I got RIPPED Off so many times in ITALY! Here's why.

[@HamelinSong]

I'm from Florence and I work in tourism. The amount of times I had to tell people that Osteria Pastella is kind of a tourist-trap is incredible 😂 They go very hard with internet Ads, their SEO must really be top-notch.

[@YourEmperorStef]

I hate this kind of places as well entirely because of the pisspoor terrace that they have at the front. It looks ugly, confined and absolutely awful. Definately to avoid that place.

[@carloscalderon3840]

Hi, do you have any restaurants the you recommend as a local? I always like to avoid tourist traps as much as possible lol

[@coolst0rybruh]

@@carloscalderon3840 best food i had in firenze was I'Tuscani 2. the meat was phenomenal and the service top notch. A bit expensive but honestly it was one of the best steaks i ever had in my life. And don't forget to order the pork sausages.

[@aragmarverilian8238]

Do you know of angry tourists suing tourist trap restaurants?

[@joshuaprobst5380]

@@aragmarverilian8238 A tourist suing in a foreign country over a meal? The amount of time / money that would take is not even close to worth it. The people have to police these things.

[@robdielemans9189]

My tip for Florence is, if you're in the touristy area, cross one of the bridges and keep walking until the menus with pictures on them disappear, then it's fairly safe starting from that line.

[@z-rossi3672]

I had so many good meals in Florence had to go to back to a place we found on the first night and they ended up having real good steak

[@ludwigfeuerbach]

That is the best strategy. I have been to Italy far many more days that I can count, and I have had precisely one bad meal.

[@Berto2K]

Thank you for your sacrifices Guga.

[@videostash413]

yeah poor baby got to vacation in Italy

[@alieffauzanrizky7202]

​@@videostash413 and getting ripped off $200 for a mediocre meal.

[@Asdasty]

3:39 Notice how the "A5" is in quotations.

[@joeterra.t]

@@Asdasty Works on contingency(?) No (,) money down(!)

[@LiefLayer]

Well, it is Guga's "fault" (I think the fault is always on those that try to rip off people, but for what I understand Guga knows how to avoid most traps but just makes video about them), in Italy we don't sell Japanease steaks (there is almost no way to find any kind of wagyu). The traditional way to eat meat in italy is not even steaks (bistecca alla Fiorentina is almost an exception). If you want to eat meat: 1. In Piedmont eat Bollito alla Piemontese (boiled meat) super tender amazing meat with 7 traditional sauces. Or Fritto misto alla Piemontese (fried meat + some sweet things). In both you will find a lot of cuts that are not common like tongue, head and brain. And also raw meat... Remember that Fassona (the traditional beef in Piedmont) is really lean but got really fine muscle fibers so the tender cuts need to be cooked very little (and it is the only meat that is not rubbery when raw). The boiled cuts have much more connective tissue so they are much softer and good when cooked for a long time (and the traditional fatty ox is amazing). 2. In Milan eat ossobuco (shank shallow fried in a pan with flour and cooked in brooth) or cotoletta alla milanese (loin fried with breadcrumbs) 3. In Florence the best thing is actually lampredotto. 4. In Emilia Romagna there are a lot of amazing cold cuts like Mortadella and Prosciutto Crudo di Parma. and basically anywhere in Italy (except for Piedmont) the best meat to eat is pork, not beef, not chicken. Also you can see in the video a few things that are wrong. There's nothing wrong with places that show someone making the pasta on the front (and I've been to one place like that that made great, cheap fresh pasta) but obviously you have to look at the price before you go in. Coperto is almost always there (it is not tipping since it cover the bread and it is a fixed amount that you will know in advance) it will not be there in pizzeria (since usually there is no bread) and some other places where you usually do not get table service (even if you can seat and eat)... but 3€ is a lot (it is usually 2€ or less). Tortelli with spinach and ricotta are traditional and there is really nothing wrong with them. Spinach and ricotta is a great combo. The counters that display meat in Italy are by law steel counters, with protective glass and refrigerated so there was probably nothing wrong in that part of the video either. Bottom line: 1. Make sure you order traditional dishes from the region you are in 2. Check the prices of a restaurant before going in (and maybe also check if the portions are decent). €10 for a first course is ok (if the pasta dish is fresh), €15 is too much (unless there is truffle on top), €1-2 is the classic charge for "coperto" and it should include bread. 3. Don't assume that health rules are not respected just because it is different from the USA. Here in Italy we are much more strict about respecting health rules when it comes to food than anywhere else in the world. 4. Do not order cheese wheel pasta that's not traditional, not something anybody does and clearly a turist trap.

[@ahha6304]

A5 = eh eh eh eh eh

[@joeterra.t]

@@LiefLayer Jeez, no wonder Italy's unemployment is so high with walls of comments like that.

[@LiefLayer]

@@joeterra.t I always write a lot. If you don't want to read just do not read (unemployment in Italy is higher than in US because there are rules, a contract with paid holidays (+ days like Christmas and new year that are paid by default) + paid sick leave + some protections against lay off). Also enjoy Trump since you Americans like it.

[@marcomorelli3862]

Coperto is normal in Italy, you have paid it in every restaurant with service at the table, it's the fee for being service and cleaning. To be noted, we do not tip and you are not expected to

[@Kokkikoulussa]

If you have a very good Service, TIP - You are not in Japan - If there is Service Charge added, then tip only, if THE SERVICE itself was exeptional service according to yourself - There are great Individuals a log the Way to be granted...

[@primalinea682]

@@Kokkikoulussa You may not be in Japan but you are in Italy, tipping is also not common at all here, since everything is already paid for including everybody working (arguably). The only times you leave a tip is as a "thank you" to the waiters for the quality of the service.

[@cody0126a]

So it’s basically a tip just without saying the word tip.

[@cody0126a]

@@primalinea682that’s exactly what a tip in America is. It’s not mandatory. It’s based on how well you think your server did. A typical tip is 15%. If they didn’t do a good job then no tip. If they really did well and your feeling generous them by all means tip more. It’s totally optional.

