Off the Eaten Path: Italy’s Hidden Gems for Foodies

Everyone knows that Italy is a foodie’s paradise, with fresh and flavourful dishes available at every trattoria, osteria and ristorante. As interest grows for holidays that take us off the beaten path, we’d love to highlight some of the best hidden gems for food lovers visiting Italy.  

Using our expert insider knowledge of the best food destinations in Italy, we’ve created a mouth-watering map of places to visit that take you beyond the most popular tourist spots.  

Discover local delicacies in Campania, Tuscany and Sicily and satisfy your appetite for the real Italy with our authentic Italian food itinerary.

Head beyond the busy crowds of Naples and Salerno and explore the hidden gems on the Mediterranean coast of Campania.

Santa Maria di Castellabate

Famous for its hilltop towns, charming villages and breathtaking Blue Flag beaches, Santa Maria di Castellabate is a slow tourism destination with an appetite. Known for enjoying a varied diet of fresh fish and seasonal ingredients, the region is home to a high percentage of centenarians. Sample local dishes such as fusilli cilentani (fusilli pasta and ragout) and mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella) and discover the hidden food secrets that are said to promote health and longevity.  

Santa Maria di Castellabate is close to several UNESCO World Heritage sites. During your travels, be sure to visit the ancient Greek temples of Paestrum and the stunning coastline of the National Park of Cilento. And despite its small size, the town also has its own Michelin star restaurant, Osteria 1861.

For more bucket list delights in southern Italy, head beyond mainland Campania and across the Bay of Naples to Ischia. The volcanic island of Ischia is best known for its natural thermal springs, beaches, castles and botanical gardens.  

Visit the iconic Castello Aragonese (Aragonese Castle) for expansive views of the azure seas and take a dip in the natural pools of the Poseidon Gardens wellness park. Meanwhile, the nearby fisherman's island of Procida with its multicoloured cliffside houses is just a short ferry journey away. 

Ischia’s specialty dish is coniglio all'Ischitana (Ischian rabbit), a traditional rabbit stew that has been passed down for generations due to an abundance of rabbits on the island. For light bites, make sure to stop at Gran Caffè Vittoria in the centre for the finest flaky pastries and gelato.

Teeming with flavour, the region of Emilia Romagna is home to many great foodie cities – including Bologna, Moderna and Parma. All competing for culinary greatness status, many of Italy’s most famous produce comes from these cities.  

Explore our recommendations for your Italian food itinerary or discover our guided tour of the gastronomic highlights of Emilia Romagna and be led by the experts.  

Bologna

Kicking off the beginning of the food valley, Bologna is a foodie hotspot for obvious reasons. Birthplace of the Bolognese and heavenly tortellini pasta, Bologna welcomes food lovers with open arms. We recommend sampling tortellini in brodo (tortellini in broth), where parcels of perfectly cooked fresh pasta stuffed with chicken and pork float in a savoury capon broth.

Modena

Visit Modena on your way through the culinary belt of Emilia Romagna and tick off a few more foodie experiences on your tour of authentic Italy. Modena is a city known for its rich history, art, architecture and the origins of Ferrari – as well as balsamic vinegar.  

Whether it’s drizzled over cherry tomato bruschetta, paired with figs and prosciutto, or a souvenir bottle for your loved ones at home – balsamic vinegar doesn’t get better than this. 

Parma

Entrenched in culinary tradition, Parma is a cultural and foodie powerhouse, leaving you spoilt for choice for amazing dining experiences. Pasta wouldn’t be the same without authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, the special type of parmesan cheese made only in Parma. The city is also known for Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham).  

For a masterclass in all the local delicacies in the Emilia Romagna region, we recommend visiting the Grand Tour Italia experience. Explore the wine and food culture of Italy’s 20 regions with a range of immersive cooking classes, workshops and attractions.

Visit the province where wine culture is king, and truffles are abundant in the peaks of Piedmont.

Bra

Make your way to Piedmont and visit the cobbled streets of Bra, a quiet town known for taking food and life at a slow, leisurely pace. The Slow Food Movement was founded in Bra in the 1980s in response to the rise of fast food and junk food. It focusses on celebrating and preserving traditional cuisine where fresh flavours and ingredients are paramount. You can learn more about the Slow Food Town with our guide.  

Bra is known for growing some of the rarest and most prestigious truffles, the white truffles of Alba. The region is also known for their meat produce and meaty dishes, including vitello tonnato (slices of veal with a tuna sauce), bollito misto (mixed boiled meats) and salsiccia di Bra (Bra sausage).

Ligurian cuisine is best known for its use of local ingredients. You’re bound to be familiar with some of their local specialities, including focaccia, pesto and farinata (savoury chickpea pancake). 

Chiavari

Nestled on the coast of Liguria, the seaside town of Chiavari is full of old-world charm, sandwiched between Genoa and Cinque Terre. When in Chiavari, do as the locals do and dunk your focaccia in your morning cappuccino. You haven’t embraced true Genoese eating until you do! 

