“The Trip to Italy”: Italian cuisine as seen by the British

The two Britons’ journey through Italy begins in the vineyards of the Langhe, in Monforte d’Alba, one of the municipalities that produces Barolo DOC, the Piedmont red wine that is among the most famous and highly appreciated in the world. Also in the Barolo region, nestled among wineries and castles, there is a unique little sacred building: the Barolo Chapel, decorated by Sol LeWitt and David Tremlett. They may not have made it there in the film, but you can – it’s just a 15-minute drive from Monforte d’Alba to La Morra.

The menu features tajarin (long, thin fresh egg pasta, a Piedmontese speciality) with meat ragù, quail and roast rabbit wrapped in bacon, all accompanied, of course, by the finest local wine, Barolo. Not to be missed is bagna cauda, a local gastronomic speciality made with anchovies, oil and garlic, which is used as a dip for raw vegetables.

These are strong flavours for strong palates, which Steve and Rob seem to really appreciate.

We are in Camogli, a fishing village on the Riviera di Levante in Liguria. It’s springtime and there’s a delicate scent in the air – a mixture of wisteria, rain and wild fennel. The sun is setting and two friends are sitting at a table on a hotel terrace.

This is how The Trip to Italy begins, and what ensues is part journey of discovery, part challenge: 6 stops, 6 lunches to get to know Italian cuisine. In the restaurant in Camogli, overlooking the sea, Steve and Rob try the pasta with fresh, homemade pesto. Oil, basil, garlic, parmesan and pine nuts, in this case.

After stopping in Genoa to visit Villa Saluzzo Bombrini, an 18th-century palazzo with a plaque commemorating Lord Byron, who lived there in 1822, the two friends return to the Riviera: a dinner awaits them in the charming fishing village of San Fruttuoso, next to the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, which can only be reached by sea or on foot, along some scenic paths from Portofino. It’s not a particularly strenuous walk, but the two friends are clearly not used to it, as they arrive at the table exhausted. But the food, featuring a mixed fried seafood platter that goes down very well, along with the stunning views, make up for all their exertions. “I arrived here just knackered,” says Steve Coogan in the film, “and then we sat down and started eating, and drinking nice wine, and I thought this is quite nice. I slowly slid into it.”

Prima di lasciare la Liguria i due amici attraversano in barca l’ampia insenatura davanti a La Spezia nota anche come golfo dei Poeti. L’appellativo si deve a Sem Benelli, commediografo toscano autore fra l’altro de “La cena delle beffe” del 1909. E in effetti questo luogo aveva ammaliato Percy e Mary Shelley, George Sand, lo stesso lord Byron, e prima di loro Giacomo Casanova e Dante Alighieri. 

Proseguendo verso sud, attraverso le colline della Toscana, Steve e Rob fanno tappa a Pisa, per poi raggiungere Casole d’Elsa dove alloggiano in un elegante relais (oggi non più attivo) ospitato in un castello medievale. Qui il menù è più insolito, perché anziché proporre i classici piatti della cucina toscana, come la fiorentina o la zuppa ribollita (verdure, cavolo nero e pane), ai due vengono proposti degli ottimi ravioli ripieni di aragosta, specialità dello chef. Brydon commenta: “Da ragazzo detestavo gli italiani più di ogni altra cosa, ora non più. Posso averne ancora?”

Visitando la Val d’Elsa è d’obbligo una sosta a San Gimignano, splendida cittadina di origine medievale molto ben conservata, celebre per le sue alte torri.

Their first impression of Rome is not the best: after the picturesque but semi-deserted roads of Val d’Orcia, the traffic in the capital seems even more chaotic to the two Britons. Despite the endless historical, artistic and gastronomic possibilities, Steve and Rob’s stay in Rome is brief – just long enough to visit the Pincio and the Non-Catholic Cemetery, where Percy Shelley is buried, and to take a stroll down Via Margutta, where Gregory Peck stayed in the film Roman Holiday (1953). Via Margutta connects Piazza del Popolo to Piazza di Spagna, home to the famous Spanish Steps that lead up to the Trinità dei Monti church.

That said, their lunch in Rome is one of the most lavish, courtesy of German chef Oliver Glowig, who had two Michelin stars at the time. The two friends enjoy spaghetti with oysters and cauliflower, followed by veal fillet with peanuts and snails flavoured with mint. While we don’t doubt the high quality, we would have liked them to try (and talk about) traditional Roman cuisine – carbonara, gricia or cacio e pepe, for example. 

Following the typical itinerary of the classic Grand Tour – the voyage of discovery and education in classical culture that was a rite of passage for young aristocrats throughout Europe in the 18th century, and tended to include Venice, Rome, Florence and Magna Graecia – the two friends arrive in Campania for their last two Italian lunches in Amalfi and Capri. Naples is just a stone’s throw away and it would be crazy not to visit it, but once again time is tight and Steve and Rob decide to make just one visit, to the Fontanelle Cemetery. Closed to the public during the pandemic and not yet reopened, it bears witness to the fascinating and complex relationship that Naples has with death, as do the nearby Catacombs of San Gennaro, which are open to visitors.

After a quick visit to Pompeii, the two friends arrive on the Amalfi Coast. The fifth of the six planned lunches awaits them in Ravello, in a spectacular location, Villa Cimbrone, one of the most prestigious hotels in the Mediterranean, run by the Vuilleumier family for four generations. Here, in keeping with their penchant for scenic spots with sea views, they are greeted by the Infinity Terrace, a natural balcony offering spectacular views of Amalfi and the gulf below. After a feast for the eyes, it’s time for a feast for the palate: Mediterranean flavours and traditional dishes take centre stage and can now be sampled in the two restaurants on site. 

Steve and Rob then return to Naples to take the ferry to their last stop, the island of Capri, where their final, memorable lunch awaits them at a seafood-only restaurant a stone’s throw from the Blue Grotto. Raw seafood – sea urchins, scallops, squid and bonito – dominates the menu, followed by linguine with prawns and courgettes and paccheri with anchovies, accompanied by Furore, a white wine from the Amalfi Coast. To end the meal, there are the obligatory rum babas.
The trip to Italy is over. “Now what?” Rob asks his friend as the latter dives into the water. “Now we’re happy,” replies Steve.