[@reddinareddika3624]

​@@cody0126aa tip of 2 euros on a meal that is an average of 50 euros per person? Are you sure that is a tip? Is acceptable for your culture to give 2 euros to the waiter after you spent 50 euros on food? In Italy it's called coperto cause you pay a small fee for napkins, tablecloths, plates and cutleries, not because you are supposed to give money to the waiter. The waiter is ideally already paid a living wage

[@YellowCable]

You need to get some locals to advise you on where to go in Italy. Avoid the shiny places and look for alleys outside of city centers, away from the touristic plazas and monuments. Ask around where you can eat well at a reasonable price, we will help you out

[@1flash3571]

Kinda interesting how a Touresty Places serve one of the worst foods.....You would think that they would at least serve the Good to Great food, albeit at higher prices...

[@sixdroid]

@@1flash3571 everyone knows that if you go where there are tourists is like that and in every country is like that

[@andreapetribhhf8585]

@@1flash3571 many of those places are owned by foreigners and people who cant cook, but they stay in business because they have a good location that attracts a lot of tourists. I cant express how much i hate this kind of places because they shine a bad light on all of the italian cousine and scare off potential tourists from returning in italy. (before anybody thinks it, i dont have anything against foreigners owning restaurants but dont make it pass as an original italian restaurant if you cant cook italian dishes!)

[@lufiuri6786]

​@@1flash3571 think of it like this: spots in front or near big monuments costs a lot. And I mean A LOT, that's because of location and visibility. Who can afford places that costs a ton of money? Big investors. People that usually do anything in life but cook. Those people with no experience in cooking or managing a restaurant create some flashy bullshit like "cooking the pasta into the cheese wheel" and then live just by the sheer number of people passing by. If you want to eat good you'll need to find a more secluded location run by people that can do their job but sadly don't have the money to open a restaurant in more costly places

[@QSABDO]

​​@@1flash3571 Yeah I'm Italian and it makes me mad to hear all of these stories, I also fell in some tourist trap before. It's crazy how many there are. It gives us such a bad image. Imagine your whole life you get convinced Italy has one of the best cuisines and then you go in a tourist trap and base your judgement on that...

[@Sbinott0]

8:07 all the restaurants in italy make you pay “coperto”, and 2 € per person is very reasonable. That is to cover bread, breadsticks and other stuff, it’s a traditional fee from hundreds of years ago. That said, the restaurant is a tourist trap, if you see a restaurant on tiktok don’t go, if there’s no locals don’t go, and if they make a show don’t go too

[@gabiblack]

Also because in italy there is no tipping

[@Sbinott0]

@ it has nothings to do with tipping, it’s just a tradition that stuck through the years, none of that money goes to the waiters

[@1flash3571]

@@Sbinott0 And the customers don't have a choice when it comes to your table, right? If you don't eat, do you still pay that 2 Euros?

[@karasekjh]

If there are a lot of locals office people on their lunch break: IN, IN ,IN, IN!!!

[@alchemydragonrevenge]

@@karasekjh I mean it depends, sometimes maybe it's just a cheap place with ok food. Depends on what you're looking for. When I was on lunch break I was eating at a nearby bar with my collegues. Nothing special, the place was full of locals, the food was ok and tre price was low that's why we all were there.

[@PureVatn]

Here's the thing, after seeing you in Portugal, altought i thought you generally had a nice experience, I saw you falling tourist trap after tourist trap, so I'm sure italy it's even harder to dodge them. There really needs to be a deep research before going to tourist filled cities.

[@narvul]

It's his way to make videos.

[@marcofumi7430]

it ain't that hard, just go where locals are eating and you're going to be fine

[@giuseppeferri3817]

I am Italian and I live in a very touristic city like Bologna, I am starting to believe that he goes to touristic restaurants just to make some youtube contents. He makes very little effort to find places where he can eat proper food. He also struggle to understand that the Italian meats are not only steaks.

[@ClaudioINDASTRIA]

As Italian i had very hard time to avoid tourist traps in Lisbon. I don't think it's that hard in italy (excluding Roma and Venezia maybe) but he's just uneducated and choose bad restaurant to make engagement and contents

[@giuseppeferri3817]

@@ClaudioINDASTRIA it is very hard even in Florence and Verona, and in several small towns that have huge numbers of foreign tourists (like Alberobello probably). I can see that this process is growing also in my city, Bologna, a place where tourism wasn't so much developed until 10 years ago. Now if you walk around the central area around the "due torri" and "neptune fountain" the most of the restaurants are touristic and, of course, it is also the area where the tourists spend the most of their time when they come here.

[@NeonViper00]

These are the reasons why we always ask locals where to eat people.

[@hk0444]

Asking Italians where to eat people might lead you to some strange old WW2 furnaces.

[@RavenNMonster]

You eat people?

[@Amir_Rrahmani]

Funny 😂 he didn't mean it like that 😂😂​@@RavenNMonster

[@RavenNMonster]

@@Amir_Rrahmani commas are important

[@karasekjh]

😀

[@tcgtpl]

This video is a great example of why you should do your due diligence research before you travel to find restaurants worth visiting. If you go in blind, don’t be surprised that you get blindsided by ripoffs.

[@pb6270]

Also of why there are too many tourists who should have stayed home

[@z-rossi3672]

Nah you can do it on the fly, you just need common travel sense... pasta in a cheese wheel though, thats just stupid, thats gold leaf salt bae steak stupid

[@second9320]

Tortelloni with spinach being a 0/10 is a crime

[@LiefLayer]

I agree. Spinach and ricotta is a great combination.

[@yannik9730]

I don't understand why he ordered something he hates

[@sixdroid]

@@yannik9730 to do this video

[@asepsisaficionado7376]

@@yannik9730 Sometimes, it's hard to tell if the food was legitimately bad or if Guga just has terrible tastes.

