(Via Chiasso dei Baroncelli in Florence, Italy)

Close to Florence’s tourist hotspots, from the Palazzo Strozzi to the Duomo and just across from the... Galleria della Uffizi on the banks of the Arno, you’ll find Osteria Dei Baroncelli, a taste of Tuscany with a eye-catching historic slant. Walk in to the traditional Florence building and you’ll find a white washed ceiling arching over a cosy room awash with classical imagery – statues of familiar Roman figures, Da Vinci’s sketches, images of Gods – all lit up by coloured lights to give an almost dream-like feel. Tuscan and Italian specialities are whipped up by a chef clearly passionate about his food, and accompanied by a wide range of good wines. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12pm - 2:30pm & 6:30pm - 9pm The Osteria is named for the Baroncelli family who built a nearby house in the year 1200... [moreless]

(9 Viale Generale Dalla Chiesa in Florence, Italy)

Restaurant Otel Variete on Viale Generale Dalla Chiesa in central Florence is a show-stopper – liter...ally. Known as a ristotheatre - the Italian for dinner and show – it draws the city’s sophisticated cabaret crowd who show up early for a fine meal and the dancing girls, then watch as the venue magically transforms into a colourful, charismatic, lights-flashing, music- playing club. The main hall – housing the clean-lined restaurant and grand stage – is a spectaculalry stylish space. If you like, think of Otel Variete as an Italian-style mix between Las Vegas, Paris and Broadway, where – at midnight - dinner transforms into a sensational spectacle of DJs, singers, musicians, ballet dancers, comedians, acrobats and illusionists – some of them world-famous - who leave the audience gasping with delight. Happily, Restaurant Otel Variete’s food is also a thrill – seasonal a la carte Italian dishes and a fine choice of pizza. The tasting menu comes highly recommended. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Dinner show Wed - Sun 8:30pm - 10pm Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet fame has performed here... [moreless]

(29 Via San Marco in Milan, Italy)

Aficionados of hearty, authentic Italian cuisine will adore this little gem of a restaurant located ...on the Via San Marco in Milan. Dressed up in Deco revival furniture with a witty and contemporary twist, this stylish restaurant specialises in authentic Milanese dishes created with seasonal and locally sourced produce. Ottimo is decorated in a rich caramel and vanilla colour scheme, and the chichi Milanese crowd are elegant and friendly. Locals love the traditional yet innovative menu, and we recommend the buffalo carpaccio; the risotto with roasted aubergine and ricotta; and the hamburger all'italiania. Ottimo boasts a comprehensive Italian wine list showcasing a variety of local wineries. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 12:30pm - 3pm & 7:30pm - 11pm Sun 12:30pm - 3pm The staff at Ottimo are passionate about using seasonal, locally sourced produce... [moreless]

(7 Via Marino in Milan, Italy)

Papà Francesco, all said and done, is one of the best old restaurants on pretty Piazza della Scala i...n the historical centre of Milan. And it is said. The traditional family-run restaurant is so popular that Papa Francesco’s name pops up not just all over Italy, but the other side of the world (there’s a sister restaurant in Fukushima in Japan). What’s so good about it? Gorgeous homemade food served by a genuine Italian family who, with all the regulars, create an addictively warm, come-as-you-are atmosphere. Alongside Papa Francesco’s tempting set and special diet menus are a handful of weekly specials. At the time of writing, our favourite was homemade seabass ravioli served with mullet roe sauce. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sun 12pm - 2:30pm & 7pm - 10:30pm Mon:closed Newspapers as far away as the Detroit Free Press have talked about Papa Francesco... [moreless]

(25 Via Giovanni Battista Bertini in Milan, Italy)

Located a little out of the way in the heart of old Milan, Restaurant Pupurry serves magnificent tra...ditional Milanese food, style and atmosphere in equal measure. An elegant, warm-hued interior is distinguished by antique curious – a gramophone here, an old cashier till over there. The effect is pleasingly homely. Predominantly locally sourced, Restaurant Pupurry’s staple delights include fillet steak and wonderful Milanese risotto. Perfect service means dining here is absolute relaxation, particularly in summer when Restaurant Pupurry’s laurel-hedged garden opens. Such fine food, service and ambience do not come cheap, but try finding such a restaurant in London or Paris for less. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 7:30pm - 12:30am Sun: closed [moreless]

(121 Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy)

