Travelling, experiencing the world and its unique traditions, its culture and food, is one of my greatest passions in life. If you LOVE food like me, Italy is definitely a foodies place to visit. Most of even the small-bespoke restaurants that you find across the country have super tasty food, from delicate homemade pasta to juicy meats! I have most recently come back from a short, but extremely sweet little trip to Milan, Florence and Tuscany, which were 3 places that I have always wanted to go to (and still want to go back to!). It was a short 4/5 day trip which let me have a taste of these wonderful cities, but definitely not enough time to see all that I wanted to (so I’ll definitely be planning a trip back sometime in the future).
Milan is chic and stylish, being one of the main fashion cities of the world. Whereas Florence is traditional and picturesque with some stunning traditional sights, and Tuscany is just so effortlessly beautiful and rustic. Therefore the trip really did encompass so many wonderful different elements. All the food across Italy is delicious and homemade as you know, but these 3 places have some unique elements.
MILAN
If you’re looking for a more glam Italian city trip, then Milan is a great place to go; with a slightly faster paced environment. The city has an array of sophisticated bars, unique restaurants, fabulous shopping and of course, some great traditional sights (such as the gorgeous Dumo, and the stunning Milano Centrale Station) dotted across the city. In the busy streets of Milan there is a hidden gem called 10 Corso Como, which is known around the world for its art, fashion, design and cuisine!
It is perfect for a light lunch in their beautiful private courtyard, dinner in their trendy restaurant, or cocktails in their stylish bars or lounge areas. (Corso Como, 10, 20154 Milano MI, Italy) – Definitely worth a visit!
FLORENCE
Florence is a old and classic city; famous for its art, galleries, old architecture and classic beauty. It is a smaller and much more relax city than Milan- which makes it perfect for wandering around the gorgeous city on foot, and exploring all that it has to offer. From looking at the stunning historic architecture, to buying some tasty Italian produce. As well as sitting in a piazza having a gorgeously creamy ice cream, or delicious homemade italian food
During Florence I was visited 2 great and quite different restaurants…
The first one was the timeless classic, Harry’s Bar. This elegant restaurant has been around for years with visitors coming from around the world. The restaurant has an elegant classic style, high quality service and delicious food. (Just as a note… the cost is definitely not cheap – but worth if for a treat!).
I had a fresh and piquant steak tartare for my starter, and then the creamiest, cheesiest pasta that I have ever eaten for my main course. THEY WERE BOTH DELICIOUS!!
Another wonderful restaurant that we visited in Florence, was this traditional family run restaurant, that was recommended to us by a friend in Florence. It is known over there for its INCREDIBLE (and HUGE) succulent Florentine steaks! The restaurant is called All’ Antico Ristoro Di’ Cambi (http://www.anticoristorodicambi.it/) (Via S.Onofrio, 1R, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy). It is a simple restaurant with no frills, but with lovely staff, a classic Italian family feel, and amazing steaks.
The HUGEEEEE T-Bone steak I ate here (and had to share with my friend as it was too big for 1 person to finish!!!) was honestly one of the BEST steaks that I have ever had in my life. It was juicy/succulent and full of so much incredible FLAVOUR! I would 100% go back here if I ever came back to Florence, and you should definitely try it too if you are there.
TUSCANY
Florence is more relaxed than Milan, but Tuscany is even more relaxed than Florence; so Tuscany is definitely one of the best the places to go in Italy if you want some quiet time to relax. With the regions beautiful landscapes, villas and small towns in the hills and by the rivers… it is a picture perfect location for a restful few days away from the city. You can take cookery classes, have wine/cheese tasting sessions, and enjoy mountain views laying by the pool sipping a cool drink, walking/cycling around the stunning landscapes, or to taking a canoe down to the river for some fun. We stayed in this picturesque hotel in Chianti with beautiful grounds, stunning hillside views, a lovely spa and swimming pool and amazing food.
They had 2 restaurants, one of which was set in a cobble stone courtyard which was a multiple course gastronomic delight, and one more classic lunch or dinner restaurant overlooking Tuscan hills. (http://www.spaltenna.it/it/home) (Via Spaltenna, 13, 53013 Gaiole In Chianti SI, Italy). The food and location were just perfect – so if your planning a Tuscan trip I would recommend that your strongly consider this beautiful hotel!
On our last day we had a business meeting in Signa, where the owners decided to take all the visitors to a fun/quirky restaurant in the middle of nowhere (and that was a huge understatement). They took us to Moscerino, which probably was one of the most wonderfully quirky and unique restaurants that I have ever been too (you couldn’t find a more quirky place- especially not in Tuscany)- BUT IT WAS FABULOUS!
The owners of the restaurant were such unique and brilliantly crazy characters, who had created this treasure trove of a restaurant, with very little choice on the menu, but all home cooked and delicious regional food! It was also set on a beautiful lake which you could see the sunset over.
If you want a unique experience whilst your in Tuscany then I would highly recommend this place. ( they don’t have an official website but this might help :- https://www.acomearno.it/it/moscerino-parco-dei-renai/ and to book is 348 330 6021)
The trip was definitely short, but sweet! It might have been a busy one, with a lot of places packed into a short time, but it was worth it! I would highly recommend all the places mentioned above 🙂 I hope that you have got some new tips from this post, and happy traveling!!!
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Love Kitchen Olivia xx
*NOTE* Most of the photographs are my own but a few were borrowed from the official restaurant’s website/Instagram
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