A comprehensive and discerningly compiled guide to the food, wines and local bakeries, olive oil distilleries, ice cream parlours, cheeses, markets, restaurants and above all the best kept secrets of Italy's culinary world. There are lovingly drawn portraits of the people who make the food, often told with wry humour or the odd caustic edge.
Added to this is a smattering of history to make each of the villages, towns and cities come alive for the traveller, allowing them to make the most of Italy, be it just a weekend visit or a longer break.
Maps allow and encourage the intrepid traveller to head off the beaten track as well as guiding them back to old haunts, and evocative black and white photographs bring to life this vastly readable guide.