[@lorischiavone8807]

@@asepsisaficionado7376for sure he should start to tone down the way he seasons his discese, his taste buds are all messed up by the amount of salt and heavy seasoning that he always uses! He has a very American style type of taste buds…he became incapable to taste and appreciate simple good fresh ingredients!!

[@TheHonestFoodTeller]

You comment about a cover charge, but in US you will be glad to pay $45 tip on top of $167 meal 😆

[@ClipeiDasLives]

Tip is not mandatory.

[@TheHonestFoodTeller]

@@ClipeiDasLives BS. Try to not leave a tip in US and the whole restaurant will be over your head in 2 minutes!

[@JG-zo2lu]

In the US we can afford it 😂

[@ClipeiDasLives]

@@TheHonestFoodTeller If you care about what ppl say to you, it is your problem, not theirs. And I'm not even american. You can just deny it 😬

[@CorporalGrievous93]

If you don’t tip in the US, don’t go out. It’s that simple.

[@Total2Gamerz]

To experience italian food you either have a local tell you where to go (most likely in a trattoria in the middle of nowhere) or you buy good quality ingredients and make it yourself. i ve fallen for tourists traps myself and i m italian. edit: btw the service charge, or "coperto" is a completely normal thing to have to pay in most places , it usually goes from 1 to 3 euros per person, tho to pay 3 euros it must be either a tourist trap or a really fancy and expansive place like a famous chef's restaurant or something

[@sixdroid]

yes tell him to go to some trattoria

[@redford4ever]

Dude those displays °are° refrigerated....

[@valvenator]

Plus he's complaining the guy came out of the bathroom and went straight to work without washing his hands. I guess he never heard of bathroom sinks. One more thing, you'll see meats hanging at markets in open air. The air in Italy is less humid and therefore less chance of spoilage.

[@chiefbosnmate]

Guga! luv your honesty i'm glad you spoke your mind and taste buds this is why i trust you a longtime viewer subscriber and owner of all your products ,

[@desart905]

I lived in Italy for a year and I can assure you all that it’s very easy to fall on tourist traps. For that reason, if you’re traveling to Italy and you want to have the best experience, try learning some Italian. Italians in general are very warm and receptive people IF you take time and effort to speak the bare minimum of their language. Here’s some advice for you guys not to fall on tourist traps. But please understand one thing; if you are going out for fine dining, very expensive places, michelin star restaurants, 50 best etc, you will get some of the best food of your life and I would not consider it a tourist trap. The advice listed below refers to your day-to-day restaurants and in-general food establishments 1- Always ask a local, it could be your guide (although some are not very honest with tourists), but preferably ask someone at the inn, hostel or hotel you’re staying and make it very clear you’re looking for an authentic place. Ask them for places that they usually go, whether it’s for dates, fine dining, casual dining or night outs. They’ll give you the best advice. 2- Italians don’t like to mix with foreigners at all, especially Americans. For that reason authentic restaurants will rarely make an effort to receive tourists. 3- Avoid places that serve Italian dishes from multiple regions. Authentic Italian places usually only serve dishes from the region they are established at. Also, it´s fairly common for people to say "Went to Milan and their pizza was terrible". Yes, if you're not eating at a place that is especialized in pizza, it is probably not going to be good. Food in italy is very segregated, so don´t expect to eat good food from Lombardia in Campania, cause it is not going to happen. 3- If you’re in a major city and you’re trying to find local, authentic and traditional food searching on google and yelp reviews in English, forget it, you’re gonna fall into tourist traps. Always make your searches in Italian and use google translator on the webpages. The restaurants that take time to promote themselves in English are most likely to be tourist traps. 4- If the menu is completely in English or has an English version, you probably already fell in a tourist trap. 5- If the staff speaks perfect English, you probably fell into a tourist trap. 6- If you’re at a place with stellar costumer service, especially if it is similar or even better than American and Canadian standards, you’re also probably in a tourist trap. 7- Although it seems counterintuitive, since people usually associate pasta with easy to eat meals, authentic italian pasta recipes are not what some palates are used to. Usually people think about pasta with super creamy, rich, consistent and dense sauces, almost like a bechamel sauce. Real Italian pasta recipes are far from that. Pasta is made in several manners, and most of them require very few ingredients and has only sufficient sauce to coat the pasta. When looking at something an American refers as Chicken Alfredo, an Italian would probably find it inedible for being to fatty, too rich, too dense and for having a volume of sauce that makes it similar to a soup for them. 8- Avoid places known for gimmicks, like restaurants that put someone on display making fresh pasta or a place that sells pasta made on cheese wheels. Pasta made on cheese wheels is a somewhat recent trend that got hyped on social media, but it´s not common or traditional in italian cuisine. As for fresh pasta, please understand that IT IS NOT BETTER than dry pasta, it is not an exclusive delicacy to be searched for during your trip. If you are looking at a restaurant that promotes itself for making fresh pasta, it most definetely is a tourist trap. Fresh pasta is a type of pasta to be eaten with certain dishes, due to its consistency and overall richness due to usage of eggs into the mix. The vast majority of pasta dishes you are all looking for in Italy (for instance, carbonara) IS MADE WITH DRY PASTA.

[@acepparo]

never put parmigiano on fish.. don't drink coke with good food.. order local products not Japanese beef... order vegetable when in season, hence tomatoes only in the summer :)

[@MadcapShambleton]

This!!

[@trayel83]

Doesn't matter if it's local. Don't charge a premium price if you can't cook it properly. Wagu or not doesn't look like they can cook a steak.

[@michaelcarey299]

Yes I thought that Coke will get them off side straight up! They didn't know he is a food expert and the Coke is not a good clue.

[@Bradamante68]

@@michaelcarey299this! A coke is never drank with lunch in Italy. The only exception is often chosen while eating s pizza (other option with pizza is beer).

[@Bradamante68]

The meat is displayed in banco frigo, which is a refrigerated display… in Italy we have the mist strict regulations about food.

[@thirstyforvino]

I hope the next episode shows Guga favorite meals in Italy!!! 😋😋😋

[@Philbrey]

Every country I have ever been to had tourist traps. Always ask the locals where they prefer to go and stay away from the flashy, expensive places.

