An up-to-date list of restaurants is hard to keep current, but here are some suggestions from north to south.
On the Road
Driving from Rome to Florence or vice versa is not terribly long, but if you want a place to stop for lunch or dinner, you can always try the Autogrill.  We don’t recommend the stops with a MyChef which are pretty unappealing, but the Autogrill can be great.  In particular, we like the stop at Service Area Tevere, just south of Orvieto. Seriously.
For a much better meal than Autogrill, try Relais La Leopoldina just off the Autostrada at Bettolle and Sinalunga. Â Ristorante Walter is really good. Â Reservations are recommended.
Another choice is a fun grilled meat place that is actually a truck stop at the Fabro exit.  La Bettole del Bucchero is the real name but we call it “the truck stop.”  Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday but what a lively place for a great Tuscan bistecca or maybe some grilled sausages.
Venezia (Venice)
When you journey, as many do, from Venezia to Murano, be sure to plan for a meal at Ristorante Dalla Mora located on the Rio dei Vetrai. Tagliatelle con Granceola (spider crab) was the big hit of our meal in Murano. The mixed seafood appetizer included baby shrimp, neonati (baby anchovies), latte di scungili (conch), polpe, scallops, cozze (mussels), clams, crab salad, and fish salad — wow. The sublime digestivo was a homemade combination of vanilla sorbet, prosecco, and vodka.Â
Verona
Ristorante Enoteca "Al Covolo"Â featured outstanding wine pairings with any wine available by the glass. For us, the highlights were caramelized figs with Monte Veronese cheese. They offered Bigoli, a typical Veronese type of pasta - a long, hollow spaghetti shape - Faraona (grilled guinea hen), and Filetto di Manzo (beef filet) with olive oil. Located on the western side of Valpolicella, not far from Lago di Garda.
Ristorante Ponte Pietra -- adjacent to the bridge of the same name is a gem with a very special location. The Ceci Bean Soup was a highlight, along with the Caponata di Verdure.Â
Toscana (Tuscany)
Florence. The places we’d return to: Baldovino (near Santa Croce), DaMario also known as Trattoria Mario (near the market), and Vivoli (just west of Santa Croce on a nearby street) every night for Gelato. Baldovino has a trattoria and an enoteca side by side. We had a casual evening meal in the trattoria and were lusciously satisfied by ravioli with truffles. At a table near us, a young couple enjoyed Bistecca all Fiorentina. Between museum visit grab an authentic lunch at DaMario. One caution— the line can be long.Â
For a food experience, you should go to the Mercato Centrale and go up to the food court. It is not fancy. You visit the many stands, choose your food, and find a table. It is a madhouse but fun and the food is mostly very good. Try it for lunch, but it is very crowded.
Bagno a Ripoli is home to The Country Relais Borgo e Vicelli, home to the exquisite olive-oil-centric Ristorante al 588. Chef Andrea Perini sends the most creative plates from the kitchen, with the best expressions of Italian extra virgin olive oil.
When visiting Arezzo, you might try going on the first Sunday of each month, when there is an antique fair in the old town square. The square and adjoining alleys and streets are filled with old and interesting antiques. After browsing you will no doubt be hungry, and we recommend Trattoria da Maurizio / La Lancia d’Oro on the arcade fronting the Piazza Grande (address Piazza Grande 18/19). You would do well to reserve in advance, though.
Near Montepulciano, you’ll find Montichiello, a lovely little town with a view to Pienza, and Osteria La Porta a tiny enoteca serving classic Tuscan fare, with a charming owner, Daria. If you are traveling during the busy season, be sure to reserve in advance.
Lazio
Trevinano - In this tiny little town is an excellent restaurant, La Parolina. Reservations are required.
Viterbo — Borgo di Paradosso - We enjoyed excellent Tagliata and Viterbese dishes.
Rome — Armando al Pantheon
Sadly we are removing Armando al Patheon from the recommendations list because it has become too much of a tourist attraction. Â
Rome — Bistrot64
Michelin-starred Bistrot64 is worth the 25 minute journey to Via Guglielmo Calderini, from the center or Roma for Kotaro Noda's masterful creations. For us (June 2016) the highlight was Fregula Sarda with clams and basil-pesto foam. Also visited by Stanley Tucci when filming CNN's Searching for Italy, February 2021.
Puglia
Our tour of Puglia resulted in several restaurants we thought were worth mentioning. Puglia has many less discovered jewels but lacks the cachet of Tuscany. While searching for ancestors, we visited Noci and dined at L’antica Locanda just off the main piazza. Signore Pasquale Fatalino will treat you well. The typical Pugliese food here is very well prepared, and a bargain - six courses with wine for four people was E100.
If you are in Lecce, make a point to reserve a table at Trattoria Cucina Casareccia - The owner is a wonderful hostess (you will dine in her house with full view of the kitchen), and the food is simple Pugliese food but astoundingly good and fun - also a bargain. 19 Via Colonnello Costadura; 39-0832/245-178.
Just north of Bari in Puglia, make a side trip to Trani to visit this seaside restaurant La Lampada for a treat. No written menu - just trust the waiter’s recommendations. Contact us for directions.
Campania
In Napoli be sure to save a meal for Ciro a Santa Brigida. It is away from the noise, beautiful setting, great Napoli pizza and seafood. (We sat next to Bette Midler and family!)
We had two great dining experiences on the Amalfi Coast — Taverna del Capitano located in the quiet sleepy bayside area of Marina del Cantone and at Quattro Passi, on the road from Nerano to the Marina. You’ll find the both restaurants, featuring excellent local seafood, and their accommodations to be a pleasant respite from the better known resorts. We hope you don’t have to choose between them.
Sicily
Il Dehor is a restaurant in the hotel Baglio della Luna in Agrigento. It has been years since visiting Agrigento. We will try to update our list in the coming months.
Â