Italy Travel Guide
June 8, 2023
Everything you need for your next trip to Florence, Capri, & the Amalfi Coast…
Florence
Where to Eat
Lunch:
- Pinos
- My favorite panini in all of Florence! They make it there right in front of you & it is a super casual, delicious place! (I get their caprese panini always)
- All’Antico Vinaio
- The most well known panini spot in all of Florence – they have lines out the door even with 3 locations right next to each other!
- Central Market
- The central market of Florence is a great lunch spot if you want to try a bunch of different things at once! It is right near the leather market & there is an option for everyone here.
- Antico Noe
- Sit down lunch place serving paninis, and more! Always delicious!
- Pizza Napoli
- If you are looking for pizza in Florence, this is my favorite. Upon request, they will even make your pizza into the shape of a heart!!
- Gusta Pizza
- The most well known pizza place in Florence – right over the bridge near Santo Spirito.
- Oil Shoppe
- If you need a quick to-go salad in Florence, here you go! I did not eat here on my trip, but used to eat here when I studied abroad in Florence.
Dinner:
- Osteria Santo Spirito
- My favorite linguini in clams in all of Florence! This is super causal place right in the Santo Spirito square that is perfect for your first night after a long travel day. They have outdoor and indoor seating!
- Trattoria Gobbi 13
- My favorite pasta is here (I have a lot of favorites if you can’t tell – lol!). It is their red sauce pasta with mixed in cheese served in a clear bowl. I know that it sounds basic, but it’s phenomenal. HERE is a picture of me eating it! You can also get a Florentine steak here if that is something that you want to try!
- Il Profeta
- A very small restaurant near the Arno where the owner Claudio will come over and introduce himself, and even feed you food like he did HERE! They are known for their John Travolta pasta which is delicious. Their burrata special wrapped in pasta dough with pesto and tomato sauce is also incredible. This is definitely a nicer meal!
- Osteria Delle Tre Panche
- This restaurant just opened up a new location right in the center of Florence. They have a beautiful rooftop overlooking the Arno river. Their original location had only 3 tables where you would dine with other reservations/sit at the same table at them. If you like truffle, get it here!
- Other notable places that I would recommend from when I lived in Florence:
- La Giostra
- Cinghale Bianco
- Anita
- La buschetta
- Gato e la Volpe
- Aqua al due
- Sostanza
- Zaza
Gelato:
- De Neri
- The absolute best, no question about it.
@justbecauseitspretty Replying to @ihearttannaaaaaa a MUST in florence 🍧😋🇮🇹 #florencegelato #florencerecs #florencerec #florencerecommendations #bestgelatoinflorence #bestgelato
♬ Gelato Italiano – Los 300
- Other great gelato places are…
- Carraia
- Don nino
- Pro Tip: Do not get the gelato that is stacked super high and colorful!
Where to Shop
- Designer Shops everywhere all around Florence! Legit every designer that you could ever think of!
- Ponte Vecchio
- If you are looking for a piece of jewelry, or watch, this is your place!
- Massimo Leather
- If you want a leather jacket or bag, go to Massimo! (Tell him I sent you and he will give you the “Rachel Special Price”!) His stuff is much better than everything in the leather market & he is the sweetest!
@justbecauseitspretty Replying to @7iberty save for your next trip to florence 🫶✨ located at Borgo La Noce 13/R – 15/R #florenceshopping #florenceleathermarket #florenceleather
♬ Italian Tarantella – Italian Restaurant Music of Italy
- The Mall
- Aka the designer outlets! If you love designer finds for less, definitely check this out! It is a 50 minute drive from Florence (they have a coach bus that takes you there and back). The deals are insane and I’ve never left empty handed.
@justbecauseitspretty designer outlets right outside of florence!! Save for your next trip, this is a MUST designeroutlet designeroutlets themallflorence themallfirenze themallfirenzeitaly italydesigneroutlet
♬ original sound – Rachel Schwab 💖
@justbecauseitspretty Replying to @honeybunniesnyc PART 2: designer outlet shopping in italy 🫶👏 #designeroutlet #designeroutlets #themallflorence #themallfirenze #themallfirenzeitaly #italydesigneroutlet
♬ original sound – Rachel Schwab 💖
- Gucci Museum
- If you love Gucci, and also love exclusive designer items, go check out the gift shop at the Gucci Museum! They have limited edition items just for the Gucci Museum (and you can go to the shop without going into the museum).
What to Do
- Duomo (can climb)
- Uffizi Gallery
- Pointe Vecchio
- Michelangelo Steps (great for sunset with a bottle of wine)
- Rose Garden (right below the Michelangelo Steps)
- David Statue
- Leather Market
- Central Market
- Piazza Della Republica
- Palazzo Vecchio
- Pitti Palace
- Boboli Gardens
- Saint Johns Basilica
- Giardino Bardini
- Walk the Arno
Capri
Where to Eat
Dinner
- Da Paolino
- A restaurant where you are eating under the lemon trees! It is beautiful! Definitely a nicer dinner. The best part was that at the end of the meal for dessert, they let you go into this room that is FILLED with dessert and you can take as much as you want!