[@alchemydragonrevenge]

Depends on what you're looking for. Are you looking just to eat something? Then avoid all the hipster/flashy places. Usually they have below average food with high prices. Are you looking for a nice place to have a romantic dinner with your wife? You're gonna have to search for a fancy place and you'll most likely spend a lot. From what I've seen, all my life here in Italy, the fancy places are correctly represented on Trip Advisor / Google while the "just eat something good and cheap" places are not because usually they are managed by old people that don't even know what a website is.

[@zwete]

There's definitely expensive places in European cities that are worth it and serve top food, but they usually require a reservation.

[@TheCaryz]

i can not think of any tourist trap restaurant for example in hamburg. There is simply none. There are "bad" places at some public main places but i dont consider them tourist traps. Anyone is free to tell me a restaurant in hamburg which is like a real tourist trap

[@alchemydragonrevenge]

@@TheCaryz the more tourists the more tourists traps. When I went to Indonesia Bali was full of tourist traps, java and Flores were not but that's because most of the tourists go to Bali

[@rebeccajones6269]

I love the honesty ! I wonder if Guga shared of his insightful feedback with any of the restaurants , and how they responded !

[@lifeisgrapeintuscany]

I’m in Florence (since 29 years) and would never eat there! Don’t understand why social media has everyone going to the same mediocre restaurant and sandwich shop…

[@sebastianleloir6956]

Sono tutti fissati con l'antico vinaio e porco brado. Il panino bono lo trovi anche alla coop di un paesino in provincia di Firenze.

[@Blumoonsikraver]

Im glad i watch every video! Ur the best Guga, taking one for the team!!! G.O.A.T.

[@p0rci]

Next time you go to Italy, look at the slow food restaurant guide, to avoid those rip off restaurants for tourists.

[@LynetteBunBun]

This is a great example of things that can happen when you are vacationing elsewhere. I always recommend to people to ask the locals where the good food is at. They always know, and most will be friendly about it.

[@SDMTB14]

After visiting Italy a few times and talking to people that are not italians but have lived there Ive come to the conclusion that people from this side of the world are used to ultra palatable foods and over there they cook "more natural" less seasoned/savory. So when we visit we often find food to taste Ok at best.

[@nicolettastrada5976]

Bravo

[@MrJamHH]

well in the US they charge you minimum 10% service charge and then the City tax ... in Italy, Uruguay etc its called Couvert

[@HerrBrutal-bl2fk]

It's called coperto in Italian. Most restaurants will charge you for it. Annoying at first to many visitors, but it's a part of Italian restaurant culture you will have to accept.

[@1flash3571]

At least the service charge goes to the waiters, and the wait staff....

[@alexanderwesterstahl]

@@1flash3571 In most countries, wait staff gets paid like any other worker.

[@cody0126a]

@@alexanderwesterstahl in America you get paid based on performance. That’s why customer service is much better and the waiters are more attentive in America.

[@arthena2130]

The first warning I got when I got to Italy was avoiding ristorante. They are usually tourist traps. The girl we were renting the apartment from was very vocal about that tips, and we never went to one and stayed to the restaurants with traditionelle or something like that in their name. This was in Rome, but seems like she was correct.

[@GEKKO_Archery]

Food in Italy CAN be great! This summer I did a little Experiment by myself. Within a week I bought 3 Bistecci Fiorentina from different sources, each between 1.6 and 1.8kg. I cooked them sous vide and finished them on a powerful gas Grill (which was available at my accommodation). Judges were an Italian Nonna, her son, and myself. #1 was from Falorni, mybe the best butcher in Tuscany, 36€/kg. #2 was from a local butcher in Castellina in Chianti, 40€/kg. #3 was from Coop, a local supermarket, 20€/kg Results: #1 was best (by small margin), #3 came in a little behind, 2# was worst (but still a very enjoyable steak) Next time I go to Tuscany I'll by my steaks at the supermarket...

[@MadcapShambleton]

I love the coop! (pronounced somewhere between "cop" and "cope") There's quite a large one in Empoli if you know the area.

[@saltyhaggis]

Best way to find a good ristorante is to see what place is full of Italians AFTER 8pm. They eat late and they know where to eat. Stay away from the big squares and, in Florence especially, cross the river and get out of the centre.

[@MNaka-uf9yz]

Pasta made in front, the best tourist trap indicator in a restaurant in Italy: run away, they're usually done in a backroom and not during rush/service hours. Also... Pasta alla Ruota (Parmesan wheel), while some good restaurant can do this too it used to be very rare, it's the typical tourist trap because it became quite popular on social networks recently.

[@lucaorlandi289]

You should do also a video in Italy where you eat very well and cheap and you can trust me ,there are a loooot of places

[@jacquibradley1598]

Thank you Guga, when I first moved from England to Cyprus, I thought the Butchers were either closed or sold out as there was no meat on display!! Then my friend told me that all meat was in the back chillers, as the heat in Cyprus is too much for the meat to be out. 🤗🤗👍👍

[@youngkingyoungking1481]

Day 22 of asking guga to dry age steaks in rendang paste

[@JimmyCrohnsWanker]

He chould use the Indomie instant noodle flavours/oils. He'd need to open like 1000 packets but I reckon it would be savagely good.

[@Sharky762]

+1 for rendang

[@spmbuiltin]

Get a life

[@fadlirobbia9000]

Yoiiiii

[@DeckDogs4Life]

Let's get this in front of Guga

[@combo764]

As an italian, I am so sorry for you and the foreigners for all of these tourist traps you tried to have a lunch or dinner in. Some Italian restaurant owners are not smart, they prefer to earn a lot of money robbering tourists with average food, instead of keeping they on their side with good food without scamming.

