known for its cosy cafes and medieval structures, especially the Fountain of Neptune, the Basilica di San Petronio and the Two Towers - leaning Asinelli and Garisenda.
If your eyes are on the Bologna sights, your mind should be set on the tasty food. Bologna may not be the first to mind when it comes to Italian foodie breaks, but this is the place where tortellini and tortelloni comes from, as well as tagliatelle al ragù. So, Bologna may as well be the queen city of pasta!
There are tons of market stalls and cafes lining Quadrilatero off Piazza Maggiore which are the perfect introduction to the city’s cuisine. But when you’re tucking into Bologna’s bites, wash it down with a fizzy red wine – lambrusco, for a traditional experience.
Best for seafood
Palermo is the capital of Sicily – one of Italy’s islands. It offers opera in the Teatro Massimo and Byzantine mosaics at the Cappella Palatina. But Palermo also boasts buzzing markets and street food like no other Italian city.
Enjoy a stroll around the busy Kalsa quarter, offering fish, prawns and calamari – all of which are grilled on barbecues. Plus, if you’re a lover of arancini (fried risotto rice balls) you’ll find plenty of that on these streets. As well as panelle (chickpea fritters) and croquettes.
Finally, you won’t want to leave Palermo without trying the island’s most famous dish, pasta con le sarde, spaghetti with sardines and anchovies, accompanied by a sauce with onions, fennel and pine nuts added, all topped with breadcrumbs – yummy!
