On the last day of my vacation in Italy, I found the Holy Grail of Italian food in the small town…read moreof Sulmona about an hour outside of Rome. (Same place George Clooney filmed 'The American'). If you can find this place you are in for a treat. I was in Italy for nearly 3 weeks and this restaurant had THE BEST food in Italy. The service and food was amazing. Huge trays of family style dining... the food just kept coming and coming... I was in awe and kicking myself for not finding this place sooner. You have to see the photos to see the high quality of the food, the quantity and the amazing presentation... and even then, the photos don't do it justice. If it's possible, this is a MUST if you are in the Rome area. Here's the link to the website, available in English and Italian... http://www.postapacentrana.it/english/index.asp

One of the best restaurants in lovely Pacentro! Great location for people watching. The olive oil…read morethey give with the bread is the best ! Carlo is a fantastic waiter - personable, friendly, cheerful. Dennis the chef is also great! He spoke with us and talked about his passion for food and running a restaurant. The food is excellent. Do visit. We ate here a few times during our weeklong visit

The staff were pleasant, efficient and attentive. The food was delicious and of the highest…read morequality! Lovely restaurant. Highly recommend.

Clemente is a real Sulmona institution, and I called to make reservations even before we got into…read moretown. Its a Michelin-noted, white tablecloth place with impeccable but cordial service, and a great menu. It's also very popular with locals, many of whom were in evidence, ordering their "usual" dishes. The portions are decently generous, and one of ours came with unexpected bonuses. The quality of the food was always high, and the execution ranged from "good" to "very good". Unfortunately their signature farfalle dish was the one that impressed the least; other dishes we had were more characterful. Great wine list with lots of Local, Italian and some international choices. This is a real Sulmona experience, and worth considering if you'll be in town.

Lovely Pastas, fish, lamb, cheeses...Outstanding service! A/C, but only open for lunch…read more Reasonably priced.

Gino's is only open for lunch from 1230! Prices start from €10! We had the beef and Turkey…read morecarpaccio for starters, then chicken and a lamb casserole with a side of fried vegetables! Our mains were on the small side but totally delicious! We had a bottle of red for €12 and the bill came to €67! I would recommend Gino's! Although a lot more expensive than we would usually go for as flash packers but as our Italian trip is nearing an end we thought we'd spoil ourselves! Really hard not to go back today!! The service is outstanding and it has a great atmosphere!!

Before we attended the annual Corsa degli Zingari, (Race of the Gypsies), that is celebrated every…read moreyear. It has become a coming of age ritual for the young men of Pacentro. We had lunch at Taverna de li Caldera a party of 10. This restaurant located in Pacentro, Italy a town in the mountains over Sulmona is a gem in Abruzzo, housed in the fundago of a noble palace in the beautiful historic center of Pacentro with a spectacular view of the Peligno Valley. Entering the restaurant the entrance has various Michelin guide (although dated) reinforces the quality of this long established restaurant! Some reviews say the Service is slow or inattentive but I found this the opposite. Our Server was attentive and I liked that she took our orders after each entre allowing plenty of time between courses and never felt rushed. For the Antipasta, I chose Bollito di baccala in sala verde (18e) It was delicate and light and not over salty. Insalate di funghi porcini con rucola e Parmigiano (18 e) The porcini mushrooms were absolutely the freshest and so fragrant mushroom I have ever eaten!! Primi Pappardelle con funghi freschi (18 e) Pasta was so fresh and made with raw ingredients Secondi Coscio di agnello lardellato al forno (18e) This is where they lose a star as the agnello (lamb chops) were tasteless and no flavor and had a lot of fat. Very rustic Dolce Pizza dolce abuzzese (6 e)

Outstanding! We had lunch and then came back for dinner the next day. The beef carpaccio was divine…read more! Excellent selection of wines. The owner, Mr. Carmine was most attentive and helpful with suggestions. Every dish was exquisite. Svetlana our server was so very warm and friendly. The setting was spectacular. All in all a gem of a restaurant in beautiful Pacentro

Get off the highway and STOP here!! OMG! We were heading from Rome to Naples and got hungry. Not…read moreonly is this a charming town but the meal we had was one of the best!! We sat outside in a very charming alleyway and even the inside had atmosphere We had some of the best pasta and pizza!!! Do yourselves a favour and do not miss this!

The ambiance is wonderful, the service is good and the food was authentic to the region however…read morenothing wowed us. The complimentary bread was nice but not as good as what we bought in the grocery store. The appetizer was small and the sauce was just okay. The pasta course was tiny as well. The pasta was plated nicely with a bit of shredded chicken in the sauce. Arrostocini lacked flavor and the meat was cut way too small. I make lamb skewers often and I cut the pieces much bigger. It was not enough to call it a main course.

We had dinner at Buonvento. An interesting and quirky place with great food and real character,…read moreright off the Corso Ovidio, the main street that runs through the old town center. Friendly and helpful wait staff, good menu choices and a great winelist featuring both local, Italian and some international wines (they "double" as an enoteca.) We had some really good primi (two local pasta dishes, including the obligatory Chitarra) and a really succulent lamb filet. Also a very nice Cerasuolo D'Abruzzo rosato wine suggested by our waiter. All a very nice evening, and recommended.

You don't go there for the service (rough and direct to say the least - smiling isn't even an…read moreoption). You don't go there for the quiet atmosphere (quiet Italians? I don't think so!). You go there for the food, which is absolutely amazing. The owners are fishermen and as true fishermen, they only serve what they fish daily. And for bonus, they have a cook who knows how to properly prepare all that sea food. It's fresh, it melts in your mouth, it's to die for - and even if you don't like fish, you will love this fish! Tip: Don't be a tourist and ask for the menu. Just say you'll take the appetizers. You will see the waiter come regularly to your table with small plates of everything. Best way to have a taste of about 15 different seasonal sea dishes, warm and cold. And if you're still hungry after that, try some pasta - absolutely delicious. And if you're still hungry after, have some grilled shrimps or calamari. And if you're still hungry after that, I'm sure you can have some dessert, though we didn't make it that far... Bonus point: The house wine is bottled Zaccagnini.