This is Italy’s most popular roadside restaurant

Driving all over Italy is certainly no hardship. Even when speeding along the motorway, every pit stop at a roadside restaurant comes with a barista who prepares the most delicious caffè. Because Italians drink good coffee everywhere. Whether that’s on a picturesque little square or by the motorway. And there is one roadside restaurant where people always stop: Autogrill. Why, and what should you especially order there? Our friends at Italiamo let us in on the secret, and we’re happy to pass it on.

Autogrill is Italy’s most beloved enemy. Among national and international road users, the image has emerged that Autogrill is a place where you can eat well. Where you can get a delicious, steaming plate of pasta. Unfortunately, that often turns out not to be entirely true. Even so, Autogrill is a piece of cultural heritage that Italians are quite proud of.

A brief history of Autogrill

These roadside restaurants were established after the Second World War by three well-known food and grocery traders: Pavesi, Motta and Alemagna, all three known for distributing biscuits and panettone, among other things. Or rather, established… all three were saved from bankruptcy on the condition that they joined forces and started Autogrill together.

And so it was done. And it worked extremely well, because there was always a public. In the past, stopping at an Autogrill roadside restaurant even had a romantic touch, because you could genuinely eat well there. There were chandeliers, white chef’s jackets and a cocktail bar (handy while travelling).

Amsterdam wine bar Oocker named ‘Wine Bar of the Year’

As is the case with many things, that first impression of Autogrill certainly stuck—or perhaps parents passed its good reputation on to their children, suggests Italiamo’s Minne, who has now lived and worked in Florence for years. ‘Every time I’m in the car with an Italian and we have to stop somewhere, they enthusiastically suggest that we go to an Autogrill.’

Coffee and breakfast rolls

At every location, coffee and breakfast rolls are the things you can eat and drink well. They serve them day and night. Beyond that, it varies somewhat depending on which Autogrill you encounter. But the menu choices that have earned a good reputation after extensive research include the tagliere, a small platter of different cured meats and sometimes cheese; contorni, in other words hot vegetable dishes; meat with potatoes; fruit salads; and sandwiches.

Minne came across few complimentary reviews of the pasta and pizza during her search. For those, you really do need to leave the motorway for a moment. A small detour often leads to wonderful places where you can be served the most delicious pasta for next to nothing. And don’t forget: don’t judge a book by its cover. A restaurant’s appearance often says nothing about what you can expect inside.

Also read:

• Let’s go: there’s a fountain in Italy flowing with free red wine
• This pizzeria in Italy has a sushipizza on the menu
• Fill the glasses: tasting wine makes you smarter