[@medtech1a]

GUGA. Most of those places are tourist traps. As I was stationed overseas and traveled while I was there and you can tell the quality wasn’t there. I avoided my main areas and went to the restaurants that the locals went to. But saying this it’s like that everywhere. You order flounder they give you another type of white fish. 😊

[@jackieloi7281]

Guga not watched you in a while but just wanted to say you look amazing recently, you’ve slimmed down heaps. Well done and keep up the good videos 😀

[@DB-qw6xq]

I lived in Rome for 4 years in the outskirts of the city. Only Italians (and me) were seen in these restaurants, and they were delicious and much cheaper than the tourist centre!

[@giovannil8244]

Thanks for mentioning the ladies making pasta outside of restaurants thing. This nonsense exploded in the center of Rome like 2 years ago, never seen anything similar before and I’m from Rome. I’m always sorry when I see video of tourists robbed or scammed in Italy, so inform yourself before travelling and watch out for pickpockets, scammers and tourist traps.

[@FraFraFra1]

Desiring Parmiggiano on seafood pasta says it all of how much You really know about food 👎

[@cjay2]

Exactly.

[@emvatis]

Ok fair, but did you see that pasta and sauce? Was an abomination.

[@420glazeit3]

That's nothing I drank cappuccino after 12 and not only once

[@TedToob]

Guga - love your vids, personality, production, creativity, energy and deep desire to explore and share! Here's a tip - next time you go to Italy go in August for Cinghiale (Wild Boar). It's an amazing bonanza of meat of every kind - from roasts to steaks to cold cuts to sausage - all made from Italian Wild Boar. In higher end restaurants you can hand select the steak or roast and they prepare it while you imbibe in fine Tuscan Wines..... Thanks!

[@cjay2]

August? Everything's closed and all the Italians are away on vacation. Plus it's the hottest month of the year. Get your wild boar in September or June.

[@TedToob]

@@cjay2 The advantage of August is - that's when actual Italians go on vacation. You meet real italians - not tourists.

[@rick3914]

this man has 0 /10 of culinary culture !

[@commercialistacalisti]

i think so :)

[@chrisb3437]

Italian food is overrated. Go anywhere without pasty people and you'll find good food 👌🏾

[@scrappypirate2268]

I always wanted to try the cheese wheel pasta because it always looks amazing. Guga saying "it's not life changing" is good news for me because he literally uploaded a video of him eating a 30 day aged steak coated in truffles yesterday. A cheese wheel pasta dish could possibly change my life.

[@BobBuddy_]

Just make it at home, buy a piece of cheese and grate it fresh into the pasta.

[@antoniob.9396]

You seem to be a magnet for tourist traps. A little research and common sense will help you to get a much better experience.

[@asepsisaficionado7376]

I think he does it on purpose for the sake of research, and youtube views.

[@mahbuburrahman3162]

He goes without checking to make the videos

[@Samizouza]

Apparently he's blind checking for views and content.

[@trayel83]

You may have lacked some common sense when addressing Guga that way. Example. People tend to think any where they eat in Italy will give the same experience. But this video shows that's simply not true. Any fool can check Google reviews and steer away from bad restaurants. So that makes you look really ignorant to make that reply.

[@Tacotac64]

I've been in Italy as a tourist many times, in various locations : 20 or 15 years ago, it was almost impossible not to eat something good in any trattoria, and quite often local food tasted wonderful - but it has changed these last years, and I'm sadly sorry to say that it's not the case anymore - in fact, it's just like everywhere in the world when there are too many tourists

[@bcfc2947]

Hey Guga you should come to the UK and show us how to make awesome Beans on Toast.

[@hk0444]

That's the greatest comment, though Canadians also eat this.

[@1flash3571]

You need to ask a Southerners.

[@individual7922]

Beans on toast dry age steak 😅

[@SimonHume81]

Many places have a table charge, even bars. My experience in Italy is the fancier the place the worse the food is. Find a small restaurant where they cram you in, family run and tucked away, your basic trattoria. Going to villages you'll usually find great but basic food. The number of times I've been places that people raved about and not enjoyed is depressing! Avoid food festivals in Italy, full of travelling merchants who serve the same cr*p at inflated prices, you occasionally find a treat though.

[@sanbasman]

Guga, I watched your content from Spain and noticed you missed some of the country’s true meat temples! Spain is an underrated paradise for meat lovers, and with your passion for meat, you have to check these out. There are many more, but here are a few to note: Can Xurrades (Barcelona), El Capricho (León), Casa Julián de Tolosa (San Sebastián), Laia (San Sebastián), Asador Etxebarri (Bilbao), Hundred Burgers (Madrid/Valencia) and Belua (Valencia). You won’t regret it! I love u bro.

[@japassarelli]

Listen to this guy!

[@0ShadyBacon0]

I try to avoid anywhere in a touristy city centre, it will likely be overpriced. I stayed in a very quiet little village, like 5 minutes outside maranello. You might think being near the home of Ferrari that it would be touristy, thankfully it wasn't. It had 1 restaurant with traditional Modenese food, and it was absolutely fantastic and cheap considering the amount of food we got.

[@FahrREBORN]

this is so so so so so true. i'm italian, it's honestly embarassing you guys get treated like this. yeah, it's a tourist trap, and personally, i'd never even in the darkest corners of my mind dare to eat in one of these places. next time, you should really get to know someone local, someone who truly knows the place, someone who you trust to your full extent. that's the only way i'd go for it. also, we need to learn a lot from you americans in regard to meat products. you guys have the best ways to cure meat all around. cheers bro! edit: always keep an eye out for health issues, only higher standardized restaurants keep things safe, although i've worked in a lot of kitchens and you cannot escape from dirt and bacterias, trust me. it's gross, that's why i stopped working in restaurants. ah, almost forgot, look at how many actual italians are serving you, these are all foreigners which apply for the job just because we italians don't want to anymore. italian cuisine at this or lower level is all bullshit. stay away. (not trying to be racist in any way, just stating some real facts being italian). nice content bro!

[@loscemodelvillaggio7950]

stai scrivendo ad uno che mette il formaggio sul pesce.... e non dobbiamo imparare niente da una nostra sottocolonia visto che noi abbiamo insegnato a vivere agli inglesi e questi sono una loro colonia.

