Summer in Italy
- Vinita Bennett
- Aug 24
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 28
Last summer, we traded the summer heat in Arizona for a heatwave in Italy. It wasn't what we expected, but we couldn't complain since the first part of our trip was spent enjoying the perfect weather in Switzerland. We returned to Milan for a few weeks to reminisce about where we lived a decade ago. Everything was pretty much the same. Milan remains my favorite spot for fashion and shopping, and I personally prefer shopping there over Paris if I had to choose between the two cities. We revisited all the restaurants we used to frequent, like visiting old friends. However, we also tried a new restaurant called Gloria, which was absolutely amazing, both in terms of its vibe and food.
Here are some of my favorite cafes and restaurants in Milan:
Pasticceria Marchesi (two locations: one at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, my favorite, and the second on Via Santa Maria alla Porta)
Giacomo Caffe
Pasticceria Sissi
Cavoli A Merenda
Trattoria La Cantinetta
Gloria
DeRos Restaurant
Sugo
Trattoria Trippa
After Milan, we intended to spend more time in Florence since our previous visit was just a night before heading to the Chianti region for the wine. However, we wanted to explore Florence more deeply. Unfortunately, we faced a severe heatwave towards the end of July, and it was extremely crowded. It was still 100 degrees in the evening with lots of people, so we didn't quite enjoy our time in Florence. We tried to make the most of it with good food and drinks, but it was difficult, so we cut the trip short and returned to Milan, our preferred city in Italy.
Here are our favorite restaurants in Florence:
Locale
Cibreo Caffe
Osteria Dell’Enoteca
Ristorante Nugolo
Il Santino
Retrobottega
Trattoria Cammillo
Trattoria Giovanni
We don't plan to return to the northern or central parts of Italy as we've already explored those regions. We are considering visiting the southern part of Italy, specifically Sicily, while excluding Rome. We’ve developed a fondness for Sicilian wine during our previous time there, which makes it a great reason to explore more of Southern Italy. However, the world is vast, and there’s so much more to discover beyond Europe. I’m excited to find our next travel destination, likely somewhere with a fascinating ancient history. On a personal note, I have a dream to join a National Geographic expedition to Antarctica, and I’m determined to make that happen someday. But first, this fall, I’m drawn to Bangkok, Thailand, where I was born. I can’t wait to explore the emerging 1-3 star Michelin restaurants!