a two-week road trip in italy: what to eat, drink and do
photo: @adventurisem
Two weeks. Three girls. Ten cities. One rental car (plus a water taxi and some trains, too). Yup, that pretty much wraps up my last trip to Italy in January of 2018, not counting the pounds of pasta and pizza consumed. Let me tell ya, road trips have never really been my thing, but there’s something about driving through a place like Tuscany that really makes you appreciate it on a whole other level. From Venice to Rome, these were some of my favorite places to eat and things we did along the way.
venice
After arriving at Marco Polo Airport, I can’t recommend taking a water taxi enough. If you get lucky like us, you can split one with another group if they happen to be going at the same time. This is much quicker than the water bus (and easier if you have heavy luggage like we did), although more expensive, so it really just depends which route you want to take. I’ve heard the bus is great if you don’t mind the trip taking a little longer!
Al Vecio Fritolin
Being, quite literally, on top of the water, Venice is known for their seafood. The adorable and v chic owner of our Airbnb recommended this spot as a non-touristy, legit, Venetian restaurant (aka: exactly what we wanted), and he was spot on. It’s about a 15-minute walk from the craziness of Piazza San Marco, up the cutest little winding alleyways that all make Venice so charming and unique. The meal was fantastic (so good, I didn’t take one photo), with the highlight being a spaghettone dished topped with shaved bottarga (cured fish roe). Italy has a ton of restaurants on the Michelin Guide, and this place marks the first of many we ate at throughout the trip.
Dal Moro’s Fresh Pasta To Go
This fast-casual pasta shop is a tiny to-go spot serving up a variety of fresh pastas and sauces. Get to the counter, choose your pasta and sauce, and they’ll send you on your merry way with a Chinese take-out box full of steaming pasta. Per their recommendation, we got Carbonara with linguine and Bolognese with fusilli, and yes, we did sneak the pasta to the top of St. Mark’s Campanile, because having a snack while looking at the best views of Venice is just v necessary.
Cantina Do Spade
We stumbled upon this cozy cicchetti (small plates) bar minutes after consuming a dozen pastries for breakfast, so it only made sense to pop in for some wine, right? This cicchetti spot specialized in fried seafood, so there was everything from crab claws to skewers of squid to fish balls, all battered and deep-fried to a golden perfection.
Dolce Vita-Pasticceria
This is the pastry shop I was just talking about. Go here for some fresh pastries and an espresso. We took ours to go and sat on a dock by the canals. I don’t really think a breakfast spot can get better than that.
bologna
After a quick hour and 25-minute train ride, we arrived in Bologna. Taking the train is pretty easy in Italy, and sometimes, they even have English-speaking helpers by the ticket machines available to help!
tamburini
It was only necessary that we get mortadella (Italian bologna from Bologna) while here, and Tamburini absolutely came through with the meats. This salumeria was big, with a deli on one side and a restaurant on the other. We sat outside on the patio and had the most unreal charcuterie board, covered in layers and layers of mortadella, prosciutto, prosciutto cotto, salame and other meats and cheeses. The pasta here is stellar, too. 100% go here.
Bizzarre cocktail boutique
This 10-seater cocktail bar was the absolute cutest, and the bartenders really know their way around a cocktail. This place gets busy, so be prepared to wait as they only let in a certain amount of people at one time. FYI, this photo isn’t Bizarre. It’s another photo of Tamburini because I just love it there so much.
trattoria oberdan da mario
Bolognese was also a necessity while in Bologna, and the Tagliatelle Bolognese here was out of this world. The Tortellini en Brodo (another staple from Bologna) is also a must order if you’re there in the winter, along with an unreal potato truffle flan and more mortadella (obvi).
florence
I studied in Rome the summer of 2011, and Florence was my favorite of all the Italian cities I visited. Luckily, Bologna and Florence are only about 65 miles away from each other (only about 35 minutes on the train), so it was a quick ride to return to the place my 19-year-old self loved so much. The cab ride to the city is quick, too, as Florence is relatively small and easily walkable, making exploring super easy.
All’antico Vinaio
Yes, this place will have a long line. Yes, a lot of people know about it. Yes, the panini are just THAT unreal. The line really only took 20ish minutes, and once we got to the front, we may or may not have ordered six panini between three girls. La Dante (mile-high layers of salame, truffle cream, stracchino cheese and arugula) and L’Inferno (crispy AF porchetta, arugula and a chili spread of sorts) are must-orders, but honestly, everything is amazing. We took these back to the private rooftop at our unbelievable Airbnb in the center of Piazza Santa Croce. This views from the rooftop are beyond, and you should seriously book it. Link here.
Ora d’Aria
This tiny, modern-Italian restaurant has earned itself a Michelin Star for good reason. It may seem stuffy from the white walls and tablecloths, but the staff is kind and knowledgeable, and the automatic-opening glass doors between the kitchen and dining room allow the chefs to be interactive, easily stopping by the table to pour hot broth between squares of crunchy suckling pig and kimchi or drizzle olive oil onto our dessert of olive oil and olives ice cream atop an olive oil crumble (v olive-oily, v good). The owners of LA’s beloved Angelini Osteria recommended this spot to me, so I knew I would love it. Heads up that this place will cost you some big euros, but it’s absolutely worth it if you’re on the hunt for this type of dining experience. Be sure to make a rez!
