(366 Dorsoduro in Venice, Italy)

Ai Gondolieri restaurant in Venice is something special in the Venice dining scene – a kitchen that ...concentrates its menu on meaty dishes of the mainland rather than the typically fishy fare of most other eateries here. A short walk from the Guggenheim Museum and the Accademia (take vaporetto 1 or 82), Ai Gondolieri enjoys a magically romantic setting in a genuinely old inn with its own arched bridge over a picture-postcard canal. The dining rooms are not splashy or over-decorated, with wood panelling, modern seating, white table linens, ceiling fans. Nevertheless this place attracts the starriest visitors to Venice, from presidents to film stars. The upmarket menu changes seasonally, featuring dishes like deep-fried stuffed zucchini flowers, breaded deep-fried lamb served beautifully pink, superb steaks, excellent risotto. Your host will chat in English with you about the all-Italian menu. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Wed - Mon 12pm - 3pm & 7pm - 10pm Tue: closed all day Giovanni Trevisan also runs the charming restaurant at the Guggenheim Museum. [moreless]

(4346 Corte Coppo in Venice, Italy)

Ristorante Ai Mercanti in the heart of Venice between the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco is an u...pmarket, romantic restaurant in very cool style that enjoys a high-flying gastronomic reputation. The vaulted dining room is decorated in sophisticated terracotta and black with impressive shining globe lighting. The bar is wittily decorated with dressmakers’ forms and sexy corsets – great conversation starters. The menu is classically-inspired Venetian of a high order, focusing on things from the sea and changing every two months to take advantage of the and array of the freshest ingredients in true Italian style and pastas and desserts are all made in-house. In warm weather the dining room sprawls out onto the adjoining campiello for the loveliest al fresco dining anywhere – the Venetians who crowd Ai Mercanti certainly think so. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Fri 12:30pm - 3pm Mon - Fri 7pm - 11pm Sun: closed all day A great favourite of the artists and audiences of La Fenice theatre who spill in after performances [moreless]

(35 Via del Vantaggio in Rome, Italy)

Just off the heaving via del Corso you will find an outpost of civility and authentic Roman feeling ...in Al Vantaggio. Founded in 1920, this traditional eaterie was originally a tavern for carriage drivers, but now has a much more comfortable ambience – half-paneled walls, 17th century style frescoes, white tablecloths, artfully folded napkins, air conditioning. Run by a pair of brothers who grew up with this restaurant and are dedicated to it, Al Vantaggio is a relaxing and elegant place to enjoy a true Roman kitchen with a few Calabrian twists. Dishes include a rather spectacular spaghetti con frutti di mare, rich oxtail stew, and home made tiramisù. Italian wines complete the picture. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Al Vantaggio restaurant is located near Popolo Square. Opening hours: Wed - Mon 12pm - 3pm & 7pm - 11pm Tue: closed all day Al Vantaggio has been used for filming popular Italian movies [moreless]

(1e Via Eleonora Duse in Rome, Italy)

All’Oro restaurant in Rome’s Parioli quarter north of the Villa Borghese is a news-flash addition to... the Roman dining scene. Chef Riccardo di Giacinto has worked with Europe’s hottest chefs – Ferran Adria and Marco Pierre White to name two – assimilating their perfectionist tendencies about flavour and quality. All’Oro, his first restaurant, is a tiny gem in shades of cream and gold. The décor is modern in a Pan Am, dolce vita retro kind of way, with classy dark wood tables, pale seating, cutout screens, and spotlit walls. Just sixteen dishes adorn the menu, changing all the time. Breads and puds are home made and everything exalts cooking to the highest level. Dishes might include starter of parmesan soufflé with calamari ragu and roast porcini, first course of lasagne of duck ragout with juniper berries and orange peel and formaggio ubriaco, main course of roast cod with chickpea and rosemary butter, carrot marmalade and saffron sauce, and dessert of bavarois of crema catalana with caramel sauce and chocolate cannoli. The short wine list is entirely Italian and you may find yourself greeted by di Giacinto’s beautiful fiancée, Ramona. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table, if there is availability - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 30€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 2 days or for a no show Opening hours: Mon - Fri 12:30pm - 2:30pm & 7:45pm - 11pm Sat 7:45pm – 11pm Sun: closed all day Closed during the month of August [moreless]

(, 9 Largo Del Teatro Valle in Rome, Italy)

The Antica Biblioteca Valle restaurant, (formerly Acqua Negra)in the heart of Rome is a new incarna...tion for a new century of an iconic club that prospered during La Dolce Vita. The new restaurant arises on the very spot where stylish stars of that era played, but now you can build an entire day around this smart, hard-working restaurant. From breakfast of Italian delicacies and superb coffee at 6.30 am through lunch, tea, happy hour, dinner and lingering snacks with wine until 2 am, the smiling hospitality never falters. The dining room features a swooshing leather banquette, woven chairs, informal table settings and elegant wine storage. The dinner menu, all modern Italian, concentrates on fish and on stunning presentation – try starter of citrus-marinated fish carpaccio, pasta course of spinach pappardelle with gorgonzola and walnuts, main course of a tower of beef fillet with herbs. The breads and decorations are works of art in themselves. Use the private dining room or hire the entire venue for private events, from weddings to corporate parties. Antica Biblioteca Valle – La Dolce Vita is now. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 7am - 11:30am & 12pm - 4pm & 7pm - 1am [moreless]

