Nine seaside restaurants you absolutely must try this summer

We asked our philosopher Marco Cohen*, a yachtsman, racer, cruiser, interlocutor but above all a great foodie , to reveal to us which are his favorite seaside restaurants, perfect to reach once the boat is docked, or perhaps after anchoring in a magical cove a few meters away. Marco revealed eight (plus one) to us. You just have to follow his advice and try them all!

Nine seaside restaurants to try in 2024

This is my strong point, I would even say the only one given my poor sailing skills. That of gastronomic life style. You will get to know Alessandro Borghese’s famous format, “Four restaurants. Let me turn it into my nine culinary heart places combined of course with a possible summer cruise with your boat….

Concettina at the Three Saints, Naples

A mystical place-if you’re lucky, leave the boat in the port of Castel dell’Ovo or Mergellina and wander into the alleys of the Rione Sanità.

There you will be met by Ciro Oliva, young heir to the founding family, who churns out a pizza-based tasting menu as moving as the wine list, unusual for a pizzeria. www.concettinaaitresanti.com

Da Enzo al Frontone (Sailing Only), Ponza Island

A very thematic place because you can only get there by sea/by tender. It looks like the hidden landing place of a pirate’s den, lit by candles. Although the term makes me vomit, I dare say a crazy experience and perfect as a complement to a vacation(tel. 3392060408).

The tourist pairing is with Cala Forcina, a few miles away sailing toward Palmarola: water and rocks that, if they told you by showing you a picture that you were in the Seychelles, you would certainly believe it.

Casa Manolo, Ses Salines, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands

Spanish tapas culture to the nth degree. Long waiting lists but worth it except unfortunately for the August frenzy. On top of it all, an innocuous dish that I otherwise dislike elsewhere: the coleslaw here is wonderful(www.bodegabarahona.com).

Of course, I would remind you that in Mallorca the first week of August is the Copa del Rey, one of the most fun regattas in the Mediterranean. And then, having finished racing or starting your vacation, you could sail by boat to Neverland… Cabrera, invisible to most and a nature park bookable online a few miles from Mallorca, with a protected lagoon and buoys available.

Taverna La Cialoma, Marzamemi

A restaurant that is as pieds dans l’eau as it gets. Tuna in all its variations, moving in roe and spaghetti version(www.tavernalacialoma.it).

By boat you are spoiled for choice, from theVendicari Oasis (small photo) with its beaches and then, within sailing distance, the island of Ortigia in Syracuse, visible from the sea.

ö Magazín and La Taverna del Marinaio, Portofino

Portofino is my favorite place: a piece of paradise, especially out of season, that deserves two restaurants. After swimming atOlivetta of course, a small cove to the south attached to the mouth of Portofino. If the currents are right, miraculous water to be so close to the mouth of a harbor! Take a moment to pause: a moment of prayer and recollection to call the marina on channel 12 of your VHF hoping you can find a mooring buoy, and then two options open up to you for a moving gastronomic experience in one of the most beautiful villages in the world.

ö Magazín on the rappel at the entrance to the harbor with tables that are as on the water as you can get. Moving the house spaghetti with pistachio sauce and roe(www.omagazin.it);

The Sailor’s Tavern, whose owner Paolino Viacava, a very strong sailor, together with the legendary Giorgio Tigre, insulted with wonderful and poetic epithets my father whose sailing talents were somewhat lacking compared to the class of the Portofinese. “Cohen, farmer, remember that the tiller is not a hoe,” they shouted at him as he passed. Over all, fish in the green. Classic Ligurian tradition(www.tavernadelmarinaio.com).

Antica Trattoria Suban, Trieste

We change seas and switch to the Adriatic side. If you like bora, or maybe you are in Trieste for the legendary Barcolana, here you are served a mythical place even if on the top of the hill a little far from the harbor.

AtAntica Trattoria Suban, the owner will wax lyrical about the menu in the manner of poetry. Obviously moving, as long as you are not on a diet. The fuži with chicken gravy, the savory strudel … washed down with wines from fellow countryman Zidarich. (www.suban.it).

The Seven Dwarfs, Marina di Pisa

And here I make an appeal for the 151 Mile racers who leave their boats at the Marina. You cannot fail to try this charming and romantic restaurant with a deceptive name.

At themouth of theArno River, tables on outdoor pilings and at sunset it feels like another century. A reminder of the location is provided by the clams in their sumptuous sauté served al tegamino(tel. 050960091)!

Restaurants by the sea – Your boat

The eighth unforgettable culinary experience, and it’s no coincidence that I’ve saved it for last, is … the kitchen and cockpit of your boat in the bay, wherever you are.

Because let’s face it, there is nothing more magical than finding yourself, protected from the darkness brought by the sunset barely illuminated by the stars, sharing the pleasures of the table with the people you have decided to take on a boat this summer. And speaking of magic, even the simplest tuna pasta cooked by taming the uncertain rocking galley of your boat is transformed and becomes better than any starry first course when the stars are in the sky and reflected on the water.

*Who is Marco Cohen

The author of our article on seaside restaurants is film producer and sailor Marco Cohen, pictured here at the helm of a small boat (in that case a Cape 31, designed by his “fetish” designer Mark Mills).

Owner of a MAT 12 (designed, indeed, by Mills) tours the Mediterranean for regattas (losing almost all of them but having a lot of fun). A keen humorist and sailing philosopher (“I re-embraced sailing at age 37 after yet another soccer injury, when I realized it’s the only sport you can do sitting down and with a glass in your hand”), his articles are always a big hit. Below you can read some of his “pearls”:

• How to slow down a racing boat. 10 secrets to not winning
• Phenomenology (semi-serious) of the Winter Championship.
• The owner’s syndrome or how to be happy despite the boat
• How to participate in offshore racing knowing you will lose
• Guide to Dreaming Sydney Hobart
• The boat change syndrome
• Small boat vs. big boat