Cucina Torcicoda
Steak lovers, this one’s for you. Florence is known for their Bistecca alla Fiorentina, and this one was crazy good. Be ready to share it with the table – it’s massive!
pastamania
I fell in love with the pasta-making class we took in Florence just from its name. It’s held at Vivanda, a cute Italian restaurant south of Ponte Vecchio, and the instructor, Giulio, was beyond helpful and knowledgeable, plus, he speaks great English! We drank wine while learning to make tagliatelle, ravioli and tortolloni from scratch, and at the end of the class, they cooked the pasta in their sauces and we sat down to eat as a group! This experience was so much fun, and I really couldn’t recommend it more. We found the class in Airbnb’s Experiences. Link here.
modena
Here begins the insane, pretty-much-unplanned, booking-hotels-night-of road trip part of our Italian journey. We rented a car from Florence, and while we were supposed to head south towards Siena, we took a detour to Modena instead. This definitely would have been more ideal when we were in Bologna (only a 20ish-minute train), but I had my heart (and stomach) set on Modena, so we made the two-hour drive to spend the day in the most adorable, quaint town. Shout-out to my travel partners for agreeing to do this!
Ristorante da Enzo
Would I have absolutely loved to go to Osteria Francescana (you’ve seen this spot on Netflix’s Chef’s Table)? Of course, but would I have been able to get into Osteria Francescana with a 10-hour notice? Absolutely not. Cue Ristorante da Enzo, which my best friend and her fiancé recommended as a great alternative. The gnocco fritto (puffy fried bread from the Emilia-Romagna region) was served with pork fat and cheese, and once melted on the warm bread and given a generous drizzle of balsamic, this bite was magic. We also each got a pasta trio (who doesn’t love a pasta trio?!), which had Tagliatelle Bolognese, pumpkin tortellini and our own individual bowls of Tortellini en Brodo. We were also given a microplane and fresh nutmeg to grate on top of the Tortellini en Brodo – such a cute touch!
La Consorteria 1966
To be classified as true balsamic vinegar, it must be made in Modena (or neighboring Reggio Emilia), so it only made sense that I wanted to do a balsamic tasting (FYI, I absolutely love vinegar). We didn’t have enough time to do a full-blown tour, so we ended up at this adorable balsamic shop. The lady was super helpful and informative, letting us taste as many as we wanted. I went home with a 25-year-aged, €80 bottle of balsamic. WORTH. IT.
Flea Market
We happened to be here during the flea market, which is held every last weekend of the month. From antique watches to purses and clothes, I loved walking around and seeing the tiny town in action. If you happen to be here for it, definitely stop by!
SIENA
We made our way down to Siena with one thing on the mind: WINE.
Azienda Agricola La Lastra
It doesn’t get more intimate than this husband-and-wife owned winery. We were starving by the time we got there, and they were kind enough to whip us up an unbelievable little lunch on the fly before the tasting. Gotta be responsible, ya know? We munched on thinly-sliced Chianina (Italian cattle) beef drizzled in their olive oil (yes, they even make their own on the vineyard!), a bright salad of carciofi (artichokes) and parmesan and a variety of sheep’s milk cheeses (one soft and two hard). My obsession for sheep’s milk cheeses began in this very moment. Our private tour included a walk-through of the stunning winery (check the photo below to see what I mean) and an education on how they make their wine and olive oil. Couldn’t recommend this place more – it was our favorite wine tasting experience of the entire trip!
Antica Trattoria Papei
When you walk into a place and only locals are there, you know it’s a good sign. Our awesome server recommended the Pici (a thicker version of spaghetti originated in Siena) with wild boar ragù and ribollita (a hearty vegetable soup thickened with bread), commonly eaten during the winter months in Tuscany. The food and hospitality were spot-on.
La Taverna di San Giuseppe
We actually stumbled upon this gem while exploring Siena, and I’m so glad we did. The restaurant is literally built into a cave, making the experience that much cooler. I’m pretty sure we ordered almost the entire menu for lunch, with favorites being polenta topped with a quail egg, pork sausage and tons of shaved truffle, gnocchi with bacon and cabbage and something that I can only describe as “truffle and spinach pastry triangles”. Doesn’t hurt that it’s on the Michelin Guide, either.
MONTEPULCIANO
After Siena, we bopped from tiny town to tiny town in Tuscany, literally staying in places for one night only, drinking as much wine as possible and eventually making our way to the next town. These spots are pretty dead during the winter, which actually made exploring much easier without tons of tourists getting in the way.
