35 Best Restaurants in Italy

The heaping seafood antipasti alone is reason enough to visit this classic seafood-focused eatery close to the Biennale—think tuna and swordfish carpaccio, spider crab, clams, crab pâté, and a variety of fish. But you'll also want to stay for the excellent mains, particularly soft-shell crab, mixed grilled fish, and spaghetti vongole, plus the lovely courtyard setting.

Located right on the beach at Porto Palo, Da Vittorio is something of a local legend, highly regarded and much loved by everyone from wine and olive oil makers to celebrating families. The focus is on fresh fish and seafood, with pasta for the first course, and grilled fish for a second, all enhanced with traditional Sicilian flavors such as capers, almonds, and wild fennel. The spot dates back to the 1960s when Vittorio, a young cook from Bergamo, fell in love with a Sicilian girl and opened a small restaurant in a beach shack. These days, there’s a smart glass conservatory and cream damask table linens, along with a terrace for alfresco dining, and—a real mark of Vittorio’s success—a local following strong enough to keep the restaurant open all year, a real rarity in these parts.

Renowned for its simply crafted dishes made with the freshest seasonal catch, Cosenza's best seafood restaurant has (appropriately enough) a minimalist, blue-and-white, nautical-theme interior. Guided by a waiter, you might start with a selection of antipasti to share, followed by a classic pasta allo scoglio (spaghetti with mixed seafood) and a main fritto misto di mare (medley of fried seafood).

With its dining room set in a cave above the harbor of Santa Maria La Scala, this rustic trattoria specializes in seafood. Try the insalata di mare (a selection of delicately boiled fish served with lemon and olive oil), pasta with clams or cuttlefish ink, or fish grilled over charcoal. The menu is small and simple, but expertly prepared.

This is arguably the best restaurant in Monterosso, specializing in tasty, fresh seafood dishes like grilled calamari and monkfish ravioli. If their catalana (poached lobster and shrimp with sliced raw fennel and carrot) happens to be on the menu, know that it's a winner. It has a beautiful little garden in the back, perfect for lunch on a sunny day. 

Located in the Ognina port, the little Nitto empire has exploded: what began as a mobile market in the 1960s (from the back of a Piaggio Ape) is now a standing fresh fish market and series of restaurants. Locals line up outside the little market to get their daily catch, while next door the fast-casual restaurant serves some of the best-prepared seafood in the area, including squid ink pastas, skewers of grilled fish, and raw seafood platters.

In the heart of the fish market, you'll find the best fritto misto in the area. Walk up to the little counter on the stone balcony overlooking the action and place your order for a paper cone of fried seafood made with the lightest and crispiest batter. They even offer the choice of an all-vegetable option or "no spines" (senza spine) if you prefer your order not to have the small whole fried fish. Give them your name and find a spot at one of the nearby standing tables while you wait.

Chic and charming Da Cicciotto corrals more than a few members of the city's fashionable set—if you dine here, there's a fair chance you'll find a Neapolitan count or off-duty film star enjoying this jewel with a tiny stone terrace (with seats and a canopy) that overlooks a pleasant anchorage. You can also opt for the large covered patio across the way and appreciate the outdoor setting at either lunch or dinner. Don't even bother with a menu—just start digging into the sublime antipasti and go with the waiter's suggestions. Cicciotto sits at the end of the same long winding road that leads to the famed 'A Fenestella restaurant and shoreline.

Just behind the public beach in Mazzarò Bay, this intimate little terrace restaurant is shrouded by an enormous old grapevine and looks out onto postcard-perfect views of paradise. Since 1981, the family-owned trattoria has been serving pristine seafood to discerning locals and in-the-know tourists.   

This restaurant is perched overlooking a beach in Posillipo near the end of a long winding side road, and has long capitalized on its location. The landmark also comes with its own piece of Neapolitan folklore: in the 19th century the owner's great-grandmother Carolina was one day standing at the window (fenestella in the local dialect) and was spotted by musician Salvatore Di Giacomo below, thus inspiring the Neapolitan folk song "Marechiaro." Today, the restaurant is straightforwardly traditional, with comfortable decor and the usual suspects on the menu.