@justbecauseitspretty SAVE this if you’re going to capri anyime soon 🍋🫶✨ …that dessert room was INSANE #dapaolinocapri #dapaolino #caprirestaurant
♬ Italian Tarantella – Italian Restaurant Music of Italy
- Giorgio Al Cucciolo
- We ended up making a dinner reservation here because it has a perfect view of the sunset! The restaurant picks you up in a red car in the main square in Anacapri and brings you to the restaurant complimentary!
- Villa Margherita
- This restaurant was at our hotel, so we ended up eating there one night and it did not disappoint! The pasta was phenomenal.
- Other Places (we had reservations, but didn’t make it to them):
- Le Grottelle
- Panorama
Gelato
- Buonocore
- You can smell this gelato shop from miles away, it is INSANE! It was the best that we had and their pastries are also delicious!
Where to Shop
- Again, there are designer shops EVERYWHERE in the main center of Capri. Some designer stores even have exclusive items only for Capri (i.e. Prada did)!
- Custom Leather Sandals
- I got a pair of custom sandals made here in Anacapri – they fit them perfectly to your feet and you get to design every detail with them!
@justbecauseitspretty Replying to @madisonashley735 custom sandals in capri!!! catch me in these alllll summer (obv had to do pink) 💖 #caprishopping #customsandal #customsandals #handmadeinitaly #handmadesandal #handmadesandals
♬ original sound – Rachel Schwab 💖
What to Do
- Boat Day Around Capri
- This is a MUST. One of the best days of the trip! We booked our boat through and did the private option! (Definitely bring some wine on board!)
@justbecauseitspretty accidentally on our engagement moon 💍✨ but 11/10 would recommend a boat day in capri ⚓️ #capriboattour #capriboat #capriitaly #capriboatday #europeansummer #europeansummer2023 #europeansummeraesthetic
♬ Dancing Queen – ABBA
- Day at a Beach Club
- Beach Clubs in Capri are not necessarily beaches (rather mostly rocks), but they are beautiful. We spent the day at La Fontelina which I couldn’t recommend more (had lunch there too). It is the most picturesque place I’ve ever seen. Warning – there are A LOT of steps to get there. HERE are some pictures of it!
- Other Beach Clubs:
- Da Luigi (right next to La Fontelina)
- Il Riccio
- Lido Del Faro
- Take the chair lift up to Mount Solaro – it is a mountain with the highest point in Capri so you can see all over the island! HERE are some pictures of it (it was about to storm when we went up so check the weather lol!!)
- If you want to go out one night, go to Taverna Anema e Core!
Sorrento
Where to Eat
- La Tavernetta
- Beautiful and on the water! The restaurant picked us up complimentary at our hotel and drove us to dinner since it was down the windiest roads. It was so peaceful and remote once we got there.
- Pizzeria da Franco
- We got a local recommendation to go here for lunch and the pizza was great! As odd as it is, definitely get the side of tomatoes – they were insane! It was super casual too which was great.
- Frankies Pizzeria
- Another pizza place that did not disappoint! We randomly walked in here and it was some of the best pizza of the trip. Super casual as well!
Where to Shop
- No where specific, but if you walk around the main town area there are so many cute little stores and souvenir shops (great for buying gifts for everyone at home)!
- There are also custom sandal places in Sorrento as well – all over!
What to Do
- We only spent one day there, but wish that we had one more day to spend at a beach club there – they looked magnificent!
- Other ideas:
- Boat tour to Capri (if you are not going to Capri)
- Day trip to Pompeii or any Amalfi Coast towns
- Take a Sorrento inspired cooking class
Positano
Where to Eat
- Bruno Positano
- Was great for lunch with a beautiful picturesque view of Positano! Definitely request to sit outside for the view.
Where to Shop
- CB Positano – similar vibes to LoveShackFancy & they have two locations!
- Temptation Positano – beautiful lace and girly pieces!
- Luisa Moda – bold prints and patterns!
- Moda Positano/Rino Boutique- linen clothing for men & women!
What to Do
- We shopped around the entire time in Positano since we were just there for an afternoon, but similar to Sorrento you can…
- Visit other Amalfi Coast towns
- Take a local cooking class
- Lay on the beach (there is a public beach right near the port)
- Boat Day
@justbecauseitspretty shopping, wine, tomato moz, stunning views, and LOTS of steps 🤍 #positanoitaly #positanorecs #positanoshopping #positanosteps #positanostyle #europeansummeraesthetic #europeangirlsummer
♬ Gimme Gimme Gimme – floreaudios
AND if you need any more inspiration for your trip, or want to see more photos of everything (i.e. food, locations, activities, etc) – it is ALL under my story highlights of Florence, Capri, & Amalfi on Instagram @justbecauseitspretty!
OH and if you need help packing for your trip, try this hack of mine!
@justbecauseitspretty indeed crazy 💖 but ill have cute outfits so who cares lol #packingforeurope #europeansummeroutfitinspo #europeansummeroutfit #outfitplanningideas #greenscreenvideo
♬ original sound – Maggie Stetson
Have the BEST TRIP!
xoxo, Rachel