Quadri restaurant in Venice – how romantic can one restaurant be? Candlelit views over Piazza San M...arco from the windowside tables, a single red rose in a bud vase, silver-domed dishes revealed with a flourish, the Quadri orchestra below, the chimes of San Marco above, crystal chandeliers, rose-coloured fabric-lined walls, gilt mirrors all invoke sighs of pure pleasure. Quadri has bags of history – it was founded in 1775 as a Turkish khava (coffee) house by one Giorgio Quadri from Corfu. The coffee house remains among the porticos on the ground floor, while the grand first floor restaurant was created in 1830. Absolutely everyone has dined here, from Lord Byron to Sting. The seasonal Italian menu features dishes like marinated seabass in puff pastry with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes and mustard, and bucatini pasta with eggplant and provela cheese, duck breast in fruit sauce. House wines are recommended. A pair of interconnecting dining rooms make Quadri an impressive choice for private or corporate entertaining, too, with a host of menus to choose from. 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. Please note that Quadri is closed on Monday from November till March. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12:15pm - 2:15pm & 7:30pm - 10:15 pm [moreless]

(5/6 Via delle Coppelle in Rome, Italy)

Quinzi & Gabrieli restaurant in the heart of Rome’s centro storico, is celebrated for the freshness ...and quality of its fish menu. The dining rooms, set in a 16th century building near the Pantheon, are small, with vaulted ceilings, open kitchen, and tables that spill onto the terrace in warm weather overlooking a typical Roman square. Trompe l’oeil murals of seaside scenes set the tone, as do the VIP diners and starry big names who show up regularly. The fish is the freshest from Italian waters, cooked as little as possible so the flavours shine through. Wines are French and Italian and the service is renowned. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required for group bookings, absolutely no money will be charged to your card, this is just to secure the booking. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 7:45pm - 11pm Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(8/9 Via Della Rosetta in Rome, Italy)

La Rosetta restaurant – one of the few things on which Romans agree. La Rosetta is widely known as ...the best fish restaurant in Rome, and therefore one of the best anywhere. Chef-owner Massimo Riccioli took the helm twenty years ago, twenty years after his parents founded La Rosetta as the first all-fish restaurant in the city. On the doorstep of the Pantheon, the small, white, luxurious dining rooms attract high-rollers who adore the innovative Eastern-inflected new dishes as much as the traditional Sicilian ones that the restaurant was founded on. Fish are bought quayside daily so the menu is at the mercy of the catch, and all the stronger for it. Dishes include carpaccio of fresh fish drizzled with olive oil, tagliatelle of Mediterranean tuna with greens, chocolate mousse with candied orange. Tasting menu available. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Please be aware that Ristorante La Rosetta does not allow children under 6.A credit card is required to confirm all bookings. Absolutely nothing will be charged to the card, unelss in the event of late cancellations (less than 48 hours notice) or no-shows.There is a strict 2-hour time limit on all bookings, and sitting times for dinner are at 7:30pm & 9:45pm (please book the 9:30pm slot for this sitting). Opening hours: Mon - Sat 12:45pm - 2:45pm & 7:30pm - 11pmClosed Sundays and most of August. [moreless]

(7 Via della Penitenza in Rome, Italy)

Rivadestra restaurant is appearing on more and more ’10 Best Restaurants of Rome’ lists and you’ll u...nderstand why. Set in the Trastevere, Rivadestra reinterprets the luxury of the aristocratic papal Rome of the 1700s. The original 18th century doorway opens onto an intimate dining room set with scrubbed oak tables, coats of arms, suffused lighting, and impressive appointments. The menu changes every three weeks, and fresh ingredients are used to create a light new Italian Mediterranean cuisine. Past dishes have included home made tortelli filled with prawns and broccoli in cardoon stock, ravioli with rabbit and potato in cheese fondue, guinea fowl with foie gras, artichokes, and walnut sauce, and crème brulee with tobacco sauce. The forty-bottle wine list has been meticulously researched to present the most intriguing of Italian wines, representing every region. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Thu 7:30pm - 11:30pmFri - Sat 7:30pm - 12am Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(4 Lungarno Corsini in Florence, Italy)

You can’t help but be inspired when in the beautiful surroundings of Florence – a city straight out ...of a fairy tale. And the owners of Rossini, one of the premier restaurants in the area, clearly felt that very same inspiration. The gorgeous interior has a classically romantic feel, red and white lending a traditional feel to modern shapes and high, arched ceilings making the most of the historic building. Wall lights illuminate attractive art works while a draped curtain separates the main dining hall from an intimate side room where just a handful of guests can dine in peace and quiet. The Michelin starred kitchen, run by Andrea Mazzoni, creates a fabulous fusion of contemporary and tradition cuisine. The menu constantly changes, embracing Tuscan traditions whilst infusing dishes with new and exotic ideas. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required for bookings of 10 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 houres or for a no show Opening hours: Thu - Tue 12:30pm - 2:30pm & 7:30pm - 10:30pm Wed: closed Rossini’s cellar has around 1200 wines to choose from... [moreless]