If you're trying to keep to a budget but want to enjoy a seafood feast alongside the yachts of the Borgo Marinaro harbor, head to this former tobacco store. While your eyes feast on all the pretty boats, the Lungomare hotels, the Castel dell'Ovo, and Vesuvius, you can savor classic Neapolitan seafood spaghetti or an impepata di cozze (mussels with pepper and garlic). Or just opt for the special made with the fish of the day.

One of Diamante's most popular restaurants, in the old town center just off the seafront promenade, has atmospheric stone interiors. In the summer, sidewalk tables are the perfect relaxed place to watch the evening passeggiata while savoring inventive fish dishes.

Locals along this part of the coast rave about this tiny restaurant a short stroll up from the harbor. The environment is modest—a spare interior with a few tables—but the seafood served is remarkably fresh.

This lively beachfront restaurant, with views of the sea from its windows, has changed names and owners several times, but it continues to have some of the best and most inventive fish and seafood dishes in town, as well as a fantastic setting. The wine list is extensive and ventures well over the nearby French border, with select bottles.

At this warm and sophisticated seafood place, going strong since 1966 near Piazza Unità d'Italia, you'll find exquisite dishes that honor the traditions of the Mancussi family. Although now run by the Leonardi family, Roberto Mancussi's culinary ethos remains: integrating nouvelle ingredients without overshadowing the freshness of whatever local fish he bought in the market that morning. Al Bagatto is renowned for its excellent wine cellar and a selection of distilled spirits from around the world.

A meal at this stylish but simpatico seafood restaurant across from the ferry terminal is a fitting way to round out a day in the Campi Flegrei. The exquisite antipasti, delicately garnished pasta, and pesce straight off the boats make this a favorite with the locals.

Despite its unflattering location on a vicolo (alley) one block from the Pozzuoli waterfront, this restaurant (est. 1946) is admired in Neapolitan circles for its fresh seafood, ample portions, and reasonable prices. Spaghetti with clams, octopus salad, grilled and fried fish, and seafood risotto are among the longtime favorites prepared here.

Despite its location up an unpromising-looking vicolo (alley) off the Riviera di Chiaia, this small restaurant has achieved cult status for its seafood platters. It's remarkable what owner-chef Renato can produce in his tiny kitchen: start with linguine alla Dora, laden with local seafood and fresh tomatoes, and perhaps follow up with grilled pezzogna (blue-spotted bream). Like many restaurants on the seafront, Dora has its own guitarist on busy nights, who is often robustly accompanied by the kitchen staff.

This waterfront restaurant, family run since 1964, is as rustic as they come, with food served on plastic tables outside. For starters, try the bruschette and the seafood specialty (a selection of shellfish, octopus, and anchovies big enough for two); the impepata di cozze (mussels in pepper) is a must, as is the island's best granita di limone (lemon crushed ice), freshly made here everyday. Leave room for the locally made cakes.

Within the picturesque Borgo Marinaro harbor, in the shadow of Castel dell'Ovo, it's as if you're eating aboard a transatlantic cruise ship. With the Bay of Naples nearby and Vesuvius in the background, you can understand the nautical decor, blue tablecloths, and the menu abrim with fish delicacies. (Foodies should also note that this was the site of the Roman villa of Lucullus, the moneyed aristocrat famous for his passion for luxurious dining.) A best bet is the schiaffoni with astice and pescatrice (large flat tube pasta with lobster and angler fish), or one of the tasty pizzas, but leave room for the dolce of the day (great house-made tiramisu or pear cake with ricotta). If after one too many limoncellos you feel like crashing, just head upstairs and book one of the bright and airy guest rooms in the hotel.

