Italy (Rome/Florence/Venice) - June 2020

Taking a trip next June for to celebrate my wife’s 50th to Italy: 4 nights Rome, 4 nights Florence, & 3 nights Venice. “Kids” (16 & 19) along for the ride…they both drink wine and have been thoroughly snobbified on Cali wines by their father. I know little about Italy and even less about Italian wine but I know just enough to have put the basics of this trip together (air, hotel, a tour guide 2 days in Rome). Looking for some assistance as follows:

Food (all 3 cities): restaurants (good/great food, not fancy), pizza/gelato/street/casual/local food not to be missed, bars/wine bars

Attractions/Private Guides: the big ones + off-the-beaten path ones (primarily Florence & Venice where I know nothing, Rome is covered)

Wineries/Wine Tours (Florence/Tuscany area): I have 1, maybe 2, full days to tour some wineries, possibly with some biking or hiking* mixed in, likely need a guide with transport in or around Florence. Lost on Italian wines but don’t want to touristy places…don’t even know where to start.

Biking/Hiking: Looking to spend a day in/around Florence on a hiking or bike tour (possibly with wineries?)

Thanks for any input. Bottles always open at my house in central PA.

2 Likes

For me and my wife and two teenagers, this apartment in Rome - Argentina Luxury Terrace - was pretty awesome and very centrally located. Just a couple of blocks away from the Rochioli places too.

Rodney- plenty of time to plan. Michael posted some good threads including my report. Wish we would have had one more day in Florence.

Here’s another good one to review and make sure to check out the CT link embedded in the last post. Colin has an amazing write up on his trip with pics and wine reviews. Eating Italy 2019: Rome, Montalcino, Positano - Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes - WineBerserkers

If your interested in tasting and doing day trips from Florence focusing on Chianti region might be the best bet as it’s closest compared to other parts of Tuscany. If you haven’t had Sangiovese based wines start trying them now to see if they interest you. That is the predominate grape in Chianti. If your more a Cab/BDX guy then Bolgheri would be the area but it’s a good hike from Florence- about 2 hours. I’m sure more experienced folks will chime in but check out the threads attached.

I have one or two for Rome. :slight_smile:

Great casual dining on Roman favorites with a nice wine list including half bottles of Barolo. Piazza Navona area–Da Francesco

Bonci’s Pizzarium is a must

if you are by vatican. Simple pizza rosso

By Colosseum. Great enoteca and creative spins on Roman favorites

Also by vatican. good for lunch and dinner. ask to sit outside a fiori!

Arguably the best espresso in Rome, possibly the world!. dont sit outside, walk up to register, get your ticket and go elbow into bar. Be sure to tell them ’ senza zucchero’ as they usually add a bit to all espresso for tourists

One of the best gelatos by the vatican, right outside and across the street

Best gelato if you are in centre of city

Best dessert in jewish quarter, A MUST try
https://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/in-romes-ghetto-a-bakery-stays-sweet/

Great wine bar. have lunch among thousands of bottles of wine. friendly helpful staff. by piazza popolo

Great pizza al taglia near campo di fiori

…then, go around block with pizza choices and have a seat at this two table enoteca. Speak with my buddy Marco/. lol

If in Trastevere, this is a nice little place for pizza and meatballs. great pizza bianco

Just added:
A great little local place where the food is simple and honest and always filled with locals.

Have fun. I will be there for 2 weeks in April.

+1, bigly on Mike’s recommendations of Da Francesco.
Antico Forno Rosciloi, too, but Roscioli Salumeria was one of the best dinners on our trip.
And Sant Eustachio is a fun stop for espresso. Right near Pantheon. Good afternoon hang to people watch and have a shot or two.

Da Francesco had bottles of DRC sitting on the shelf in the back when we were there. Wine list not inexpensive compared with some other places but 20-something euro Braida barbera very user friendly and reasonable. Thanks to everyone who posted recos over the last few years.

Nice place Stan, thanks.

Our regular order at da Francesca is always Barolo.
Goes without further decision. Lol

I was once schooled by the Marco at Viniaetto (in my list above) the ’ here in Italy we only drink Barolo on special occasions’, and I proceeded to settle humbly so to a mere Nebbiolo. Lol
Only when I came back and reiterated this story to a friend over dinner was I made to be aware that it WAS a special occasion. Me being in Italy can never be anything other so there’s that.

In Venice:

Co Vino https://www.covinovenezia.com. Resv essential. Very small prixfix 40€. Outstanding, inventive food. Natural wines. Our group of 6 loved it.
Green Apple Gelateria is our favorite (not far from Pallazzo Ducale towards the Castello). There is a great stationary store next door called Marbled Paper & leather.
The European Cultural Center (near the Jewish ghetto) has wonderful art exhibits and it’s free (we visted during the Biannale 2017).
The quiet district of the Castello is nice area to walk around, especially near the Arsenale. Much less touristy.
Take a vaparetto to the cemetery island of San Michele.

Da Francesco has become a happening spot over the last few years. With Bar del Fico in the same piazza there are worse places to wait for a table to open up.

Old Bridge is solid. I’m in the Giolitti camp - can’t go wrong with either.

Plenty of strong eatery options in Trastevere. All depends on what you’re craving IMO. If you are in the neighborhood, besides Santa Maria, check out Santa Cecilia.

As for guides/tours a friend of mine runs his own company. Started in Rome and success took them across Italy and into Paris and Barcelona. Knew to the forum and don’t know the rules for posting links. If interested PM me and I’ll intro you…

Could go on for days but this seems like well covered ground on the forum. Heading over to Rome next week. Will report back if Da Francesco is still happening :wink:

Whatever you do plan in terms of visiting the popular tourists site. Plan WAAY in advance. We were in Florence in early July and like most of Europe it was packed. The tour guide will help immensely if they can help you avoid lines. I get having to go to Europe in the summer because of kids (that’s what we did). I would definitely think twice about doing it again. Especially the very busy cities.

George

Reading the old Florence and Rome threads here gave me a much-appreciated heads-up on the sights we needed to book in advance…would have been SOL otherwise. But guided tours seemed to fill up a few days in advance rather than weeks. The thing that surprised me the most (in hindsight it shouldn’t have) was that like France, a big majority of the restaurants in Italy that we wanted to eat at were closed in August, leaving the open ones even more difficult to book. Again the comments here were a big help but next time in August I’d do much more restaurant planning a month or more before going.

Although this place is not fancy in any way, shape or form we stopped in here a few times during our leisurely week in Rome because it is flat out delicious.

Pizzeria Florida is all counter service;
Via Florida 25
00186 Roma
Italy
Centro Storico

In Florence, for good casual dining, check out Cibrèo Caffè (Via del Verrocchio, 5r
Firenze; +39 055 234 58 53). If you want “fancier”, their Ristorante Cibrèo across the street.

Back from a week in Rome. Line six deep at Da Francesco for Thursday lunch in mid-December. In general found reservations (lunch and dinner) necessary…plan in advance. A new place that we enjoyed thoroughly - Giulietta Vino e Cucina.

Also recommend a casual street food dinner at Supplizio followed by drinks at Il Goccetto down the street.

Watch this guy from 1:55

That’s the joint! So good.

Florence enoteca (wine bar):
https://www.levolpieluva.com/

Antinori winery has a location right in Florence as well:

Santovino in Rome was tasty too.