Looking for Bargain Dining in Italy

Friday night we had a fantastic seafood dinner in a the tiny hamlet of Pratolungo near us in the Lunigiana region of Tuscany. The restaurant, only open on weekends during the summer, was packed. Fabulous seafood appetizers kept arriving at our table. Next we had spaghetti with seafood, packed with shellfish. The main course was a choice of fritto misto, fried seafood and vegetables, or catalan, shrimp and scampi over raw vegetables. It was an unbelievable dinner for the price - 3 courses of seafood for 25 euro each including unlimited wine and mineral water, an after dinner drink, coffee, and of course, tax and service.

You'll often find good, inexpensive food by getting away from the tourist restaurants and dining with the locals. Even in big tourist cities, you can get away from the crowds and try a local favorite by heading away from the tourist sites. In Rome, we had a good and very inexpensive meal at Antica Osteria da Giovanni in an area between Trastevere and Vatican City. The house wine was a good DOC wine from Lazio at 2 euro for a half liter. Read my review of Antica Osteria da Giovanni.

Dining in Italy: Eating Out in Italy | Italy Restaurant Recommendations