Posted in: Food and Wine Islands Localities Pretty Views Restaurants & Cafés Tourist Attractions



Ponza, one of the Pontine Islands, not too far off the coast of Latium in Italy, is a beautiful place where the natural surrounds are stunning and the lifestyle simple and unpretentious. This island is the holiday destination of choice of Romans and has been for many, many years now. It even attracts the rich and famous and for good reason. The living here is good and mostly involves hanging out on boats or the beach, strolling around the island, eating and drinking, which means that the food is important and begs the question of which beaches to visit and where to eat. Well, we've got that covered in this series of posts. In the last post, we talked about the beaches and this time we're talking restaurants. So, just find a vacation rental in Latium, spend even a day unwinding on this lovely island and keep these food recommendations in mind.
Mercato Centrale
Posted in: Activities Florence Food and Wine Localities Products & Specialities Restaurants & Cafés Shopping Tourist Attractions
If you have found a luxury villa in Florence and are spending time exploring the city, you are bound to work up quite the appetite, darting from attraction to attraction. While there may be an endless list of restaurants, cafes, bars, pizzerias and delis to check out, there is one place, in particular, that we recommend; the Mercato Centrale.

The brainchild of Umberto Montano and Claudio Cardini, the Mercato Centrale is a covered market in the historic San Lorenzo neighbourhood that was opened in the Spring of 2014, on the 140th anniversary of the iron and glass building in which is is located. The building in question was erected in 1874 and was designed by architect Giuseppe Mengoni, who was also the designer of the San Ambrogio market and the more famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan.
Harvest in Volpaia
Posted in: Chianti Food and Wine History Localities Restaurants & Cafés Wineries & Breweries
Volpaia is a pretty and picturesque fortified village in the Chianti Classico wine region of Tuscany. Also referred to as the Castello di Volpaia, although that is actually the registered name of the winery located there, much of the town is actually owned by said winery. In fact, it isn't really inaccurate to say that Volpaia is the wine village of Tuscany. If you are a great lover of wine, there really isn't any better town to visit in all of Italy and it has more to offer beyond the vineyard, as well. There are incredible views across the surrounding rolling hills and lush green fields of the Chianti landscape, a pretty and well-preserved historic centre, three excellent restaurants, exceptionally fresh air and various activities to enjoy.

So, if you've always wanted to learn about Tuscan wine and want to indulge in some tastings and excellent food, why not find a luxury villa in Chianti and spend a day in beautiful Volpaia.
Venice
Posted in: Central Italy Emilia-Romagna Food and Wine Localities Northeast Italy Restaurants & Cafés Umbria Venice
Finally, here are the last of our round-up of the best foodie experiences that any food-lovers visiting Italy will not want to miss out on during their next visit. Take note, add them to your itinerary and thank us later.

Venice is one of the most romantic cities in the world and is a hugely popular honeymoon destination. It is only fitting, therefore that perhaps the most romantic dining experience in all of Italy is available in the city: galleon dinner cruises that take place on the Venetian lagoon. It is the perfect way to see a little of the city while enjoying good food and soaking up the romantic atmosphere, all at the same time. The boats are in the style of the typical traditional Venetian galleon that was used during the time of the Venice Republic, between 1600 and 1800, and they go out on cruises along the canals and around the islands of the lagoon.
Gelateria Dondoli
Posted in: Emilia-Romagna Food and Wine Localities Main Islands Northeast Italy Products & Specialities Restaurants & Cafés San Gimignano Sicily and Sardinia
Italy is an absolute paradise for food lovers and, as a result, we decided that it might be a good idea to compile a list of foodie experiences that are a must for those holidaying in the land of crowd pleasing meals.

If you feel like eating the best ice-cream in the world, for example, you should find a luxury villa in San Gimignano, as, located in the central Piazza della Cisterna, is the Gelateria Dondoli or Gelateria di Piazza. This little shop is known all over the world and has been visited by a large number of celebrities over the years. It has won countless awards, invents flavour combinations that attract gourmet-lovers to the town on a regular basis and has made it World Champion on two occasions. Arguably, this is one of the best places in the entire world to try some ice-cream. Owned by Sergio Dondoli, one of just ten Master Ice-cream Makers in Italy today, the gelateria places importance on passion and creativity and they are constantly innovating new flavours and recipes.