[@FahrREBORN]

@@loscemodelvillaggio7950 ottimo nick bro, ora però, formaggio sul pesce o no, tutto quello che ho scritto sai che è vero, fanculo che siano una colonia o no, non c'entra nulla con quello che si sta dicendo. Sulla carne dobbiamo solo abbassare il capo e imparare da loro. Trabocchi d'orgoglio e così non stai manco argomentando. Poracci i turisti che pensano di mangiare bene e mangiano stammerda che pensano sia italiana e poraccio te che non sei altro che lo scintillante emblema di sto paese di bavosi benestanti con la puzza sotto al naso verso le altre culture. Grande Guga. Uno dei pochi che descrive esattamente i ladri che siamo.

[@pietrosalvagno4307]

Hi Guga, I am from Italy (Genova) and I feel deeply sorry for your experience. This topic may be a bit controversial, but I believe tourism and overtourism are really doing some unprecedented damage to 'italian food' (which is not a thing in fact, food and recipes vary a lot from region to region and sometimes from town to town). My personal advice would be to walk as far from the touristy area as possible, and then start asking to some locals where to have food. Even though, honestly, it shouldn't be necessary and there are no excuses on how you were treated. I am ashamed.

[@videostash413]

Guga "I don't want to offend any Italians" 2 seconds later "It was a rip-off/sh*t/disaster"

[@Empiricist14]

Don't worry we are very aware a lot of restautants are shite

[@supafoob4528]

Thanks Gaga, ur so battle tested. With ur cooking

[@paglia4789]

Just don't go to turistic place is Easy you Just want content

[@CptMooney]

One thing ive learned: Find the most remote place, tucked away in a back alley where noone who doesent KNOW its there would ever go. THATS where you get the good stuff. Those guys rely on people coming back.

[@kmsxd2227]

Its honestly impressive how you managed to only eat mediocre food in italy

[@Sender76]

food in Italy is mediocre, on average. ...

[@SmackU247]

you can find good food in any country

[@davidp.3622]

@@Sender76 Yep! I'm Italian but live in Australia. Just spent 3 weeks going around Italy and the food was mediocre, even at the places recommended to me by family who have been living in Italy their whole lives. The standard of pub food in Australia is superior to the food I've been having in Italy.

[@cjay2]

You clearly don't know where to eat.

[@acularp]

@@Sender76 I heard from tourists that gelato ice cream tastes better in Amsterdam than in Italy.

[@mosconi0359]

I wouldn't be too concerned that the butcher came out of the restroom and immediately started cutting meat, so long as there is hot water and a soap dispenser in the restroom, and he actually uses it to wash his hands after using the restroom. Of course, he would need to push the door open with his foot or his elbows to keep from being tainted by those folks who don't wash up before leaving. But you're probably right, why take the chance.

[@miladzadeh]

stop ordering steaks at Italian restaurants, seafood restaurants etc. When I go to a steakhouse I don't order pasta either

[@sixdroid]

actually if you to firenze to eat fiorentina is good ask him to go there

[@bigstrawberry4552]

then they should stop selling and cooking steaks if they dont know how to do it.

[@bigthing75]

Loved the Crazy Russian Hacker clip. Safety is the number one priority.

[@desanctisapostata]

I wonder how Guga's face would look like if he saw the average butcher shop in the markets in México 😂😂😂. There's a reason most people like their steaks well done here, it's a evolutionary habit 😂

[@michiferrucci]

Hey Guga just for the records, we in Puglia actually use cheese on fish. Our main traditional dish is “riso, patate e cozze” (rice, potatoes and mussels) which comes with pecorino cheese on top. Next time don’t feel ashamed to request some cheese, it is not that weird in the south

[@IsaiahHartman]

That is not medium rare, I could hear it scream when you took a bite.

[@vonnyverse]

CRAZY RUSSIAN HACKER REFERENCE ! 4:14

[@DrPepperone]

The pasta cooked inside the parmesan wheel is a classic tourist trap, Guga. No Italian would do that: it actually seems very disrespectful towards such a delicacy. Please stop being, Gugallible and actually read the reviews: if they seem written by bots, they probably are.

[@greenblack6552]

This is not Guga's fault. Those are italian restaurants, and that makes criticizing them legit.

[@valvenator]

Gugallible 🤣 👍

[@nespolinho]

The real tourist trap is your video and its title. I think there is nothing worse then an "expert" makin video of him gettin ripped off by very obvious tourist trap, and pretend he is surprised. its astonishing how a smart guy like you that know internet so well cant check for reviews and avoid tourist trap. Unless you did that on porpouse

[@Wheelman1966]

I hate that.. Definitely feel for you Guga. When I lived in the Philippines it was the same way. They had all kinds of tourist traps. Best to go where the locals go.

[@necrogenesis1981]

For a country that claims to have the best food, they shouldn’t be allowing trash like that to exist, tourist traps should be illegal in every country.

[@hammalamiri12]

There are no laws serving bad food however there should be more regulation on restaurant menus / service charges / tips and markups around the world

[@1flash3571]

True Dat. Too many Italian Food Nazis from Italy who comes to the U.S. and trash the American Pizzas, and Pastas....Not all pasta dishes or Pizzas in Italy is Good, or Great.

[@aeromotive2]

been to italy.. i dunno but i found it all pretty average

[@JimmyCrohnsWanker]

Good luck with making tourist traps illegal lol. How the hell could you actually write and enforce such a law, how would you rate the "tourist trapness" of different locations to check if they are too tourist trappy? Also many countries want to keep tourist traps, they make it easy for visitors to do things and are a good income stream as the prices are normally higher. You can get good food in places like this, but you will overpay and some food might be a bit inauthentic. Some stuff that countries have done in terms of tourist traps are to keep them, but regulate them a lot more. E.g. in Thailand most street food sellers used to just be randomers, but nowadays you have to register for a spot. It kinda spoils it in my opinion. So yeah, you can't just make anything you don't like illegal, it doesn't work like that. And in this case it would obviously be better to regulate the vendors more strictly, rather than just banning whole towns lol. Actually wait, hold on do you know exactly what a tourist trap is?

