Husband-and-wife team Agata Parisella and Romeo Caraccio fuse contemporary cuisine with venerable Roman traditions. Dishes include ravioli filled with braised oxtail; simple yet delicious spaghetti with grated Pecorino cheese and black pepper; Mediterranean scorpion fish with a potato foam and sea urchins; and rich braised veal cheek with a parsnip purée.
CONTACT OUR TRAVEL EXPERTS (800) 375-4685 | (630) 734-4610
Traveling the World in Search
of Truly Enchanting Places
Italy
Overview
From Andrew Harper
Consistently rated their favorite country in the world by Hideaway Report subscribers, Italy provides an incomparable range of attractions. As well as a culture of extraordinary depth and complexity, ravishing architecture, and museums and galleries of astounding splendor, Italy offers daily instruction in the art of living well. For Italophiles, it is only necessary to whisper “seafood antipasti and spaghetti al limone” and they are instantly back on the Amalfi Coast, overlooking a bay where the blue of sea and sky merge at a hazy horizon. It is lunchtime, and the smells of rosemary and basil merge with those of grilling fish and calamari; a pitcher of chilled local wine stands on a pink tablecloth next to a plate of sliced tomatoes traced with vinegar and oil. At such moments, travel in Italy becomes one of the supreme pleasures of life.
CLIMATE: Weather in the northern plains is typified by Venice; the remaining two-thirds of the country is similar to Rome. The ideal times for a visit are late spring (May/June) and fall (September/October). The principal cities are crowded with tourists in high summer. Rome’s inhabitants desert their city in August, and many restaurants are closed.
TIME: Six hours ahead of New York (EST).
CURRENCY: Euro (€). Fluctuating rate valued at €1.00 = US$1.30 as of December 2012.
U.S. EMBASSY: Rome, Tel. (06) 46741. There are also consulates in Milan, Tel. (02) 290-351; Naples, Tel. (081) 583-8111; and Florence, Tel. (055) 266-951.
DIRECT DIAL CODES: To phone hotels and restaurants in Italy, dial 011 (international access) + 39 (Italy code) + city code and local numbers in listings.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Passport (valid for three months beyond end of stay). Visit www.travel.state.gov, and for travelers’ health information, www.cdc.gov
GENERAL INFORMATION: Visit www.italiantourism.com before your trip.
Hotels
All recommended hotels in Italy
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Hotel CarusoThis enchanting property is a beguiling amalgam of buildings (including an 11th-century palazzo) overlooking the Gulf of Salerno 1,000 feet below. |
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Hotel Santa CaterinaCharming hotel overlooking Amalfi’s picturesque yacht harbor. The 66 guest quarters are divided among the main building and several villas in the grounds. |
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Il San Pietro di PositanoDramatic resort hotel carved into a cliffside on the outskirts of Positano. Sixty informal guest lodgings are situated in tiers of gardens, most rooms featuring handpainted doors, decorative ceramic tile floors and scenic verandas. |
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Palazzo AvinoRefined 12th-century villa (previously known as the Palazzo Sasso) set amid terraced gardens on a breathtaking ridge 1,100 feet above the sea in Ravello. |
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Nun Assisi Relais & SpaImaginatively modernized 13th- century convent high above Assisi. The 18 minimalist rooms come in various configurations, many duplex, and have stone baths with showers. |
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J.K. Place CapriStylish 22-room hotel in a handsome 19th-century villa near the Marina Grande. Rooms have magnificent views of the Bay of Naples and feature white wooden floors, canopied beds and baths with deep tubs and double showers. |
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Hotel & Spa Rosa AlpinaDelightful, sophisticated, 51-room family-run alpine lodge in the tiny mountain village of San Cassiano. Individually decorated rooms and suites feature fresh, refined alpine-style décor with warm tones, wood accents and a blend of original local antiques, attractive built-ins and modern furnishings. |
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Hotel La PerlaChalet-style lodge 31⁄2 hours north of Venice, surrounded by the spectacular peaks of the Dolomites. Fifty accommodations include the recommended Tyrolean-styled Romantik Rooms with spacious living and dining areas. |
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Hotel Terme MeranoModern wood-and-stone structure with 163 rooms and suites in the mountain-ringed spa town of Merano. Hotel’s design takes full advantage of natural light and glorious views. |
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Vigilius Mountain ResortMountaintop resort with 35 rooms and six suites in light-filled wood-and-glass building along a 5,000-foot-high ridge, accessible only by private cable car. Larch wood floors and walls with deep red accents add warmth to elegantly furnished rooms; floor-to-ceiling windows face tree-lined knoll. |
Villas
All recommended villas in Italy
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Villa Il SognoA beautiful country road with pristine views leads up to the two-story villa situated on 3 acres of property. Fiesole |
Dining
All recommended restaurants in Italy
AGATA E ROMEO
Via Carlo Alberto 45
Rome
00185
Italy
US$110
ANTICA TRATTORIA DELLA PESA
With a handsome belle époque interior, this friendly restaurant with professional service is where the Milanese come for local comfort food such as riso al salto, a crispy pancake of saffron-flavored rice; osso buco; and a first-rate cotoletta Milanese (a flattened veal chop dredged in bread crumbs and fried). Desserts include caramelized apple cake and an excellent zabaione.