(18 Via Garibaldi in Rome, Italy)

In the 17th century, the Antica Pesa was an inn serving the peasants who came to deliver grain to th...e Vatican’s customs office. In the 19th, the bocce champions of Trastevere challenged each other in the in the court at the rear. Now the Antica Pesa is one of the best restaurants in Rome, and the old bocce court is a charming garden where a well-dressed, well-heeled and well-known clientele revels on summer evenings. Everyone from Hollywood stars to high government officials has dined here, including many Trastevere-inspired artists from the mid-twentieth century, whose paintings and sculpture are on display. The menu is a combination of regional traditional and innovative Italian under the direction of Simon Panella. Dishes change with the seasons and on a daily basis, and include steamed shrimp with zucchini blossoms, ravioli stuffed with white truffles, thyme-crusted lamb, and basil sorbet with caramelized apples. Enjoy the international wine list and the buzz in the air. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 7:30pm - 11:30pm Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(1243 Calle Larga de l'Ascension, San Marco in Venice, Italy)

Canova restaurant in the superb Luna Hotel Baglioni in Venice is an exclusive, sophisticated place t...o enjoy award-winning cuisine. The Hotel itself has history in spades – it was once home to the Knights Templar and has been an albergo since the Middle Ages, reputedly the first hotel in Venice. Sited near the Piazza San Marco at the mouth of the Grand Canal, few hotel restaurants enjoy such a superb setting. The dining room is a haven of soft, Venetian classicism, with wood paneled walls, exquisite table settings, neutral, plush upholstery and fleet, unobtrusive service. The menu is a mixture of Venetian specialties and international favourites. If you are hosting a meeting or private event, the hotel is fully equipped to assist you in every respect. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table, if there is availability for bookings of 6 people or over - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 30€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 2 days or for a no show Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12:30pm - 2:30pm & 7:30pm - 10:30pm [moreless]

(4171 Riva degli Schiavoni in Venice, Italy)

Restaurant Do’Leoni in Venice’s historic and delightful Hotel Londra is named for Russian composer T...chaikovsky’s – he composed part of his fourth symphony, nicknamed Do’Leoni, here. This award-winning, elegant restaurant enjoys a superb location overlooking the lagoon with a covered veranda that expands the space in warm weather. The light, bright dining room with its creamy colours reflects the chef’s philosophy of offering light, contemporary food. Attention to detail is apparent everywhere, from the eight different breads baked daily to the home made ice creams and chocolate. Menus encompass classic, traditional and seasonal dishes in modern, innovative style, like tempura prawns with couscous timbale and mango preserve followed by classic calf’s liver with polenta. Wines and cheeses are superb as is the service. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Fri 12pm - 3:30pm & 7pm - 10:30pm Candlelight supper on the veranda overlooking the gondolas and the lagoon – a more romantic evening is impossible to imagine... [moreless]

(1332 Calle Vallaresso, San Marco in Venice, Italy)

At the Grand Canal restaurant based at the Hotel Monaco in the heart of Venice, you may dine on a be...autiful terrace just a few inches above the waters of the Grand Canal and feast your eyes as well as your palate. It is drenched with romance. And with breathtaking views over gondolas, the spotlit Santa Maria della Salute, and the island of San Giorgio, the Grand Canal wouldn’t have to offer exquisite décor, excellent service and fine food. But it does. The menu is based on the daily-changing fresh fish and vegetables that Venetian cuisine dotes on, as well as a menu of meat and pasta dishes that change seasonally, like salmon and swordfish tartare with lemon and basil or terrine of foie gras with pumpkin puree. If your plans include private entertaining, the Grand Canal restaurant is set in the Hotel Monaco which houses the amazing, historic, perfectly Venetian Sala del Ridotto, the heart of 18th century Venice, where the world’s first Casino was born. Host your wedding, banquet, launch or meeting here, of take advantage of the eight adjacent meeting rooms for smaller groups. The Grand Canal restaurant is a Venetian favourite. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table of 4 people or more, if there is availability - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 30€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 48 hours or for a no show Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12pm - 2:30pm & 7:30pm - 10:30pm [moreless]

(62a Via Vittorio Veneto in Rome, Italy)

On the Via Veneto and just by the American Embassy – how fitting – the Hard Rock Café has set out it...s stall of down home American cooking, international rock god and goddess memorabilia, and snazzy souvenirs. Madonna togs feature here, as does Elvis’s jogging suit, Dave Gilmour’s guitar, and some other highlights. One day when the archeologists of the future unearth this cache of treasures, we’d love to know how they explain it. The décor is fun and modern, with a painted rotunda ceiling depicting rock n roll heaven, and a great glassed-in patio for people-watching. Thumping music keeps the buzz going, as do the Hurricanes and frozen alco-drinks – all good fun. Dishes are reliably the same as other HRCs: chicken wings with three different sauces, mountainous nachos, burgers (difficult to find in Rome), pulled-pork sandwiches, various steaks and BBQs, and hot fudge brownie sundae to make the meal complete. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Sun - Thu12pm - 12am Fri - Sat 12pm -1am [moreless]