Tasty Italy: 5 places everyone should visit

Pizza: Di Matteo

Naples, Campania

What is the first thing to try in Italy? Of course, the legendary pizza — the most popular dish in the world. Although the "ancestor" of pizza was served on the tables of the ancient Greeks and Romans, but still the small birthplace of pizza in its modern form is Naples. It was here, after the importation of tomatoes into Italy, that the first flatbread with sauce and cheese was prepared back in 1522, and then the first pizzaiolos appeared here.

Neapolitans do not change their gastronomic traditions even today — in the city you can find several historical pizzerias. One of them is Di Matteo. There they cook according to an ancient recipe and serve pizza, the winner of the famous Naples Pizza Festival. Let you not be confused by the simple interior and plastic dishes in the institution — it does not affect the quality of dishes. But on the prices — directly. In Di Matteo they are very democratic.

• Average check: €12
• Also try: roast, omelette frittata
• Address: Via Tribunali 94
• Alternative: historical pizzeria Pizzeria Brandi, Salita Sant'Anna di Palazzo 1-2

Lasagna: Clavature Clive T

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna

Sheets of a special pasta mixed with layers of filling (usually meat) and covered with a traditional Italian sauce are an extraordinary gastronomic treat. Italian lasagna, first cooked in the Emilia-Romagna region, is now served in the vast majority of restaurants. It differs in the filling (in addition to minced meat or meat ragout, it can also include tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and much more), the sauce (usually it is still béchamel), and the recipe of the dough itself.

• Average bill: €20
• Also try: stew, wine frizzante
• Address: Via clavature 17/c | Bologna, 40124 Bologna, Italy

Risotto: L'altra Isola

Milan, Lombardy

Risotto is a dish of starchy rice cooked with broth, wine and various additives: from mushrooms and seafood to strawberries! One of the most popular types of risotto is risotto Milanese or so-called "yellow risotto". According to legend, it appeared in Milan back in 1574, when at the wedding of the daughter of one of the famous glassmakers' daughters the guests jokingly put saffron in the rice and thus left the recipe in the centuries, making the dish a gastronomic trademark of the region..

One of the best and at the same time democratic (in price-quality ratio) establishments with real Milanese risotto is trattoriaL'altra sola. True, it is not located in the city center, but for the sake of this dish you can go by metro or bus.

• Average bill: €50
• Also try: dessert sabayon
• Address: Via Edoardo Porro, 8
• Alternative: Antica Trattoria della Pesa (Viale Pasubio 10)

Pasta alla carbonara: La Carbonara

Rome, Lazio

The famous pasta carbonara with pieces of guanciale (jowl) has long won the hearts of millions. The best place to taste this dish is, of course, Rome, carbonara is considered one of the visiting cards of the capital and the whole country. But interestingly, the iconic pasta was invented not by Italians, but by American soldiers. The military, based in southern Italy, had a shortage of provisions, so the guys had no choice but to show culinary ingenuity.

The colorful Roman restaurant La Carbonara, according to the reviews of traveling gourmets, serves almost the best pasta in the world.

To get here, you should book a table in advance — the place is really megapopular. Keep in mind that there is no English-language menu in the facility, but the staff will gladly help you navigate through the pastas (there are more than a dozen of them here).

• Average check: €30
• Also try: house wine, antipasto appetizers.
• Address: Via Panisperna, 214
• Alternative: Carlo Menta Talevi Luigi e Luciano (Via della Lungaretta 101)

Tiramisu: Taverna Di Cecco

Siena, Tuscany

And for a delicious dessert made of mascarpone cheese we recommend to go to Siena, a small and not too popular among tourists in Italy. According to legend, it was here that the first dessert made of eggs, savoyardi biscuits and cream cheese was once prepared for a Tuscan duke.

The best tiramisu in the country is offered in the restaurant Taverna Di Cecco, which is located near the city center. There you will be welcomed like relatives by the cordial manager — a nice elderly lady who manages to cook for her guests.

• Average bill: €25
• Also try: antipasto and meatballs
• Address: Via Cecco Angliolieri, 19.
• Alternative: Nannini (Via Banchi di Sopra, 24)