(1939 Campiello della Fenice, San Marco in Venice, Italy)

La Fenice restaurant is known in Venice as Taverna La Fenice, a name given by writer Gabriele d’Annu...nzio during the years of the First World War. Not many restaurants can make that claim. This charming, historic, romantic restaurant has stood beside the world-famous La Fenice opera house since 1907. Think ochre stucco, window boxes, fine Italian dining and superb Italian service in a traditional setting with fresh flowers, suffused light and a delightful terrace at the front of the restaurant surrounded by screens and plants. Even the presence of tour groups doesn’t mar the professional service or the romantic atmosphere. Dishes include La Fenice’s own carpaccio, risotto with scampi and rocket, tagliatelle with cream sauce and wild mushrooms, and turbot roasted with potatoes and tomato sauce. The wine list matches the excellence of the carte. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Wed - Mon 7pm - 11:30pm Tue: closed all day Patrons of La Fenice have included Pavarotti, Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Belmondo. [moreless]

(134 Via Ghibellina in Florence, Italy)

Bizarrely named Florence restaurant La Mucca sul Tetto (or The Cow on the Roof), has had local foodi...es talking since its opening – not just about the name – but about the superb atmosphere and great food. In a typical tangle of streets, just moments from the banks of the river this dining room is an intimate, candlelit space, striking contemporary design complimenting traditional surroundings. Hugely talented chef Tommaso Mauro has brought imaginative and inspiring cuisine to the kitchen, and to the restaurant’s accompanying cookery school, using ancient techniques and traditions alongside modern ideas to create something truly special. A spectacular addition to Florence’s gastronomic map, don’t miss it. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 7:30pm - 11:30pm La Mucca sul Tetto’s name was inspired by the Cohen brothers movie O Brother Where Art Thou?... [moreless]

(1 Via dei Bastioni in Rome, Italy)

Dining at Les Etoiles roof garden restaurant, you’ll be so close to the floodlit dome of St Peter’s ...you’ll feel you’re touching the skies of Rome. However, you shouldn’t let that distract you from the rest of the 360 degree panorama. Set atop the Hotel Atlante Star, Les Etoiles offers sophisticated modern and classic regional cuisine in a smart setting. The views are the thing, whether from the flower-bedecked terrace or inside beside the great windows. Dishes might include quail in casserole with mushrooms and herbs, artichokes stuffed with ricotta and pecorino cheeses, Venetian-style squid-ink risotto, roast suckling lamb perfumed with mint. Wines are Italian and French. This sublimely romantic setting would be the perfect spot to both pop the question and celebrate the wedding with a feast. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 12:30pm - 2:30pm & 7:30pm - 10:30pm Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(10 Via Montegrappa in Milan, Italy)

A relatively new arrival on Milan’s glamorous social scene, Lotvs (pronounced ‘lotus’, as in the sho...w-off British car) is one of the best club’s in the capital. It was bound to be, having been created from the shell of what was formerly the Marangoni Fashion and Design Institute. Set over three opulent and clearly expensive floors, luxurious Lotvs has a stand-alone restaurant, an awesome Art Deco lounge bar, and a meeting room. Wall colours range from amber to gold and brown; windows are draped by fine velvet and organza curtains, while underfoot lies elegant striped carpeting. At Lotvs’s heart is the cosy top-floor restaurant promising an a la carte dinner as decadent as the diners. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sun 8pm - 12am Mon: closed [moreless]

(6 Via Capo d'Africa in Rome, Italy)

Maud American bar, art gallery and restaurant raises the roof on minimalism and playful glamour in R...ome. An uber-popular hangout down a charming old street next to the Coliseum, Maud has an infectious international buzz that attracts social butterflies, aesthetes and artistic types. Basically, those who appreciate the sheer sensuousness of a space themed on salt – everything at eye level is bright white, from the witty button-tufted high-backed banquettes to the highly-styled place settings. Maud’s ultra-innovative menu has fun with the universal seasoning, featuring Hawaiian red salt, Indian black salt, and Australian yellow salt in unique Italian-with-an-Oriental-touch dishes. Even chocolate mousse for afters doesn’t escape the stuff! The water menu also goes with the global flow – it’s more international than the wine list. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sun 7pm - 2am Monday closed all day Formerly owned by Parisian personality and celebrity chef, Édouard Carlier. [moreless]

(14 Via Di Porta Pinciana in Rome, Italy)

