Verona

"Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene..." begins Romeo and Juliet.   Shakespeare never went to Verona, and "Juliet's Balcony" is pretty much a tourist scam, but romance is still alive in Verona, the second largest city in Veneto, which inspired the great romantic tragedy.   Verona also has great Roman ruins, including an amphitheater ("la Arena") where open-air opera is staged in the summer.  See this Rick Steves article and TV show clip for a nice introduction to the town.

Verona is also a great launching point to the Dolomites...trains run to  Bolzano and Ponte Gardena regularly

Where to Eat

• ***Locanda 4 Cuochi - nice, casual, relatively kid-friendly spot with excellent food, not too expensive, rec'd Michelin, NY Times and highly rec'd the Rough Guide; we had a great meal with our 1 year old here in 2017

• ##Osteria Mondo d'Oro - updated osteria that has affordable fixed price meals, Michelin Bib Gourmand, rec'd Scatti di Gusto and Dissapore

• La Taverna di Via Stella - very good Google & Tripadvisor reviews, fairly traditional dishes, gluten free options

• La Figaccia - casual sandwich shop that makes sandwiches from foccacia, outstanding Google & Tripadvisor reviews

• Hosteria 17 - updated Veronese dishes, looks nice, outstanding Google & Tripadvisor reviews

• Bruschetteria Redoro - inexpensive bruschetta bar that is popular online

• Trattoria Pane e Vino - somewhat "elevated" local specialties, good Google & Tripadvisor reviews, rec'd the Rough Guide, Osterie d'Italia

• Trattoria al Bersagliere - rec'd by Osterie d'Italia, Michelin Bib Gourmand, TCI

• Trattoria I Masenini - updated local specialties, especially known for fish, rec'd Michelin

• Osteria Ponte Pietra - rec'd Michelin, NY Times, Veneto Secrets, a bit fancier/more expensive

• Trattoria San Basilio alla Pergola - to the East of the town center, rec'd Michelin, updated classics, looks nice/fresh?

• Amo Bistrot - fresh, innovative fusion cooking at fairly reasonable prices, rec'd Scatti di Gusto

• Saporè Downtown - fancy pizzas and more from Renato Bosco (who has a few other places in town), rec'd Scatti di Gusto

• Scapin Osteria e Cucina - updated osteria, rec'd GirlsGottaDrink blog

• Osteria Caffè Monte Baldo - enoteca with full menu, really good about allergens, rec'd Rough Guide, Rick Steves, Osterie d'Italia, The Guardian named as one of its "Top 10 budget eats in Verona"

• Darì Ristorante & Enoteca - somewhat east-meets-west, slightly fancy cuisine but not too expensive, rec'd Veneto Secrets, il Golosario, and Rick Steves

• Ziga Bistrò - vegetarian restaurant with fun-looking food, rec'd Veneto Secrets, this blog

• somewhat "old school" places—good if you want to try very "traditional" cooking:

  • Trattoria al Pompiere - relatively "old school", traditional place, rec'd by Osterie d'Italia, Gambero Rosso, Espresso, Rick Steves, Michelin, TCI, Passione Gourmet, Veneto Secrets (who claim that their tiramisu is among the best)

  • Osteria Trattoria Al Duomo - pretty good reviews online also a bit "old school"?, rec'd by Osterie d'Italia, Fodors, Lonely Planet (rec's fragolino strawberry wine), Luciano Pignataro

  • Caffè Carducci - rec'd by Osterie d'Italia and Veneto Secrets, popular for both food & pastries

  • La Fontanina - rec'd by Gambero Rosso, Espresso, TCI, Andrea Vassalli (Googler), and Michelin...very old restaurant, traditional

  • Osteria Sottoriva - rec'd by Osterie d'Italia, Gambero Rosso, Rick Steves

  • Trattoria Tre Marchetti - popular with people who see shows in the Arena, traditional Veneto cuisine, rec'd Espresso, Michelin, TCI, this blog likes their tiramisu

  • Osteria a Le Petarine - Via San Mamaso 6a, rec'd by Osterie d'Italia

• Gelato

  • #Zeno Ice Cream And Chocolate - won "3 cones" award in Gambero Rosso's 2020 Gelaterie d'Italia

  • Gelateria la Romana - looks nice/good reviews

  • Gelateria biologica Fattoria casa mia - also looks good

  • Gelateria Ponte Pietra Verona - also looks good, rec'd NY Times

  • L'arte del Gelato Verona - also looks good

• Were recommended at one point, not sure now:

  • Al Parigin - Via Trezzolano 13 (outside town in Trezzolano), rec'd by Osterie d'Italia

  • Al Popolo - Via Torrente Vecchio 77c (outside town in Avesa), rec'd by Osterie d'Italia

  • Terrazza Bar Al Ponte - good reviews online

  • Antica Osteria le Piere - Via Emanuele Nicolini 43 (outside town in Mizzole), rec'd by Osterie d'Italia, description here

  • Osteria del Bugiardo - agriturismo that specializes in Valpolicella wine but also serves very reasonably-priced simple, traditional food alongside it, rec'd by Osterie d'Italia

• ...also check out this blog, has some nice listings? ...also TasteAtlas?