As far as eating goes, the seafront is the best place to do it cheaply, with hundreds of pizza bars for on-your-feet refuelling. There are also some extremely ritzy places, where formal dress is obligatory, but most of the interesting restaurants are in the old town. For snacks , Via Garibaldi, which leads inland from Piazza Tre Martiri, has several pizza-by-the-slice places or seek out a shop on Via Bonsi selling piada - pitta-type bread with hot fillings of mozzarella, tomato and prosciutto. The tiny rosticceria nearby at Via Garibaldi 65 has three or four tables, which are usually full by 7.30pm - though it closes at 9pm. You can grab a variety of snacks, from well-made burgers to seafood salad, at the Paninoteca at Corso d’Augosto 226; there are places to sit and a good jukebox.

For sit-down food , Osteria de Börg , at Via Forzieri 12 (closed Mon), is definitely the place to head for first, a relaxed and moderately priced place serving Romagnolo cooking with innovations, such as cappelletti (filled pasta) in carrot sauce, fish kebabs, meat roasted over an open fire and a dozen different vegetable dishes. Pic-Nic , Via Tempio Malatestiano 30 (closed Mon), does reasonably priced pizzas, as well as pasta, crepes - and game. Rimini Key (closed Tues) has a number of special menus from L20,000/¬10.33 as well as pizzas, and is in a prime location for catching Rimini’s evening cruising along the seafront on Piazzale Croce. Buliroun , Piazza Kennedy 2 (closed Mon), is evenhandedly reliable, while Acero Rosso, on the other side of the Ponte Tiberio, at Viale Tiberio 11 (closed Mon), is a more expensive fish restaurant. Among the top restaurants along the seafront, Lo Squero , (closed Tues) Lungomare Tintori 7, offers great shellfish on a leafy terrace with beach views. For a change of cuisine, try the very inexpensive Chinese food at Il Mandarino , Via Dante 39 (closed Wed), between the station and the old town.

In the suburb of Covignano, en route to Paradiso , the Dalla Maria at Via Grazie 81, is a good-value restaurant serving dependable Romagnolo cooking for L40,000/¬20.66. Another restaurant that merits the journey is Bastian Contrario (the study means “Awkward Customer”; closed Mon), 5km out of town at Via Marecchiese 312 in Spadarolo (bus #20), serving well-priced regional cooking. A bargain version of the same is acquirable at La Baracca (closed Wed) on the same road at no. 373.