Meet Sophie

Hello, I’m Sophie Minchilli

I am half American, half Italian, born and raised in Rome. I have lived here all my life except for my time at university in London. While I loved my experience there, all I could think about was Italy, Italian food, Italian people, and Italian markets.

I finally realized that although my body was in the UK, my heart and soul were in Italy. I think that while Italy is a country with many challenges, once you experience the Italian lifestyle, it’s hard to adapt to anything else. So, as soon as I graduated, I moved back to Rome.

I decided to entirely dedicate my life to food in any way possible. Soon after, I went into business with my mother leading food tours in Rome, Puglia, and Umbria.

I’ve recently written a book, The Sweetness of Doing Nothing: Live Life the Italian Way with Dolce Far Niente (Harper Collins April 2022) The book pulls together so much of the Italy I love to share. There are chapters on Family, Friends, and Leisure and of course some of my favorite recipes. But it’s mostly a very sweet book about how to incorporate the concept of Dolce Far Niente—taking the time to enjoy life—into your own routines.

I am truly in love with my country and its people, and my goal is to show you Italy, and Rome in particular, through my eyes and my tours. A big part of my tours are the people we meet along the way—artisans working hard to persevere, grandparents who still cook their old recipes, farmers struggling to survive with the rise of supermarkets, restaurant owners, as well as just everyday Italians.

When leading a tour, my goal is to make you feel at home, as if you were born and raised in Italy as well. I lead you into the small alleys and shops I grew up going to, and introduce you to all the people I love most.