[@alchemydragonrevenge]

Every country has tourist traps. Places with ok food and places with excellent food. The key is knowing where to go and Google/Trip Advisor aren't always a great way to check for recommendations.

[@tanyawormald9727]

Guga: "Meat should always be refrigerated." Also Guga: "I Dry Aged steak in Small Pox Virus for 1 month."

[@danieloltean2759]

U come to Italy to eat wagyu ? And lobster in same random restaurant ? 🤣🤣 guga cmon

[@sixdroid]

yeah next time say to him to go to some chinese restourants and order some good sushilol

[@MadcapShambleton]

The pasta in the wheel of Parmaggiano is an abomination, and probably far more unsafe to eat than the beef supposedly at room temperature. (Those displays are refrigerated cases.) Locals do eat at the upper floor of Mercato Centrale, most of the food stations are quite good. And for a more local and tasty experience, shop and eat on the main level, or head over to Sant'Ambrogio. It's certainly good to warn people about the tourist traps; it's unfortunate you didn't seek out anything truly authentic to enjoy just a little further afield from the centro.

[@graziellagranata5776]

…so you go to Classic tourist traps instead of asking the locals, and then complain about getting ripped and how bad Was the food… 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[@freedomfighter4990]

DAY-UM! I've never seen Guga complain so much about the food when he was in another country. Thanks for such an honest reviews.

[@nespolinho]

all but honest. the real rip off was this video and its title.

[@sourdoughhome2571]

Rick Steves suggests getting out of the popular tourist areas, and looking for a place that has a TV. That's a restaurant where locals, where "just plain folks" go and you're less likely to get ripped off.

[@joeterra.t]

And when it's time to pay the bill, where's Rick Steves? I'll tell ya, Rick Steves looking out for Rick Steves.

[@sourdoughhome2571]

@@joeterra.t That was advice on how to find an affordable and good place to eat. I don't expect Rick to pick up the tab - why should he?

[@jasonblaine23]

Guga you are one tough food critic. When you make it the best yourself is there ever better.

[@Nepkan]

Next time, come to France, there's a hidden gem in Paris that I know of called "Le petit commine" that I'm sure you're gonna like. Edit: Forgot to mention that you can get a 30% off on most dishes by reserving a table on TheFork

[@Nastafar]

My my, that place looks good. I'll have to go next time I'm visiting family in Paris. Kudos!

[@DrPepperone]

I had food poisoning there: expelled fluids from all the orifices.

[@Nepkan]

@@DrPepperone idk what you ordered but I've known this restaurant and its staff for 6-7 years and never had any issues.

[@BlessBeNice]

I know guga, he is not a bad feedbacker. He is nice. If your food, doesnt taste well. Guga gonna give honest recommend on your food. So do your best.

[@andreshaman6407]

i mean is all on you, now days you are a click away from the best restaurant that is not a tourist trap in every city in italy... i mean you could replicate this format in any country...

[@123kinged]

Why do you sound so butt hurt? People have to go to restaurants and find out that they're traps in the first place to inform others. He's also walking around and enjoying the country, it's not like everyone plans their day with where to eat first

[@greenblack6552]

First of all, you never blame the victim, and Guga is the victim here. Idk why you are going out of your way to defend these scammers. Also, you are free to name better alternatives.

[@joecorona2818]

One of the great joys of visiting Italy are the people. I speak very limited Italian, but young people speak English amazingly well. Just talk to the locals, your shopkeepers, the folks at your coffee house, baked goods, etc. they have never steered me wrong. I promise it will only enhance your Italy experience!

[@runswithwindz9875]

Every word rings true for me. I lived in Florence for 18 months and found complacency everywhere.

[@1flash3571]

So you are saying that these Italians who are Italian Food Nazis should be ashamed of themselves??? I agree.

[@The_Judge300]

When I travel, I ALWAYS stay VERY far away from the tourist traps. I always ask multiple if not many locals where they usually eat and what they recommend and I always make sure that the place is full of locals before I decide to eat there. And this has almost never disappointed me. If you do this you will usually get much better and real local food for a lower to much lower prices than at the tourist traps. I have travelled a lot to many countries and many areas of many of the countries and the two most important things for me during my travels are the local people I meet and the local food I eat. The rest is secondary.

[@votdfak]

Guga just playing dumb, going to tourist trap restaurants and after badmouthing Italian cuisine. SMFH

[@daandemeyer1708]

He was being completely obvious he was eating in tourist traps, was that not clear to you? By the way, Italian cuisine is greatly overrated. They had good food 100 years ago but al over the world their dishes got enormously improved. Yet Italians are still getting offended if people don’t make their basic dishes as they were created... Just be proud you provided the basics for a lot of popular dishes around the world.

[@blarfroer8066]

@@daandemeyer1708 I can tell you've never had real Italian food and I'm not even Italian.

[@nespolinho]

@@daandemeyer1708 yep, you never been in italy

[@nespolinho]

@@blarfroer8066 100%

[@daandemeyer1708]

@@blarfroer8066 I'm from Belgium and I've been all over Italy multiple times. They have good food, but in general it's overrated.

[@GeoffreyMhd]

Guga, you have viewers from everywhere, trust us, when you go somewhere ask for advice 🙏

[@meat_loves_wasabi]

Seriously u know beef so well.. u should know how much real wagyu cost .. €36 A5 wagyu is a complete scam Rule of thumb never order Wagyu especially A5 in Europe cos if it’s legit it will cost 3-4x more … enjoy their wines especially in Italy & Spain cos u get fantastic quality at great prices compared to other parts of the world… do proper research and Italy has some of the best food

[@tammytilley6051]

Funny my mom went to Italy and said the food lacked seasoning .