Chiavari offers some excellent local trattorias (small casual restaurants) that specialise in simple and delicious dishes. Da Vittorio is one such restaurant – they won’t have a menu, but they’ll tell you what the dishes are for the day. We recommend trying authentic trofie al pesto pasta and fresh seafood dishes.

Umbria is known for its rolling green hills, enchanting towns and excellent wine, including Orvieto. You can visit the town it’s named after and sample the wine from its origins. But for now, we’re interested in the region’s world-famous truffles – of both the sweet and savoury variety.

Perugia

Famous for its chocolate, the bustling university town of Perugia is the capital of Umbria and the perfect gateway for exploring the region. Perugia is known for being the birthplace of Perugina, the iconic Italian chocolate company. Its most popular chocolate, Baci kisses, are enjoyed across Italy with millions sold every year. Each chocolate and hazelnut bite are individually wrapped and includes a love note for your sweetheart.  

Perugia holds a popular Eurochocolate Festival to celebrate chocolate and its culinary heritage, attracting close to a million visitors annually. The region is also known for its prized black truffles, so you can expect to see plenty of tartufo (truffles) on the menu.

Sicily is a culinary paradise, rich with history, tradition, and a stunning mix of flavours influenced by the island’s diverse cultures.

Ragusa

While destinations like Palermo, Catania, and Messina are known for their food scene, there are many other destinations that are off the beaten track and serve authentic Sicilian food experiences away from the crowds.  

Located in southeastern Sicily, Ragusa is known for its Baroque architecture and incredible food scene. Ragusa’s old town, Ragusa Ibla, is dotted with charming trattoria and osteria restaurants that serve rustic, traditional dishes. 

The region is famous for its Ragusano cheese, another PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cow’s milk cheese that can only be prepared in Ragusa. During your visit, we recommend sampling local specialities such as caponata (aubergine stew), arancini (stuffed rice balls), and pasta alla Norma (pasta with aubergine, ricotta, and tomato sauce).

Basilicata has a longstanding culinary tradition that reflects its rural and mountainous landscape. Simple yet flavourful, its cuisine often relies on local ingredients like peppers, legumes, pork, and homemade pasta.

Matera

Often referred to as the jewel of Basilicata, Matera is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back to Palaeolithic settlements. Perched on the edge of a cliff, the city offers spectacular views, with its winding roads, stone buildings and green hills.  

Materia is also home to the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Sassi of Matera (the stones of Matera), consisting of two districts of ancient cave dwellings. Wheat is the main crop in this region, and the local cuisine reflects the city’s enduring heritage by celebrating bread (pane di Matera) as one of its key traditions.  

You’ll find fresh and fragrant dishes such as cialledda (bread salad with tomato, olives, cucumbers, basil and oregano) and pignata (slow-cooked lamb or mutton stew). Meanwhile, if you travel one hour to the mountainous village of Castelmezzano in the Lucanian Dolomites, you’ll discover more breathtaking views and hearty Lucanian dishes like peperoni cruschi (crispy dried peppers) and strascinati pasta with breadcrumbs.

Making up the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’, the Puglian region stretches across the southeast coastline on the Adriatic Sea. Discover Puglia’s finest offerings below. 

Ceglie Messapica

Puglian cuisine is known for its rustic, fresh, and simple flavours that showcase local ingredients such as olive oil, wheat, seafood, and vegetables. It’s often described as cucina povera (peasant cuisine) because it relies on humble but high-quality ingredients. 

Ceglie Messapica is a small town in the Valle d'Itria (Itria Valley) known for its vibrant food scene, harnessing the traditional flavours of local olive oil, bread, homemade pasta and wine.  

Local delicacies include biscotti Cegliese (almond-filled pastry), focaccia barese (focaccia with fresh tomatoes and olives), Orecchiette con le cime di rapa (ear-shaped pasta with greens, garlic, and anchovies). Meanwhile, the Puglian region is famous for its burrata cheese – a ball of buffalo mozzarella filled with creamy milk curds – so don’t miss out.   

From local olive oil tasting to exploring the baroque architecture, experience every hidden corner of Puglia with our escorted Puglia tour.

Much like the rest of Italy, Tuscany celebrates simple recipes married with fresh, high-quality ingredients. There are plenty of destinations that are off the beaten path where you can sample local traditions and authentic flavours, including Montalcino.

Montalcino

Tuscan cuisine emphasises the flavours of the land, with hearty dishes, olive oil, fresh herbs, and locally sourced meats and vegetables. 

While Montalcino is known for its world-famous Brunello di Montalcino wine, the town is often overshadowed by more popular wine destinations like Chianti. Montalcino is a haven for food lovers looking for local Tuscan specialties, such as pici pasta and wild boar.  

We recommend finding a cosy trattoria and sampling the pappardelle al cinghiale (pasta with wild boar) or ribollita (mixed bean, vegetable and bread soup) with views of the Tuscan countryside.

As our Italian food itinerary comes to a close, we hope our suggestions have hit the spot. For more inspiration for flavour-packed experiences and holidays, head to our Citalia blog and get planning your dream Italian escape.  

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