Tried & Tested Bars, Cafes and Restaurants in Udine in Italy

During our visit to Udine in northern Italy, we stayed at a hotel, so we enjoyed meals at bars, cafes, and restaurants in the city. I found plenty of places for food and drink. As a bonus, most places we visited were dog-friendly, and Henry was made very welcome.

During our stay in Udine, we were mainly trying local specialities and some Italian classics. We found all the meals to be slightly different from those in other parts of the country we’ve visited. Beer and coffee out were pretty straightforward, and there were some good beers available. The city’s proximity to the Austrian border meant there were some Austrian beers, too.

Bars, Cafes & Restaurants in Udine

My favourite meal out was at Osteria Alla Ghiacciaia, where we had many local dishes. For coffee or beer, Piazza Giacomo Matteotti was a great place, with many cafes and bars.

Osteria Alla Ghiacciaia For Frico & Cheese

My favourite meal out during my visit was at Osteria Alla Ghiacciaia, somewhere that I’d flagged because of its reviews for the local cuisine. It is on a small canal with outside seating overlooking the water.

They had a wide selection of drinks, and I enjoyed their house beer. For starters, we shared their cold cuts plate with Montasio cheese and some bread.

One of the reasons we chose here was to try the local speciality, frico with polenta. This is fried Montasio cheese, served with polenta.

All’Agricoltura Osteria

Another place I had food and beer was All’Agricoltura Osteria, which has a reputation for good value food. It is just outside the centre and is a nice place to hang out. They have both indoor and outdoor seating areas, and I partook in both. It seemed a self-service place, so I went to the counter and ordered food and drink.

On my visit, I drank a large beer and ate frittata alle erbe. They also have various other quick bites available, along with a chalkboard menu that is updated frequently. I enjoyed my visit here and found the staff and vibe to be very friendly.

Diversamente Bistrot

Discovered by random chance while out walking Henry, our dog, was Diversamente Bistrot. This is on a small, quiet street and was rather pleasant. The restaurant was created to provide employment to people with intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders.

They have inside and outside seating here; we opted to dine alfresco and found the staff and other customers friendly. Quite a few came to say hi to the dog. They seemed to have a daily menu on their chalkboard with a variety of options.

First up were drinks: a beer for me and a coffee and sparkling water for my wife. For food we had their vegetarian lasagne and polpette, meatballs with peas. Both were tasty and made for a great lunch out.

Bar Antica Colonna

Behind the cathedral are some lovely small bars and restaurants, including Bar Antica Colonna. They serve snacky food, coffee, beer and wines. They have inside and outside seating, and on my visit I enjoyed sitting in the sun.

I found the staff here friendly and went inside to see what food was in the cooler and choose a beer. I opted for Erdinger beer and some meat-and-vegetable balls. These were delicious, especially the spicy versions. 

Europizza

Near our hotel, I found Europizza, a nice place for pizza, which we visited a few times. This is essentially a takeaway; however, they have a few tables, which I utilised for beers while waiting for the pizza to be cooked.

Their pizzas were delicious, and I tried a few variants, including a white pizza. They also had some sides available, including fries and arancini balls. We found their pizzas tasty and the server here friendly.

Metropolis Urban Bistrot

Before visiting Udine, someone on social media insisted on trying Aperol Spritz in the city. Thus, I found Metropolis Urban Bistrot a cool place with a view for the photos. From their outdoor seating areas, you can see some of the city’s key sites, including the loggia. Metropolis Urban Bistrot also serves beer, wine and food.

Biquadro Degustazione Grosmi

Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, a pretty square, is Biquadro Degustazione Grosmi, a place where I enjoyed morning drinks. It is a cafe and gourmet food shop all rolled into one. They have outside seating with table service, and I picked it for the views. They typically serve wines, beers and coffee here. They also have a small food section to eat with drinks, including croissants and pizzetta.

On my visit, I picked a table with a view and went local, having a double espresso and beer. The beer was a tasty 32 Tre+Due craft beer and was new to me. I enjoyed my drinks out here and also had a quick mooch in the shop.

Re Barbaro

In Piazza Giacomo Matteotti is Re Barbaro, a place with an outside seating area which has a view of the full square. They serve a selection of drinks, including beer and coffee. I enjoyed a Regensburg, a beer I really liked when I was in Graz. I also had a toasted cheese and ham sandwich for breakfast here.

Dusci Via Lionello

A cafe with outside seating that we visited with the dog was Dusci Via Lionello. This place has views of the D’Aronco Palace. We chose beer, coffee, focaccia and arancini balls here for a light lunch. We were late for lunch, so they had limited food options, so it’s best to visit earlier for more choices.

Dom Food & Wine

Also behind Udine Cathedral is Dom Food & Wine, a good place for food or drink. I visited in the mid-afternoon for a beer and snacks, and hid from the rain under the portico. The owner was very friendly, and the beer was refreshing. As a bonus, I got snacks with the drink. Their food menu looked local and interesting, but I wasn’t due to eat this visit.

Il Matteotti

Also in the main square is Il Matteotti, a restaurant and dog-friendly café-bar. They had seats in the main square with splendid views all around. These had shade, which was handy, as it was getting hot for Henry. We enjoyed drinks here, including soft drinks and a beer that was new to me. This was the Gjulia white beer, which tasted delicious, like my other favourite Italian beer, Peroni Gran Riserva.