The Fipe-Confcommercio report photographs the success of Made in Italy catering abroad: London leads for authenticity, Barcelona for quality-price
Margherita, tiramisu and spritz are the triad of Italian soft power abroad. Italian cuisine, with restaurants around the world, confirms itself as an ambassador of Made in Italy. This is certified by the report “The Italian Table Abroad” by Fipe-Confcommercio, presented on the eve of Catering Day (16 May). The study analyzed Italian restaurants in ten large European cities: Paris, London, Barcelona, Vienna, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Lyon, Berlin and Marseille. Result? The podium in the ranking goes to the Margherita pizza, the most popular dish in European Italian restaurants. This is followed by tiramisu and spritz, which has firmly entered European habits.
How much Italian cuisine is really worth abroad
The numbers in the report tell the economic and cultural strength of Italian catering in Europe. In the ten cities analyzed there are an estimated 8,960 Italian establishments. The study, however, did not limit itself to surveying the restaurants: it also measured quality, authenticity and public perception through two indicators, the Value Index (which evaluates the relationship between quality and price) and the Authenticity Index (which measures how much a restaurant is perceived as truly Italian). The result rewards the Italian cuisine: the average rating of the restaurants reaches 8.95 out of 10, while the average price of a main course stops at 30.30 euros. Translated: Italian cuisine abroad maintains a high-quality but still accessible image. In fact, almost 70% of the restaurants are in the range between 20 and 30 euros, while only 5% exceed the average 50 euros, presiding over the international Italian haute cuisine segment.
London and Paris lead the authenticity challenge
London and Paris lead the ranking of the authenticity of Italian cuisine abroad. The British capital obtains the highest score, with an authenticity index of 9.2, while Paris confirms itself as the European city with the highest number of Italian restaurants analysed: 532. Lyon, on the other hand, stands out for the offering that is most faithful to the Italian gastronomic tradition.
The report also highlights how each European metropolis has developed its own “interpretation” of Italian cuisine. In London, regional cuisine dominates, Berlin and Munich focus heavily on coffee and the Italian bistro experience, while Barcelona loves carbonara. Among the formats, the pizzeria dominatesthe most exported model with 345 registered locations and a strong quality-price ratio. But the best performer is the tavern, which records the highest Value Index (13.3) and an average rating of 9.21.
Italian cuisine abroad: Barcelona queen of value for money
If London wins on the level of authenticity Barcelona takes the lead for best value for money. The Catalan city in fact records an average price of 22 euros compared to a very high rating of 9.05. The reason, according to the study, is linked to the strong presence of young people and tourists, which favors more informal formulas such as pizzerias and trattorias. The data relating to online reviews is also interesting. Paris and Marseille lead the ranking in terms of average number of reviews per venue. London and Berlin, by contrast, show much lower numbers. English and Germans are less inclined to review reviews of experienced venues.
