Places to eat

Here I collect a basic directory of the best places I've eaten within, as a reminder to myself and as an advice to anyone else.

Italy

Sarzana

• La Scaletta

Down to earth but very good place. Mum's favourite.

Via Bradia 5

• La Ratatouille

Fish, classy, not cheap but worthwile.

Via Sobborgo Spina 21

Genova

• Osteria Vico Palla

Nice and tasty restaurant in the old harbour of Genoa. Typical Genoese cuisine.

Vico Palla, Genova

Bologna

• Bertino

"Old-style" place with a wonderful bollito misto. Closed on Sundays and Monday evening.

+39 051 522230

Via Lame 55

• il Biacchese

Old traditional Bulgneis cuisine. Cheap and good but outside the city.

Via dei Maceri 3, Lago Biacchese loc. San Lazzaro

• al Matusel

Good and cheap in the University zone; fish and Sicilian stuff as well

Via Bertoloni 2

• Trattoria Danio

Typical Italian trattoria with one of the largest menus I've ever seen. Nice selection of fried stuff (including porcini and frogs); they also claim to serve bison meat. Cheap and no-nonsense, with the occasional let down, but overall worth a visit for a casual dinner with friends.

Via San Felice, 50

+39 051 555202

• Paradiso d'Oriente

Chinese restaurant but much higher in quality than average, and with a neat selection of thai/viet stuff. Definitely recommended.

Via degli Usberti, 6

+39 051 236056

• L'Ortica

A bio pub/cafè with lots of stuff not easily found elsewhere in Italy, from chai tea to ginger beer.

Via Mascarella, 26

+39 051 5876455 , http://www.lortica.net

• Koko

Nice, vast Asian place in the Bolognina; 10-euro all-you-can-eat but overall good quality. Recommended to stuff you up in a pleasant way.

Via Ferrarese 119/2 ; tel. 051 6310490

• Megu

Japanese sushi all-you-can-eat, served on a table, on an evening, for 20 euros? You can. Definitely a wonderful deal.

Via della Grazia 35 ; tel. 051 9916521

Milano

• Antica Focacceria S.Francesco

Sicilian rosticceria

via San Paolo 15

• Seven - Casa dei Ciliegi

Original meat-focused restaurant.

via Bertelli 4

• Wafu

Small but good Japanese restaurant

Viale Gorizia 12 - 20136 Milano

• Jumping Cafè

No-nonsense pizzeria close to the station -I didn't eat there but my dad swears for it!

Via Mauro Macchi 2 - Milano

Roma

• Kebab

Despite the name is a good restaurant, not a kebab kiosk. Mediterranean cuisine, wonderful cous-cous, fish kebab on Friday.

Via Valenziani, Roma

• Gelateria Romoli

Viale Eritrea 140

• La Fraschetta di Mastro Giorgio

Absurdly good Italian cuisine - best pasta I've ever had was a fish amatriciana there. Cheese selection is otherworldly as well.

Via a.Volta 36 - via mastro giorgio 19

Catania

• Trattoria Saltimbocca da Giancarlo

One of the best fish restaurants in town.

Via Asilo S.Agata 24, angolo Via Costa

Tel. 095 531337 ; 333 7569638

• Pescheria F.lli Vittorio

This simply another world. In a tiny fishmongers' shop they suddenly prepare a table, bring you excellent wine in an ice pot, and then it's an endless series of fish crudités, with the most fresh, tasty fish one can ever dream of experience. And also with a sublime taste and attention. All for a ridicolously cheap price. It's an orgasm. You can't but dream to go back there, over and over.

Via Dusmet, 1, Catania ; 329.5356423

Firenze

• Osteria Cipolla Rossa

Tuscany cuisine, cheap but very good and cozy

Via de' Conti, 53, 50123 Firenze

Venezia

• La Zucca, Osteria con Cucina

One of the best restaurants I've ever been into. Incredibly rich-tasting vegetables interpreted creatively. A must.

Closed on Sunday.

Santa Croce 1762 , 041-5241570

• Gam Gam

Jewish cuisine in the Jewish ghetto. Overall good and true to Jewish tradition; the fried artichokes with tajine are divine.

Sottoportico di Ghetto Vecchio, Cannaregio 1122 ; tel. 041.5231495

Verona

• Giulietta e Romeo

Despite the cheesy name, it's a no-nonsense, good but surpisingly cheap trattoria.

