Gourmet maritozzi, Ascolana olives, and suburban pastrami: the unmissable street food of Italy

There is no aspect of contemporary cuisine that tells the popular heart of our gastronomic heritage better than street food. A vibrant, pulsating tradition capable of blending memory and global influences.

The guide dedicated to street food: Gambero Rosso’s Street Food 2026

Since 2013, Gambero Rosso has been charting the evolution of street food with an annual publication: Street Food, a guide celebrating the authenticity and variety of this sector. A world that brings together heritage and ancient know-how—like that of tripe sellers, bakers, and pork butchers—with contemporary marketing trends; a world increasingly open to international influences and haute cuisine techniques.

Nearly 700 establishments are featured in the guide, which, in addition to individual business profiles, includes in-depth pieces on the most important (gastro)markets across the peninsula and an appendix dedicated to itinerant ventures. Food trucks—a sector that has grown significantly in recent years—along with the number of fairs and events where street vendors and trucks are increasingly in demand (examples include the Street Food Village currently taking place at Parco Schuster in Rome or the Street Food Preview in Torgiano): in this context, the special Street Food on the Road award was created, dedicated to the best culinary offering on wheels. This year, it goes to the food truck Il Vecchio Carro and its outstanding sandwiches made with Suino Nero dei Nebrodi porchetta.

Stigghiola – Il Massimo dello Street Food, Palermo

What emerges from the guide?

Street food is still able to offer an authentic experience for those seeking traditional specialities: some of the venues listed in this volume safeguard an invaluable historical heritage of Italian cuisine. Just browse the list of Regional Champions—the award that highlights the best businesses in each region: pizza sotto lu focu in the village of Portaria, Umbria (Pesciaioli), the ancient offal cuisine in Palermo (Il Massimo dello Street Food), olive all’ascolana prepared according to the strictest tradition in the centre of Ascoli Piceno (Maclè). And more still, the sumptuousness of traditional products encased in sandwiches, from Trentino (Il Pizzicagnolo in Mezzolombardo) to Tuscany (Il Macello Panini, Bolgheri).

Yallah, Trieste

Nor will those be disappointed who wish to cross boundaries: international offerings—found under the category “from the world” in the guide—are increasingly rich and appealing. In recent years, we’ve seen a rise in Asian and South American specialities, as well as Middle Eastern cuisine (in Trieste, for example, we were won over by Yalla, a Lebanese takeaway, while international cuisine also features prominently in Lecce with MU Mercato Urbano).

Funghi burger – Legs, Roma

Lastly, while statistics show that people are increasingly gravitating towards casual, simple, and fast dining experiences, our more intimate observations also reveal how many (young) chefs—often with prestigious backgrounds in fine dining—are choosing to pursue lighter, more immediate business models, migrating more and more into the street food sector and enriching it with high-value ventures.

Anyone passing through Calabria, for instance, should not miss a stop at A Casalura in Cirò Marina. Outstanding technique is on display in the gourmet maritozzi from ODD in Bologna, in the pizza al taglio from Hippo in Isernia, or the sensational pastrami from Martello in Rome. And again in Rome, two standout chefs—Francesca Barreca and Marco Baccanelli—who already gained the title of Regional Champion in the 2021 Street Food guide with their chicken sandwich concept Legs, return to our pages with the impeccable vegetarian sandwich offerings at their new venue: the bun with mushroom croquette and coleslaw quite literally makes us soar. For this, they win the special Sandwich of the Year award.