From Bologna to Bari, Eat Your Way Around Italy by Following the Azzurri

Italy’s sky-high culinary reputation can make it difficult to know where to begin when trying to choose between Bologna and Bari or pizza and pasta.

In truth, it’s hard to go wrong. But we had to start somewhere, and to keep the calcio connection strong we decided to follow in the footsteps of the national team.

Supporting Italy has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride recently, with heavy doses of World Cup disappointment sandwiching that European Championship triumph in London five years ago.

Yet, one thing that can be taken for granted is that wherever the Azzurri are playing their home matches, you will be on to a winner with the food.

Since losing their 2022 World Cup play-off to North Macedonia in Palermo, Italy have visited 10 more cities. From the San Siro to the San Nicola, Naples to Bergamo and with several stops in between, we took the same path, trying the local dishes along the way.

Bologna

Famous for: Take your pick. Tagliatelle al ragu and lasagne alla Bolognese to name but two. Even by Italian standards, the food in Bologna is sensational.

We had the tagliatelle al ragu at Osteria dell’ Orsa, a no-frills establishment, tucked away in Via Mentana, that doesn’t take bookings but where the food is so good it will have you coming back for more. And we did. Twice.

“I knew the food in Italy was good,” Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson told Destination Calcio last year. “Then when I arrived I quickly found out that Bologna is one of the best. It’s beautiful. I don’t think I have a bad meal. There’s loads of great restaurants.”

The Scottish midfielder listed his favourites as Tramvia, Bottega di Franco and Trattoria Da Me.

Azzurri in Bologna (since 2022): A bit bland. A Nations League draw with Germany in the summer of 2022 and a friendly stalemate against Turkey two years later.

Cesena

Famous for: The piadina romagnola, an uneven flatbread filled with prosciutto and soft cheese.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann – son of Germany and Inter Milan legend Jurgen – has been with Cesena since 2024 and when we caught up with him he told us: “The food is fantastic here. Having to choose between pizza and pasta is so difficult.”

But you cannot go wrong with the piadina.

Azzurri in Cesena: Nothing fancy, just a hard-fought 2-1 win over Hungary in the Nations League in June 2022 with goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Pellegrini.

Milan

Famous for: The risotto alla Milanese, with its distinctive golden colour courtesy of the saffron used to prepare it.

We tried it at Osteria del Corso, a restaurant on Corso Garibaldi between the Brera and Moscova districts, which came recommended by former Italy international Christian Vieri.

The Inter Milan hero had the highest praise for the restaurant, saying: “It’s the best pasta in Italy. And if it’s the best pasta in Italy, it’s the best pasta in the world.”

Azzurri in Milan: The most recent result at the San Siro left a sour taste, a 4-1 shellacking at the hands of Norway effectively condemning Gennaro Gattuso’s men to the World Cup play-offs. In the four matches before that at the grand old arena, they had beaten England and Ukraine in Euro qualifiers and lost to France and Germany in the Nations League.

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Naples

Famous for: Pizza. Need we say more? In Naples pizza is not just a dish, it’s deeply embedded in the city’s identity.

Our guide on our most recent visit, photographer Alex Tione, who featured in our My Town, My Team series, recommended Bella Napoli, a stone’s throw away from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

“This is a real pizzeria. This is the real Napoli,” he told us. “The price, the taste, the atmosphere, everything about this restaurant is the real Neapolitan pizza.”

And so it proved. Bella Napoli isn’t popular among tourists, meaning you won’t see queues of visitors clutching guidebooks, and that’s the point. It’s cheap, honest, and genuinely up there with the very best pizza in Naples.

Azzurri in Naples: Declan Rice and Harry kane served up a 2-1 England win in the qualifying group for Euro 2024 with Mateo Retegui replying for the hosts.

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Rome

Famous for: Again, take your pick. Pasta all’ Amatriciana, one of Italy’s most famous dishes, Saltimbocca alla Romana – a tender slice of veal topped with prosciutto and sage, with a dash of white wine – or the the Maritozzo – a soft, brioche-style bun sliced open and overflowing with freshly whipped cream.

