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Two warm young people with a passion for traditional Neapolitan and internationally influenced, innovative baking, make this a fab pit-stop pasticceria, with a sunny terrace. Among the quirky treats are Guinness cake, apple maple cake, and cute tiramisu cakes that can be eaten in the cheery, pastel-shaded space or on the sunny terrace.

If the staggering prices at virtually all of Portofino's cafés and restaurants are enough to ruin your appetite, join the long line outside this family-run bakery where you will find affordable and delicious eats worth waiting for. At this takeaway spot, the focaccia is baked on-site and served fresh, along with all kinds of sandwiches and other refreshments.

The Freddi family's history in Piazza Cavallotti began 100 years ago. On the edge of the historical center of town, it's still where locals queue to buy Mantua's traditional pastas and pastries—don't miss sbrisolona (meaning "crumbs" in Italian), a hybrid cookie and pie that you'll see sold everywhere with varying levels of quality. Here, the mix of flour, almonds, butter, and lemon peel is truly delightful as it crumbles in your mouth. They also have a wide selection of fresh pastas, including tortelli di zucca to take away.

Those in the know contend that this might be the best gelateria show in town. The limone ai biscotti (a delicate lemon sorbet dotted with crumbled cookie) might well illustrate the point.

Florentines with serious sweet tooths come to I Dolci di Patrizio Corsi, which has a deliciously bewildering selection of chocolate- and cream-filled pastries.

For some great Sicilian cakes and ice cream on your way to the Archaeological Park, visit this bar-cum-pasticceria. It's popular with locals, especially on Sunday mornings, when they come for a late breakfast and take away golden trays of exquisite pastries for lunch, so you may have to line up for your cakes.

Opened in 1929, this bakery sells both sweet and savory items, including more than 70 types of bread. Line up for the pizza al taglio (by the slice) at lunchtime, or sit down at one of the outdoor tables for a cappuccino and cornetto or an aperitivo replete with mini sandwiches made on homemade buns. There's also a small location inside Termini Station where you can grab a quick espresso on the way to catch a train. 

The Tresoldi family began baking bread in Bergamo in 1946 and the tradition continues with pizza, focaccia, pastries, and the local dessert Polenta e Osei—a sweet polenta-and-marzipan concoction decorated with chocolate that comes in sizes from small to large. The walls are lined with portraits of Bergamo's elite and with just a few bar stools the spot is ideal if you need a quick snack or lunch on the go.

Wood-lined and unadorned, this family-run pastry shop is one of the best places to try Modica’s signature crescent-shape cookies, the ‘mpanatigghi. These soft cookies are filled with a mixture of chocolate, almonds, and veal, a combination that works surprisingly well. The meat was added to the cookies as a way of making the snacks more nutritious on long voyages. The shop is also known for its delicious chocolate squares that are modeled to look like the city’s cobblestones.

Prepare to visit the sights of Cremona or wait for the next train at the Pasticceria Dondeo, just to the right of the station. Dating back to 1912, this is one of Cremona's oldest and most beautiful Art Nouveau cafés and pastry shops. The fresh zabaglione and beignets are heaven.

Fans of marzipan will delight at the range of almond sweets on offer here in the shape of the ubiquitous fico d'India (prickly pear) and other fruit. A block of almond paste makes a good souvenir—you can bring it home to make an almond latte or granita.

Fans of Sicilian sweets make a beeline for this place run by Maria Grammatico, who gained international fame with Bitter Almonds, her life story of growing up in a convent orphanage, cowritten with Mary Taylor Simeti. Her almond-paste creations are works of art, molded into striking shapes, including dolls and animals. There are a few tables and a tiny balcony with wonderful views.

Save room for dessert while dining in Bergamo, because Pasticceria Nessi serves the most delightful local treat. Polenta e osei is a hand-decorated, fluffy golden mound made with an ever-so-soft sponge cake and filled with maraschino cherries, hazelnut cream, almond paste, and chocolate.