In this feature, I’m thrilled to share our top five tastes from Italy, part of our ongoing series on great restaurant destinations by Cuisine. These recommendations come from five World of Mouth experts with great knowledge in Italian gastronomy. Their picks highlight some of the country’s most inspiring restaurants – from the Dolomite mountains in the North to Roman trattorias – each representing a different face of Italian food culture.

Capturing the essence of Italian cuisine in one article is a challenge. Italy’s culinary landscape is shaped by strong regional identities, age-old traditions and an intense respect for ingredients. From alpine dishes built on cheese, cured meats and wild herbs, to the clean, bright flavours of the Mediterranean, Italian cooking remains one of the most regionally distinct in the world. Tuscany’s simplicity, Rome’s boldness, Piedmont’s elegance, and the deep coastal influences from Campania to Liguria, each brings something unique to the table. While cities such as Milan and Rome draw global attention, many of Italy’s most unforgettable meals are found in small towns, countryside inns, or humble butcher’s shops that double as restaurants.

Italian cuisine is not about spectacle. Its power lies in restraint and precision: in knowing when to leave a dish alone and when to elevate it through technique. The new generation of chefs continues to build on this foundation. With a focus on sustainability, terroir and product-driven cooking, these chefs are reinterpreting the classics while staying true to the country’s deep culinary values. The result is a dining culture where a perfect bowl of pasta can be just as memorable as a multi-course tasting menu.

Among the selections here is Atelier Moessmer in the Dolomites, a stunning expression of mountain cooking led by Mauro Siega under chef Norbert Niederkofler’s visionary ‘Cook the Mountain’ ethos. The result is a restaurant where everything – from the firewood to the herbs – is drawn from the surrounding landscape. On the shores of Lake Garda, Lido 84 is a lakeside destination where the Camanini brothers serve deeply original food with grace and humility, in one of the most beautiful dining rooms and lake views in Italy. In Tuscany, Antica Macelleria Cecchini is run by the legendary butcher Dario Cecchini, where rustic, generous meat menus celebrate the spirit of the region. In Rome, SantoPalato has earned a cult following for its no-nonsense, deeply consistent Roman cooking: carbonara and offal dishes executed with near-scientific precision by chef Sarah Cicolini. And in Piedmont, Piazza Duomo in Alba offers one of the country’s most refined dining experiences, where chef Enrico Crippa’s clean, elegant plates distil the soul of Italian ingredients into something poetic.

What ties these restaurants together is their dedication to Italy’s core values: respect for the land, reverence for tradition, and an unwavering belief that great cooking starts with great ingredients. They reflect both the depth of Italy’s culinary past and the quiet confidence of its future.

I hope these recommendations inspire you to explore more expert picks in the World of Mouth app, available in your app store. The World of Mouth guide is powered by a global community of trusted experts and passionate food lovers, sharing personal recommendations without paid placements or ads. The app features more than 750 experts, 160,000 users and over 18,000 restaurant recommendations in 5,000 destinations worldwide. Join our community and start planning your next culinary journey through Italy.

Atelier Moessmer
Via Walther von der
Vogelweide 17, Brunico

“Norbert Niederkofler’s concept ‘Cook the Mountain’ is based on four principles – be local, be seasonal, no waste and open-fire cooking. Atelier Moessmer was opened two years ago and has three Michelin stars and a Green star. The ambitious and talented team – with executive chef Mauro Siega and restaurant manager and head sommelier Lukas Gerges – create an unique experience which is a fantastic example of how terroir can be super-inspirational and successfully achieved.”

Hrvoje Petric, Food & Travel Writer, Croatia

Lido 84
Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli
196, Gardone Riviera

“The Camanini brothers, Riccardo and Giancarlo, and their team are extremely good. Their food is very simple but they are super original. The restaurant in Gardone Riviera and the location is just amazing. They are lovely, very talented people and they are great at hospitality. I love this restaurant.”

Dabiz Muñoz, Chef, Madrid

Antica Macelleria Cecchini
Via XX Luglio 11,
Panzano in Chianti

“In the town of Panzano in Tuscany we have the famous butcher Dario Cecchini and his place Antica Macelleria Cecchini, with both his butcher shop and restaurant. He has many different menus and also serves burgers outside. If you really want to dig into the Tuscan things, it’s here.”

Karime Lopez, Chef, Florence

SantoPalato
Via Gallia 28, Rome

“SantoPalato is probably one of the most famous Roman restaurants. They make the best carbonara you can have in Rome. Every day and every year, Sara [Cicolini] makes the same consistent carbonara. Anywhere else you can find the right day or the wrong day and get the worst carbonara or the most beautiful in your life, the most burnt one or the most overcooked egg. But Sara does it every day, very precisely. Also, the chicken offal frittata is one of the best.”

Guglielmo Chiarapini, Chef, Rome

Piazza Duomo
Piazza Risorgimento 4, Alba

“Clear, clean and consistent. Chef Enrico Crippa knows how to respect ingredients – the level of the dishes and the appreciation of their intimacy is above and beyond. Without experiencing it you cannot know the story and style of Italian food culture. The team on the floor and the sommelier dance in perfect rhythm explaining everything with the best touch. Unmissable.”

Dom Carella, Chef & Bartender, Milan

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