Just off Via Costantino Patricio, by the far side of the Cappuccini arch, lies this diminutive restaurant. Outdoor seating and an upstairs kitchen help make room for a few extra tables—a necessity, as locals are well aware that neither the price nor the quality is equaled elsewhere in town. Indulge in the veal cutlet with Etna mushrooms, pasta con le sarde, or a simple slice of grilled pesce spada (swordfish). Reservations are usually essential for more than two people.

A covered veranda by the seafront marks out Alghero's top seafood restaurant, an expansive and sunny room complete with crustacean-filled aquarium. Summer sees crowds of both locals and tourists, many of whom come for the specialty aragosta (lobster) cooked different ways, including with linguine or alla Lepanto (with tomato, onions, and orange). In winter, when lobster isn't always available, sample the ricci (sea urchins). For starters, try linguine alle vongole e bottarga di muggine (pasta with clams and dried mullet roe).

Sheltered from the city's hustle and bustle, this elegant little eatery exudes a mood of relaxed sophistication, serving classic dishes such as linguine with clams and fresh grilled fish in a cozy courtyard. The outdoor tables are the best place to enjoy the food and the friendly, informal service, but there is also a modest white-walled dining room.

This family-run institution has been serving seafood in the working-class Testaccio neighborhood for more than 40 years, and if you visit the local market early enough you might spot the owner selecting the freshest fish, which mainly arrives from Gaeta, south of Rome. The menu changes every day, but look for house specialties like paccheri (a very large, tubular pasta) with totani (baby calamari), pasta with telline (small clams), or the wondrously simple spaghetti with lobster. Start with appetizers from the cart that the waiter can wheel over to the table, or opt for the excellent moscardini fritti (fried, small squid). Although the menu has non-seafood Roman classics like cacio e pepe and pajata (intestines of an unweaned calf), this really is the place to order fish.

Within shell-like earshot of the sea, this professionally run trattoria with sleek white interiors and a panoramic terrace serves some of the finest seafood in the Salento. Expect classic Pugliese salty preparations like crudi, grigliate, and fritture (raw, grilled, and fried) beautifully cooked and elegantly presented.

Open since 1949, this airy, popular restaurant on Amalfi's almost-emerald waterfront dishes out reasonably priced seafood and cucina tipica Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast cuisine) such as lemon and zucchine tagliatelle alla Nerano and excellent grilled fish. You can see the boats bringing in the day's catch, and at night pizza is served on the terrace amid the twinkling lights of hills, sea, and sky.

There's always a lively crowd at this backstreet trattoria, where diners pack into three rooms to enjoy the same multicourse set menu. If this seems limiting, think again—you'll be presented with a range of fresh, delicious, seasonally appropriate dishes (perhaps prawns, squid, swordfish, or sea bass) in abundant portions. The usual formula is: five cold starters, two pastas, two mains, a dessert, and unlimited drinks—all for one price. Lobster is also usually available for a supplementary charge. Service is brisk and good-humored, and reservations are essential.

Hidden halfway up the hill to the Castello di San Giusto, in what the Triestini call Zità Vecia (Old City), this informal little restaurant specializes in simply prepared seafood. Amid whitewashed wooden walls and nautical ephemera, you can sample the freshest catches—bluefish, sardines, mackerel, mussels, and squid—accompanied by salad, potatoes, polenta, and house wine. The consistently tasty dishes, especially the fish soup and the sardoni in savor (large sardines with raisins, pine nuts, and caramelized onions), show what a talented chef can do on a limited budget.

Built on wooden piles in the shadow of Aragonese Castle, this restaurant—in business for more than a century—seems to float like a ship in the bay by the bridge connecting new town with the island that contains the borgo antico. Its flower-filled terrace has outdoor tables in summer; in winter, eat inside and enjoy the view through panoramic windows.

You might overlook Osteria der Belli because of its proximity to the central square of Trastevere, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere—and that would be a crying shame. Leo, the owner, is Sardinian and has been running this place daily for over 35 years, and, while Roman dishes are on the menu, it excels at seafood and Sardinian cuisine. Between the friendly service and quality food, this one's a real find in an otherwise-touristy part of Trastevere.