Ristorante La Briciola
When I said that the tiny towns were pretty much dead in the winter, I was serious. Montepulciano at night was a literal ghost town, and I kid you not when I say that after walking around for 20 minutes, we finally saw a group of drunk Europeans who insisted that we follow them to a restaurant they were going to. We were either going to be killed by these randos, or get to eat really bomb pasta, so, ya know, we opted to follow them. This place ended up being such an awesome hidden gem full of great pasta dishes and an awesome wine list. The lasagna was insane.
Cantina De’Ricci
Like I said, wine was definitely a priority on this trip. Before doing a wine tasting in the tasting room, we were able to walk around the jaw-dropping underground cellars. It almost felt like I was walking through the line at Indiana Jones at Disneyland, except much cooler, and there was wine involved here, so, obviously much better.
Caffè Poliziano
This adorable bar (btw, in Italy, a bar is like a coffee shop that also serves alcohol and food – it’s more of a social spot rather than the kinds of bars we have in America) has the most beautiful views of Montepulciano. We stopped here for an espresso and some pastries. Be sure to sit by the big window in the back!
PIENZA
We literally just drove through here on our way to the next town and had time to have a snack at one not-so-great spot. Super gorgeous views, but TBH, that’s really it. Probs better not in the winter.
THERMAL BATHS
Okay, so obviously this isn’t the name of a place, but after hearing so many local Italians tell us about Tuscany’s famed natural thermal baths (“terme” in Italian), we know we had to find them. We ended up bopping from one terme to another, aka, hot-spring-hoppin’. PSA: Make sure to bring a towel and maybe not wear your fave bathingsuit (the natural sulfurs can ruin clothes). The floor is super rough, too (I actually wore flip flops).
Bagno Vignoni
It geographically made sense to start here, and we actually ended up staying at an adorable spa/hotel, Albergo La Terme, which had the natural hot springs running from the ground through pools in the hotel. This was an awesome place to relax and rest after being so GO GO GO. It’s not a resort by any means, but was super clean and the thermal bath area was really great. Yummy room service and friendly staff, too! They do instruct you to wear swim caps, FYI. I look pretty ~*~cute~*~ in mine, right?
Bagni San Filippo
We continued heading south and ended up here. To be totally honest, we got super lost and I don’t think we found the main pools that we could go in (still beautiful!), but I would definitely try to find these as they look super gorgeous from what we saw online.
Bagno Saturnia
This town is home to Cascate del Mulino, which is one of the most famous hot springs in all of Tuscany. Once you get there, you’ll see why. It’s literally a cascade of natural water flowing from top to bottom, and is definitely up there as one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Because of this famed hot spring, Bagno Saturnia is known for their resorts. If we didn’t have to continue heading towards Rome, I totally would have stayed at least a night here!
VITERBO
This whole road trip really was so up in the air, so much so that we were actually booking hotels night-of and driving around to places that just sparked our interest at that moment! This is how we ended up staying a night in Viterbo, an ancient city from the Medieval period located in central Italy between Tuscany and Rome.
Civita di Bagnoregio
This ancient hilltop village was actually the main reason for coming to Viterbo (although it’s technically not in the town of Viterbo, it’s in the region of Viterbo and just a quick 35-minute drive north of the city). The only way to get there is by footbridge, and let me tell ya, this view and overall experience was out of this world. Once you enter through the gates, you literally feel like you’ve been taken back in time. Walk around and explore – it’s really a must-see!
Al Vecchio Orologio
Another day, another restaurant on the Michelin Guide. This casual spot had really, really great food. Standouts included Carbonara with smoked fish from nearby Lago di Bolsena (sounds weird, I know, but ended up being a great rec from the server) and bacon-wrapped pork medallions in a honey sauce.
Prosciutteria Viterbo-Cantina dei Papi
Before making our way to our final stop (Rome!), we did some exploring of this cute town and came across this spot. You KNOW I’m walking straight into any place that literally has the word “prosciutto” in it. We had a Spaghetti Carbonara (Rome is the birthplace of Carbonara, so the dish became more prevalent on menus the closer we got to the city) and an absolutely stunning charcuterie board of everything we would ever need or want.
ROME
The final leg of our trip, and also the first return to the city where I studied abroad the summer of 2011!
Pizzeria da Baffetto
This pizza spot was, without a doubt, what I missed the most about Rome. My friends and I would come here at least once a week, and I told my travel companions that Baffetto was an absolute necessity once we arrived here. The Pizza Capricciosa is what you’re ordering – mushrooms, artichokes, sausage, tomato sauce and mozz topped with a runny egg, all on pizza dough that’s thin and crispy and light and chewy and perfect all at the same time. Baffetto also has pitchers of wine (so big they literally look like flower vases), so you know this place is a winner.
Hotel Eden
When studying in Rome, my parents actually visited and stayed at this gorgeous hotel by the Spanish Steps. There’s an insane rooftop with views of the city, and I couldn’t recommend doing drinks up there more. Their complimentary snack game is also very, VERY strong.
Osteria del Sostegno
This hidden gem in a tiny alleyway near the Pantheon was the ideal last meal of the trip. The truffle pasta, which they’re known for, was buttery and earthy, and we also loved the Carbonara!