We enjoyed Tonnarello, a boisterous and quintessential Roman restaurant. Pasta is served in deep metal pans, wine flows freely, and the atmosphere feels like a post-match celebration every night.

Azzurri in Rome: Revenge was on the menu in November 2023 when they saw off North Macedonia on their way to Euro 2024, but their next visit almost a year later ended in a 2-2 draw with Belgium.

Bari

Famous for: Plenty of seafood dishes including spaghetti all’assassina, which unlike normal pasta isn’t boiled but pan-fried, and loaded with oil, garlic and chilli.

We headed to La Locanda dell’Elfo, where you can order three tasting bowls of Bari’s famous delicacies. Spaghetti all’assassina, orecchiette con cime di rapa (orecchiette pasta with turnip heads) and riso, patate e cozze (rice, potatoes, and mussels) were our three killer dishes.

Azzurri in Bari: Easy pickings. Domenico Berardi scored twice as the hosts helped themselves to a 4-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Malta.

Empoli

Famous for: Artichokes. No, really. Each year Empoli hosts an artichoke festival to celebrate its culinary staple, which can be found in the traditional risotto ai carciofi all’Empolese (Artichoke risotto) or in the city’s typical carciofi fritti (fried artichokes). The Empolese variety is prickle-free and characterised by a deep green to violet colour.

Sapori di Toscana (Flavours of Tuscany) sits a few kilometres outside the middle of town while Ristorante Riso & Brace is more central. Both do the risotto ai carciofi very well.

Azzurri in Empoli: One visit in four years but they enjoyed it – Davide Frattesi scored the only goal in a friendly win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the summer of 2024.

Udine

Famous for: Frico – a pancake-like dish made from fried cheese and potatoes, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and cjarsons – a sweet and savoury stuffed pasta. Udine, of course, is also the gateway to Friuli’s celebrated wine country. The rolling hills surrounding the city are dotted with vineyards producing exceptional wines such as Refosco, Ribolla Gialla, and Picolit.

When Destination Calcio visited we tried some at Prosciutteria IE just off Piazza della Liberta, and were introduced to the concept of tajut, which means ‘cut’ in the local dialect and owes its name to the mark on old measuring glasses. Expect to see locals polish them off from as early as 11am on weekends.

“It’s the perfect tone-setter for lunch,” the barman told us. “And a staple of Friuli traditions.”

Azzurri in Udine: It’s always happy hour for the Italians here. In the current World Cup cycle they have beaten Israel twice, 3-0 in a qualifier and 4-1 in the Nations League.

Reggio Emilia

Famous for: Parmigiano Reggiano and tosone cheese, cappelletti pasta and Lambrusco wine. The birthplace of the Italian flag, Reggio Emilia is a culinary capital.

The area has so many restaurants worth visiting and a Reggiana fan we spoke to recommended a couple. Osteria Chilometro Zero is in the countryside, close to the stadium, while Ristorante Canossa is more central, has been there for decades and is loved by locals.

Reggio Emilia has always been home to Reggiana but it is the place their fans have reluctantly shared with Sassuolo since 2013.

Sassuolo’s Australian midfielder Cristian Volpato said: “Montana is the best restaurant around, it’s where all the Ferrari guys go. When my cousins come over from Australia, I take them to Montana and they all fall in love with tosone.”

Azzurri in Reggio Emilia: No fancy frills, just a straightforward 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Moldova thanks to Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso.

Bergamo

Famous for: Casoncelli alla Bergamasca – small pasta parcels similar to ravioli, filled with minced beef and pork meat, Grana Padano cheese, eggs, nutmeg and Amaretti biscuits, and served in a sauce made with melted butter, sage and crispy bacon.

We tried this local dish at Circolino in the Citta Alta and were blown away by how good it was. The perfect comfort food to warm up on a chilly autumn evening ahead of a visit to the New Balance Arena.

Azzurri in Bergamo: They beat Estonia 5-0 here in 2025 before a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in their World Cup play-off semi-final moved them one game away from a return to the biggest stage.