Viale Pasubio 10
Milan
20154
Italy
US$65
BEBEL’S RISTORANTE
Anyone who is curious about the Milan fashion world might want to try this insider’s address popular with designers as well as journalists and photographers. They come for simple but delicious pizzas, Lombardian dishes, and fish, including a delicious grilled branzino (sea bass).
Via San Marco 38
Verona
37138
Italy
US$65
CIBREO
This unpretentious restaurant is located next to the St. Ambrogio food market. Chef/owner Fabio Picchi presents a menu of traditional Tuscan fare with dishes such as pappa (a typical hearty tomato and bread soup), salt cod with garlic bruschetta, and his signature ricotta, pesto and potato soufflé. The less expensive Trattoria Cibrèo next door is also worth a lunchtime visit. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Via A. del Verrocchio 8r
Firenze
50122
Italy
US$80
COLLINE EMILIANE
Conveniently located near the Piazza Barberini, this small, friendly, family-run place specializes in the cooking of Bologna and Emilia- Romagna, the city and region rated by most Italians as having the country’s best food. The homemade pastas are outstanding. Among the tempting main courses are braciola di maiale (breaded and fried pork rolls stuffed with cheese and ham) and a luscious giambonnetto (veal roast) with sautéed potatoes.
Via Avignonesi 22
Rome
00187
Italy
US$60
CORTE SCONTA
Favored by writers and artists, this casual trattoria near the Arsenale is perfect on warm evenings, when diners sit outside in a vine-covered courtyard. Refined seafood dishes include delectable moeche (soft-shell lagoon crabs), clams sautéed in ginger, and the superb mix of crisp Adriatic seafood.
Calle del Pestrin 3886
Venice
30122
Italy
US$70
Da Paolino
This exceptionally romantic restaurant has a magical terrace overhung by lemon trees. Waiters wearing vests embroidered with lemons weave among candlelit tables where a chic international crowd feasts on delicious Caprese dishes such as mozzarella grilled inside lemon leaves, seafood antipasti, risotto with lemon, tagliolini with lemon, grilled sea bass, and lemon tart.
Via Palazzo a Mare 11, Marina Grande
Capri
80073
Italy
US$100
Don Alfonso 1890
Legendary restaurateurs Livia and Alfonso Iaccarino oversee this elegant establishment. The changing menu features the light, healthy food of Campania given gentle updates in dishes such as ravioli stuffed with Caciotta cheese and marjoram topped with a simple, flavorful sauce of Vesuvian tomatoes and basil; seared amberjack (a kind of mackerel); and the extraordinary pasticcio di melanzane (an eggplant dessert with chocolate sauce). A sensational wine collection is stored in an ancient cellar of Etruscan origin.
Corso Sant’Agata 13
San Demetrio Corone
87069
Italy
US$165
ENOTECA PINCHIORRI
Pink tablecloths, lemon-colored walls and antique furniture create a gracious and refined setting for chef Annie Féolde’s cucina nuova and traditional Tuscan cuisine at this renowned Michelin three-star establishment. Among the delicacies: agnolotti with polenta and black cabbage in a Parmesan fondue with white truffle; sea bass inflected with capers and served with white beans and a salad with pancetta; and rich suckling pig accompanied by caramelized red onions and potatoes with a mustard sauce. The remarkable wine cellar contains more than 4,500 Italian and foreign vintages. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Via Ghibellina 87
Firenze
50122
Italy
US$195
FIASCHETTERIA TOSCANA
This convivial spot has been owned and operated by the Bussato family for decades. Although served in a former Tuscan wine warehouse (hence the name), the menu is exclusively Venetian and features local favorites such as gramseola (spider crab), risotto with lobster, and shrimp with zucchini flowers.
Salizada San Giovanni Grisostomo 5719
Venice
30121
Italy
US$85
Special Offers
Special Offers
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J.K. Place Capri - Guaranteed UpgradesReceive a guaranteed upgrade and special rate when confirming the following room types: JK Classic upgraded to Superior (390 EUR ); Superior Double upgraded to Deluxe (490 EUR ); and Deluxe upgraded to Junior Suite (590 EUR ). Weekends require a minimum three-night stay. |
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Park Hyatt Milan - Milan’s SurprisesReceive a complimentary bottle of Italian Prosecco upon arrival. |
Can anyone recommend great guides to do private tours with us in Venice and Rome who are knowledgable about both the art and the special qualities of each city?
Thanks,
MJH
Dear MJH,
We do work with an excellent travel partner in Italy, and we can arrange for some excellent guides in Venice and Rome who specialize in art (in addition to having insider knowledge about the cities themselves).
For more information and assistance with arranging some guides, feel free to contact the Travel Office at (800) 375-4685, (630) 734-4610 or reservations@andrewharper.com.
Best Regards,
The Travel Office
Six of us will be spending 2-3 days in Vicenza in late May and would like to find a good English-speaking guide and some recommended restaurants in the area. Any suggestions?
Hello,
We do work with a wonderful travel partner in that area, and we would be happy to assist with arranging a guide for you and your party.
Mr. Harper doesn't recommend any restaurants right in Vicenza at this time, but the Travel Office can draw your attention to some notable dining establishments. You might try La Locanda di Piero, Ristorante da Basio or Trattoria Molin Vecio.
For more information and assistance with travel arrangements, feel free to contact the Travel Office at (800) 375-4685, (630) 734-4610 or reservations@andrewharper.com.
Best Regards,
The Travel Office