Trattoria del Nuovo Macello

Far from the city center, this cozy trattoria focused on Northern Italian food is a good destination for gourmets who want to be surrounded by locals instead of other visitors. Located in a residential area east of the city (about a 20-minute taxi ride from the Bulgari, Armani and Mandarin Oriental hotels), Nuovo Macello looks like an old-fashioned place, with dark-wood bistro chairs, white table cloths and cheerful wallpaper, but the dishes are elevated, innovative and beautifully presented (banish all thoughts of heaping plates of pasta). It's the kind of place that lists its suppliers with pride ("Veal meat: Rissa Emanuele Giuseppe, our historical supplier since 1970") and whose friendly staff can expertly pair wines with the well-focused menu.