Southern Italy is definitely top of the list for anyone with an interest in food and wine. Holidays in Italy revolve around exquisite dishes, elegant wines and exceptional service, all surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and a large helping of fascinating history.
Southern Italy is definitely top of the list for anyone with an interest in food and wine. Holidays in Italy revolve around exquisite dishes, elegant wines and exceptional service, all surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and a large helping of fascinating history.
So whether you are looking for inspiration for your foodie holiday in Italy, or are counting down the weeks before you touch down, here is our virtual food tour of Italy’s South, featuring some of our favourite restaurants and most mouth-watering local specialities.
We start our virtual food tour in the blissful sunshine of Puglia where our first stop is one of our favourite coastal eateries in the charming resort of Torre Canne. Canne Bianche’s restaurant is a favourite with locals, a popular choice for celebrating a special occasion. It is the perfect place to enjoy the elegant Pugliese cuisine in an idyllic setting, on a relaxing terrace overlooking the golden sandy beach and crystal-clear waters. We find it’s usually best to ask the knowledgeable waiters for their recommendations – we have never been disappointed!
Moving south from here takes you on to the Salento peninsula, which is a great opportunity to enjoy a local wine-tasting experience. One of our favourite places to stay in this region is Borgo Naturalis a unique agritourism hotel set in the heart of an 18th century hamlet, which offers a boutique experience with a modern twist. Savour a glass of Negroamaro as the Southern Italian sun sets gracefully over the beautiful grounds.
Next we head west into the little known region of Basilicata A three hour 40 minute drive takes us through beautiful scenery en route to the Maratea coastline. We break the journey with a lunch stop in the stunning Lucania National Park, enjoying the traditional mountain cuisine. After lunch, we continue west to Aquafredda and the wonderful Hotel Villa Cheta, one of our all time favourites. The elegant boutique hotel offers fabulous, refined food with expertly selected wines. With its new addition of a swimming pool, it is undoubtedly the best place to end day two of our virtual food tour of Italy.
The next morning, we make our way north to the last location on our foodie holiday, reaching the astonishing Amalfi Coast & Sorrento Peninsula. Our first stop in this idyllic region is the restaurant at Hotel Villa Maria. Here, the chefs take pride in their home-grown produce & the daily catch from the waters of the Amalfi Coast. Each forkful of their scrumptious menu is of the highest quality. Sitting on the terrace, you feel the evening sea breeze brush your face as you slowly sip a refreshing glass of Greco di Tufo, absorbing the incredible views.
A little shuffle north takes us to the famous Relais Blu. Featured on BBC’s The Trip to Italy, and generally agreed to be one of the top restaurants in the whole of Italy, the gourmet restaurant boasts elegant dining on a stunning terrace. Treat yourself to a delicious cocktail before indulging in the mouth-watering taster menu with perfectly chosen wines. It’s just as well that Relais Blu offers cookery classes for budding chefs, so you can take home with you some of Italy’s best kept secrets.
If we have inspired you with our virtual food tour of Italy’s south, then you may want to have a look at our collection of food and drink holidays. Alternatively, if you would like us to tailor-make your very own foodie holiday in Italy we’ll be happy to do so, call our Travel Specialists on 01694 722193.
