Archive for 'Restaurants & Cafés'

Food is one of the things that makes many choose Italy as a holiday destination. The culture of dining, of spending hours eating and enjoying the company of your fellow diners, no technology infringing upon the experience, is something that appeals to residents of countries where this has died in favour of busy schedules and convenience. Plus, good food is never far away or hard to find and Italian cuisine is, by and large, a comforting, hearty style that developed from peasant dishes. However, if you want to try something a little different, why not supplement your Italian dining experiences with a trip to the best restaurant in the world?

Osteria Francescana is located in Modena and does not offer a typical Italian dining experience by any means. It is, however, somewhere that should make foodies excited. Just find a villa with pool in Emilia-Romagna and book a table well in advance to try it out for yourself.

Venice is known globally as one of the most romantic cities in the world and is hugely popular as a honeymoon destination. The absence of road traffic, the characteristic gondola rides, pretty squares, beautiful polychromatic stone buildings, soft light, historic atmosphere, good food and wine all make for a rather romantic and special experience that one cannot find replicated anywhere else in the world. When people fall in love with the city, it is for good.

Romance pervades the entire city and gives it a distinctive atmosphere but one particular activity that heightens this has to the 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. Just find a vacation rental in Venice and you can spend a magical evening going back in time, dining and taking in the spectacular surroundings.

How does a restaurant become a playground? That sounds like the beginning to a riddle or a joke. In fact, it's something that actually happened. Ai Pioppi was opened as a food stand in Battaglia, in the region of Veneto. Armed with some jugs of wine and sausages, a man named Bruno set out to establish a business in 1969 that has become something he could never have imagined. The stand first became a family restaurant and then, after an encounter with a blacksmith that lead to Bruno learning to weld, a very unique playground was born. Established as something extra to draw customers to his restaurant, it has developed into an entity with a life of its own. If you want to visit this astonishing place for yourself, find a holiday rental in Veneto and stop by.

An area called Alto Metauro in the region of Le Marche is especially famous for its food and wine products. Enjoy tasting the local organic ‘Millefiori’ or ‘Spring flowers’ honey and feel the oily texture of the a resin taken from bee hives called propolis. Many restaurants and bars in the area can serve you a type of local mead, a sweet honey liquor that will delight your taste buds!

The cheeses you can taste here are among the finest in Italy! Some of the local favourites are a pecorino cheese stuffed with red peppers in oil, fresh soft white cheese and ricotta. The visitor is sure to enjoy a feast of these along with some spicy local salamis and sausages made with pork and roe deer meat.

Just a few words on my "Best Food Experience Ever" which was on Sardinia (southern area, near Santadi-Teulada) at LA GROTTA DEL TESORO with family and friends in the summer of 2009.

Here you find traditional cuisine and the restaurant is also frequented by locals (always a good sign). We had lots of appetizers, 2 different types of pasta dishes, the famous Porceddu and ... small and sweet ricotta seadas! And of course a perfect red wine to go with all this.