The 2026 Michelin Guide offers a range of options for enjoying a gastronomic experience without feeling like you're spending too much.
With its 654 starred restaurants and a host of affordable establishments, it places particular emphasis on the Bib Gourmand label and competitively priced lunch menus.
The Bib Gourmand was launched in 1997. It recognizes restaurants offering a full meal for around €40 to €45 (excluding drinks). In 2026, the Italian Michelin selection includes 255 Bibs, including 24 new establishments.
"In this economic climate marked by inflation and rising food prices, this effort is worth highlighting" said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide.
The best way to find these affordable options is via the Michelin Guide app or website. Select your city, go to "distinction" and tick either the Bib Gourmand icon or the number of stars, and finally filter by price range.
As for Michelin-starred restaurants, the best deal remains the weekday lunch service. Several one-star establishments offer a “lunch menu” for under €40, sometimes only from Tuesday to Friday and with a limited number of covers, so it's well worth checking the lunch options for a fancy place that might otherwise break the bank.
Here's a selection of some of the new Bib Gourmands in Italy.
Basilicata
Forentum (Lavello) – This restaurant, located in the province of Potenza, is as much about ambiance as it is the food – the dining room is in a natural cave.
There are also a handful of boutique guest rooms for staying over. Forentum offers a four-course tasting menu for €35 in addition to an extensive alla carta menu. Appetizers (antipasti) average around €11, while first courses (primi) are about €12 and second courses (secondi) about €14. There's also a long list of pizzas available at dinner, most of which cost about €7.
Emilia-Romagna
Enoteca San Nicola (Bobbio) – This wine bar housed in a former 17th-century convent in the province of Piacenza serves a simple menu of contemporary Italian. All antipasti and primi are €14 and secondi are €16. The extensive wine list is equally reasonably priced.
Lazio
Li Somari (Tivoli) – This newly awarded restaurant is in the centre of the famed UNESCO heritage city of Tivoli on the outskirts of Rome.
Li Somari serves traditional Roman dishes, especially featuring offal (frequently referred to as 'quinto quarto' in Italian). A seven-course tasting menu is €65 per person, while alla carta prices average out at €15 for appetizers, €14 for offal dishes, €18 for primi piatti, and €23 for secondi.
Liguria
CASAeBOTTEGA (Dolceacqua) – In the province of Imperia on the border with France, CASAeBOTTEGA serves regional, seasonal cuisine with views of the picturesque Castello Doria.
The restaurant has several lunch specials: a three-course vegetarian menu for €31, a three-course carnivore menu for €38, and a three-course seafood menu for €39. They are open for lunch every day excluding Thursdays.
Lombardy
Trattoria Via Vai (Bolzone) – This countryside trattoria offers romantic garden ambiance at an affordable price just an hour's drive from Milan. Its weekly rotating tasting menu serves four courses of regional dishes for €42. If you want to order from the alla carta menu, you can visit for lunch on Mondays and Fridays.
Piedmont
Condividere (Arona) – Serving contemporary Italian on the shores of Lake Maggiore, Condividere's specialty is its tapas-style small plates menu meant for sharing. But there's a robust selection of other dishes as well, and the pricing scheme is straight forward: get two dishes for €38 or 3 dishes for €54.
There's also a three-course fixed menu for €48 and a five-course chef's choice menu priced at €65. If you only want to order one dish you can do that at lunch on Thursdays and Fridays for €18 euro a plate.
Sicily
Nangalarruni (Castelbuono) – About an hour and a half outside Palermo, Nangalarruni is known for its local ingredients sourced from the surrounding park. Its six-course tasting menu is €45, and its alla carta choices average around €14 for an appetizer or primo and €17 for a secondo.
Umbria
Granaro Del Monte (Norcia) – Housed within an old granary turned boutique hotel in central Norcia (Perugia), Granaro Del Monte focuses on farm-to-table ingredients and traditional Italian cuisine.
Its extensive menu includes both alla carta options and set menus available at different price points. There are two three-course menus priced at €30 and €47, and two four-course menus priced at €40 or €75.
Veneto
Molin Vecio (Caldogno) – Near Vicenza, Molin Vecio serves regional dishes in its restored-16th-century-mill setting with garden surroundings. Its three-course vegetarian menu is €35, while the meat version is €42. Or order a la carte for about €15 per appetizer or primo and around €20 per secondo.
These are only a few examples of the recently decorated restaurants featured in Italy’s Bib Gourmand section of the 2026 Michelin Guide. You can find the rest of the list here.
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