[@mattiacanalia4710]

Hi Guga, we don't expect you to understand our traditions, especially the culinary ones since your country of origin has neither, keep cooking meat on the grill with salt and pepper believing you are the best chef in the world, because gastronomy is not for you, you only look for meat cooked as you say and everything else is crap, show respect for things you don't know and are not able to appreciate.

[@valvenator]

I don't"t know why he goes to Italy but eats nontraditional food. You know that's the stuff they make for tourists who are afraid to try the local foods and instead just want their safe same old.

[@darrenaquilina1403]

I might have been lucky, though whenever i went to Italy the food was exceptional, wherever i went, and didn’t even bother to look at trip advisor. Just walked in randomly.

[@DamOneMan]

It is insane to me that you was worried about ordering Parmesan cheese cuz you didn't want to offend someone, isn't it also offending you that someone will get offended because you're ordering what you enjoy. F people getting offended, if you're at a restaurant and you're paying for the meal order what you want. If you ordered a steak and get A1 sauce or ketchup, and if that offends someone let them be offended, they're not paying for your food, you are

[@giaimeferrigno5144]

I wouldn't serve ketchup to client. I also woukd not get offended. You pay for the service you are supposed to get and be accomodated for reasonable request. Asking to go against my food traditions would not be reasonable to me. It would be like tipping the waiter to bark. It's not a service we offer, end of discussion. Being offended is silly though and i don't think anyone actually is.

[@DamOneMan]

@giaimeferrigno5144 sound like you're offended to me when you're not giving me ketchup and I asked for it and you're the waiter, what you just said it's like asking the waiter for an extra spoon and you say no, I bet you don't ever get a tip

[@CorporalGrievous93]

@DamOneMan Make your weak ass steaks at home and use all the ketchup you want. It wouldn’t offend me if I saw you using it at a steakhouse, I’d just immediately assume you were a low brow individual.

[@luisfable]

4:25 my man has never been to México.

[@jackh67]

Was gonna say, its pretty dang common around the world

[@Sbinott0]

Listening to an american complaining abiut food safety💀

[@hk0444]

​@@Sbinott0that comment is precious and should be cherished.

[@luisfable]

@@jackh67 yeah, including obviously the mandatory screen dog waiting for some bones

[@herminionz]

Did you go to any amazing/ nice find restaurants? Would love to see that video

[@BillAngelos]

I live in Naples now and it's dirty as hell, and what they call pizza is disgusting. From the moment I got off the plane people were trying to overcharge me or scam me. Can't wait to fly out of here in 3 weeks.

[@alessandroroveda2859]

Disgusting? Go home

[@james64ibm]

The suburbs of Naples are nothing to write home about, but the old town is quite special (arguably one of the peak "European" experiences) and not particularly overpriced or "scammy" imho. The worst thing for me was genuinely the constant fear of being run over by scooters. That being said, any true Italian will happily take your money if you offer it up willingly, and I do have the privilege of not looking like an American tourist that has 5 minutes between stops to acquire food/souvenirs at any cost.

[@joeterra.t]

Don't you mean cargo plane?

[@zwete]

That's the opposite of my experience, pizza was consistently good if you like their style of pizza. And prices were always reasonable. You're probably just an obnoxious American and get that treatment.

[@KalamburbutWolkmansluš]

what do you know about pizza?there is only one pizza in the world and it is the Neapolitan one, everything else is rubbish. I am not Neapolitan and I am not even from that region

[@glorgau]

Accountant says I can make the trip to Italy a business expense! Thanks for the honest opinions.

[@luisnouel3407]

I normally enjoy Guga’s videos but this one. It seems that he just went to tourist traps, I don’t know if purposefully or it was just lack of good research. Touristic places will always have tourist traps, that is a fact of life 😊

[@Lilsauce97]

Think about it, do we Italians really need to see what a lasagna, a pizza, or a risotto looks like? When you see a restaurant displaying pictures of food, it’s clearly a tourist trap.

[@blarfroer8066]

I went to Italy in September and I don't think I got ripped off. You can always ask for recommendations, especially if you're staying in an air bnb. Secondly, look for Italian reviews on google. Third, prices. If a restaurant is charging significantly more than 10€ for a pasta dish, leave. Fourth, look at the customers. If a restaurant has Italians queuing like a pizzeria I saw in Bologna, it's probably good. The same way you want to look for Chinese customers in a Chinese restaurant, etc.

[@EmmetToast]

The steak you had in Florence is called 'Tagliata di manzo', which can be translated as 'beef cut'. And yes it is almost always chewy no matter where you eat it. If you dont like chewy meat just don't order this dish.

[@trayel83]

Guga, I'm not understanding the comments. But thank you for reminding all of us to be aware of tourist traps. Anyone with common sense already knows you can find a reputable restaurant with out attending. Obviously people in the comments don't appreciate the fact that you took the lost so they don't have to

[@MathewSan_]

Great video 👍

[@gustaveriksson113]

I went to Lissabon for a week a few years ago and lived in a rented house outside of the city. Wherever I went, all around the city, it felt like a tourist trap. I even tried asking the locals (who was super friendly) and even then it was a tourist trap :S.

[@Eiretraveller]

Thank you 🙏

[@tedgalperalper1828]

I have been going to Tuscany and spending considerable time there for over 30 years. I do not generally spend time in Florence because it is more expensive by far than the countryside. They call it, Florence, Venice, and Rome tax. in other words, you are paying double or more for the same product. I would suggest going to the Chianti classical region around sienna. In particular, there is a wonderful Chianti wine trail that starts in.castelnuovo berardenga. You can find some much less expensive restaurants where you can have biztecca. Further the pasta cooked in the Parmesan wheel is not local cuisine in Tuscany. Maybe you would in bologna or that general area. Look for the local dishes and you will be happier. Further another recommendation is to spend some time in Luca. The cuisine and Luca is highly recommended by the New York Times food critics.

[@PeterFilgueiras]

Guga, volta pro BR, vem pra SP e mostra os restaurantes italianos daqui, e os especialistas em carne tb 😍😍😍