Italy is the most preferred destination for holidaymakers, round the year Italy records a lot of tourist footfall across its vibrant cities. Italy is popular on the international radar for its unique Food & wine, top fashion designer brands like Gucci, Giorgio Armani and Donatella Versace to name a few, breathtaking views & landmarks, taking a pilgrimage in the Vatican, enjoying a gelato and its nightlife. There’s no place like Italy when it comes to honeymooning, it sure is the most visited place on the face of this earth for lovers! Again another area where Italy scores over most other destinations is it offers a lot of choice for shopaholics, being the fashion capital of the world you will find the very best fashionable items but the only catch is it’s going to cost you a lot of money. So beware! Italy is home to world famous attractions like Leaning Tower of Pisa, Cinque Terre, Doge’s Palace, Mount Etna, Grand Canal and Lake Como.
Italian life style & culture
Italians give a lot of respect to elders and consider their children very precious, so family is number one for most Italians.
Italians dedicate long hours for an afternoon lunch and it is the most important part of their diet while dinner is always light, more on the lines of Mediterranean lifestyle unlike American.
Another peculiar thing about Italians is they drink only with meals and friends. They aren’t really big boozers, most drink wine after a meal or cocktails when they have a company with friends. On an average Americans beat Italians when it comes to consumption of wine and hard liquor!
Italians eat fresh! Most Italians use only fresh ingredients for making their food at home, it’s a common sight to see people buying only organic produce from supermarkets and when it comes to buying meat most of them buy from the local butcher rather than a supermarket.
Italians like it small! Most of them like to live in smaller houses, buy smaller fridges and move in smaller cars-the idea behind this is selecting smaller items for everyday use means more cost savings which can be used wisely for other smaller luxuries in life like eating out in a nice restaurant or going out to a music concert.
Italians take pride in the way they are dressed, they give a lot of weight to things that can enhance their looks and sport their best attire on Sundays when they visit the Church.
For nightlife
Italy boasts of being home to some of the best nightclubs in the world, nightlife here is seasonal, the peak season is summer and the low season is winter and most clubs, pubs and bars remain closed during autumn. The nights are very young in Italy so take this time for your clubbing activities. Nightlife must be an essential part of your holiday when you visit Italy, a trip to Italy without night clubbing activities is not at all a complete one. Ideally nightlife in Italy can be best explored when you are single, so leave your family behind and hit one of Italy’s best clubs to experience a slice of it! Every city in Italy has its own trademark way of offering something unique when it comes to nightlife and this can’t be duplicated anywhere else in the World.
Our recommendations for best nightlife clubs, bars and restaurants for best one-of-a-kind nightlife experience in Italy: When in Rome checkout La Maison and Gilda. When in Florence checkout Slowly cafe, Dolce Vita, The Blob Club, Twice ( sexiset club for Djs, dancing and affordable cocktails) and Moyo. When in Venice checkout Molocinque, Aurora beach club and Bacaro Jazz (Jazz club). When in Sicily checkout Addaura Reef (for best cocktails that money can buy) and Morgana Bar (to dance away your night till 4 a.m).
For delectable Italian food
For most Italians the passion for food comes only after family, nevertheless food still occupies a high place in their lives. The Italian cuisine is highly dominated by three regional cuisines originating from Tuscany, Piedmont and Sicily. It is not uncommon to find most restaurants in Italy taking the unified approach of incorporating all 3 styles while making their dishes, in fact this makes Italian dishes irresistible and delectable worldwide. When Italians sit for a meal they do so with families and friends, a typical Italian lunch consists of first course il Primo (pasta, rice or similar), a second course il secondo (meat or fish) served together with a side dish il Contorno (Vegetable or Salad) and fruit.
Some of the iconic foods of Italy are:
- Margharita of Naples, a traditional Pizza complete with thick crust
- Botarga-smoked eggs from the rat of the sea, also known as “Sicilian Caviar”
- Fiorentena steak-T bone steak
- Lasagnia, uses pasta Ragu and Bechamel
- Risotto, a rice based dish that uses vegetable, meat, poultry, seafood, beans and cheese
- Spaghetti Bolognese- Spaghetti served with ground beef, tomato, onions and herbs
- Truffles,
- Focaccia-flat Italian bread
- Coffee- There are at least a dozen variety of coffees that you’ll find here, an espresso after a meal is what most Italians prefer and Trieste is the best city in Italy for coffee culture
- Gelato, a kind of ice cream that has far less butter fat than ice cream in the United States
- Tiramisu, Italy’s most loved sweet or dessert after meals
- Limoncello, a digestive drink that’s taken after a meal
Wines of Italy
Italy is often dubbed as the wine capital of the world, in Italy wine that’s being served on the table is just as important as the food. Italy is world famous for both red and white wines, there’s a great variety of these wines choose one that fits your budget and style! Typically red wine is relished along with red meat while white wine with sea food. The prime wine producing regions in Italy are Chianti, Val d’Orcia, Valpolicella, Langhe and Colli Piacentini and most of the best tasting wines are sourced from these regions.
Our recommendations for red wines from Italy
- Barolo,
- Barberesco
- Brunello di Moltancino
- Barbera d’ Asti
- Chianti Classico
- Dolcetta d’Alba
Our recommendations for white wines from Italy
- Vermintino di Gallura
- Vernaccia di San Gimigdnano
- Orvieto
- Frascati