Mirabelle restaurant in Rome is a Michelin-starred, gloriously lavish, exceeds-all-expectations supe...rstar. The mirrored seventh-floor dining room with its sumptuous pale gold décor and elegant crystal and china frames a magical rooftop view of the Eternal City. Chef Giuseppe Sestito uses superbly-sourced ingredients for haute cuisine dishes like artfully-presented seabass tartare with fennel salad and orange, oven-baked rack of lamb pre-sale with rosemary, and the famous Settimo Cielo – ‘Seventh Heaven’ – dessert. The excellent wine list is mostly Italian with some heavy hitters from beyond. Manager Bruno Borghesi, formerly of The Ritz, leads formal, friendly service, attracting jet setters, politicians and other beautiful people. Wear a jacket and be ready to have your senses ravished. 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 all bookings - 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 100€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 24 hrs or for a no show Opening hours: Daily 12:30pm - 3pm & 7:30pm - 11pm The lobby chandelier was used by Visconti in the ballroom scene of The Leopard [moreless]

(3 Via G. Moscati in Rome, Italy)

Ristorante Moscati restaurant is found in one of Rome’s residential areas, Monte Mario, with superb ...views to the dome of St Peter’s over the leafy boughs of Parco di Pinetto. This design-led restaurant is warm and inviting, with cool, neutral walls, midnight blue banquettes and seating while the terrace with its panoramic views is the perfect spot for romantic dinners for two. The seasonally-changing menu features fresh, excellent quality ingredients in central Italian dishes with home made pastas and desserts. Dishes might include anchovy pie with oregano-herbed veg, pasta with cavolo rosso and flakes of pecorino, lamb chops with Mediterranean herbs, flaming crepes suzettes. More than two hundred fifty wines are listed on the carefully-chosen wine carte. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 3pm & 7:30pm - 11:30pm Sun: closed all day Moscati is only 15 mins away St Peter's Sq. where you can access the free shuttle service to the restaurant from the nearby Ottaviano station... [moreless]

(4 Via Giovanni Boccaccio in Milan, Italy)

In this effortlessly chic 'n' cosy restaurant on the Via Boccaccio in Milan, stylishness is next to ...Godliness. The award-winning Noon restaurant boasts a spacious dining room decorated with Simone D'Auria lamps, minimalist white walls, vintage movie posters, abstract artworks and blonde wood floors which is always filled with an insouciantly fashionable Milanese crowd. With a cosmopolitan cocktail lounge and its own sushi bar, Noon regularly hosts hip DJs and live bands, and the a la carte menu boasts favourites such as the smoked venison carpaccio served with blueberries and raspberries; the seafood and basil risotto with roasted tomatoes; and the tiramasu served in a chocolate cup with cream and strawberries. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required for bookings of 8 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 €25 per person will be charged for a cancellation within 24 hours or for a no show Opening hours: Mon - Sun 8pm - 11:30 Noon has its own sushi bar and cocktail lounge... [moreless]

(3 Via Ghibellina in Florence, Italy)

If you fancy a break from the hustle and bustle of Florence, take the plunge and book yourself a tab...le at Ora d'Aria in the Via Ghibellina. Decorated in shades of vanilla, this elegant restaurant is a welcome escape from the tourist trail, and Head Chef Marco Stabile has created a menu which features the best culinary traditions from the region. Sit back and relax as dishes such as the spaghetti with cuttlefish drizzled with extra virgin olive oil; Piedmontese steak with garlic chips and panzella salad; and black cod with a Tuscan bean and onion salad give you an authentic taste of Tuscany in stylish surrounds. Ora d'Aria's impressive wine list features an excellent selection of Tuscan and French wines. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 7:30pm - 10:30pm Sun: closed Ora d'Aria is a reference to the daily hour inmates were allowed to spend in the 'fresh air' in the ancient prison which is located across the road from the restaurant... [moreless]

(3 Piazza Ognissanti in Florence, Italy)

As far as glamorous Florentine restaurants go, ORVM at the deluxe Westin Excelsior hotel has more ol...d-school style than you could shake a Fellini film at. With art deco black and white marble floors, stained glass windows, wood panelled walls and picture-postcard views of the Arno River, which are amazing both day and night, ORVM is the ideal spot for romantic meals and chic celebrations. Located on the Piazza Ognissanti, only minutes away from the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio, ORVM is renowned for its modern Tuscan menu created by Executive Chef Giuseppe Dalla Rosa which has won the hotel international critical acclaim. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 1pm - 3pm & 7pm - 11pm ORVM restaurant boasts picture-perfect views of the Arno River, and is located only minutes away from the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio... [moreless]