Full Veronese-cuisine meal for less than 20-euro.

Corso S.Anastasia 27 ; tel. 045 8009177

• Trattoria L'Altra Colonna

The specialty are the cotolette alla milanese, that are good and overall HUGE. Like, really HUGE. But really good stracotto d'asino and other stuff. Not incredibly cheap, but worth it.

Via Tezone 1 ; tel. 045 591455

Monteriggioni (Siena)

• Il Pozzo

Best restaurant I know.

Piazza Roma 20

Udine

• Osteria Alla Ghiacciaia

Nice place, good food, cheap wine. Can be crowded.

Via Zanon 13

tel: 0432 502471

San Daniele del Friuli (UD)

• Ai Bintars

One of the best places in Friuli; true San Daniele ham and great selection of cheeses etc.; awesome in-house wine

Via Trento e Trieste

tel: 0432 957322 ; 339 5360653

Closed Wednesday evening and Thursday

UK

Cambridge

• Eagle Pub

Apart from being historical, one of the best pub foods in Cambridge.

Benet Street (just at the Corpus Christi's clock corner)

• The Free Press

A cozy indie pub with quirky but excellent kitchen -stuff like monkfish rolled in bacon served on top of black pudding!

Prospect Row, Cambridge

CB1 1DU

• Brown's

One of the very few places with good British cuisine.

23 Trumpington Street, CB2 1QA

• Anatolia

Good Turkish cuisine

(close to Quayside, right before Magdalene Bridge)

• Teri Aki

Probably the only worthwile Cambridge japanese restaurant. Remember to reserve in advance on weekends.

Quayside.

• India House

After a few false starts, finally found a good Indian restaurant, just next to the Granta pub.

31 Newnham Road, CB3 9EY

+44 1223 461661 / +44 1223 460173 / +44 7985 522120

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• La Mimosa

Genuine, good Italian pizza in a delightful location on the river just before Jesus Green.

Thompson's Lane, Cambridge CB5 8AQ, England

London

• Fabrella

small place with Greek-Cypriot cuisine at Fulham

786 Fulham Road, SW6 5SL, tel.020-77365585 (vicino al Putnam Bridge)

• Polpo

Quite famous Italian Venetian-sided bistro. Not exactly a bacaro as it claims (no signs of sarde in saor or of baccalà mantecato, sigh), but food is truly good and the atmosphere is perfect. Go for the grilled polenta and the cuttlefish ink gnocchi. Portions are small, but prices are reasonable given the quality.

You cannot reserve for dinner, only for lunch. Open on Sunday lunch!

41 Beak Street , London W1F 9SB. , 020 7734 4479

• Dumpling's Legend

Nice Chinese restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. As the name indicates, specialty are dumplings. Very nice environment, fast (even if a bit dodgy) service.

15-16 Gerrard Street , Chinatown, London, W1D 6JE

Phone: (020) 7494 1200

• Cafe Boheme

Heart-of-Soho cozy French bistro. Quite expensive but the bacon&fried egg bap is dreamlike, and the cappuccino one of the best I had in UK ever.

13 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 5GQ

• Cafè Mumbai

Nice Indian at the edge of Soho, practically behind the Trocadero. Food is good, prices can be slightly above average given portions which are substantial but not overwhelmingly generous as in other places. All in all, recommended.

4 Denman Street, Piccadilly, London W1D 7HD

Elsewhere

Barcelona

• Vinateria

Best tapas of Barcelona, truly beautiful place. Exceptional sweet wines+dessert coupling.

Carrer de Sant Domenec del Call

• El Glop

Catalan stuff. Really good. Lots of meat.

Calle Sant Lluís, 24

Lausanne

• Cafe de Romandes

Beautiful typical French Switzerland restaurant. Huge fondue, incredibly good tartare.

Place St.Francois

Paris

• Cafe Daguerre

Good no-nonsense French stuff in a cozy place in Montparnasse

4 Avenue General Leclerc , close to Denfert-Rochereau metro stop.

• Cacao et Chocolat

Chocolate-only shop in Paris: not cheap, but truly awesome.

29 Rue de Buci, 75006 Paris

(There are other two: in 63 rue Saint Louis en l'Ile and 36 rue Vieille du Temple)