Where to eat in Capalbio: the best restaurants just steps from the sea
It's perhaps one of Italy's most beautiful vacation destinations. The Maremma countryside is both wild and well-kept, and the beaches are beautiful. If you're in the area, breakfast is served at La Mandria, where you can also buy newspapers.
The Forest – Fish
A go-to place for seafood, with excellent quality. A sophisticated restaurant located outside the village, with a lovely, cool terrace. The drinks are excellent (the wine list is well-curated and reasonably priced), and the seafood is top-notch. Prices are reasonable considering the quality: spaghetti with seafood for €18, mixed fried fish for €20, prawns in lemon sauce for €25.
La Selva, Capalbio Selva Nera road, Capalbio (Grosseto). Tel. 0564 890381. Facebook page.
Vote: 8
The Tortello – Traditional
Just steps from the La Mandria bar, Tortello is a must-visit for a casual lunch or dinner. It has a warm atmosphere and reasonable prices: expect to spend around €40-50.
Str. dell'Abbadia Tel 0564 895133
Vote: 6.5
Il Frantoio – Radical chic
It's one of the key spots for Capalbio's radical chic, the best place for an aperitivo, a book or an ethnic dress, a chat with Alberto Negri or Corrado Formigli, a peek at the art gallery designed by Philippe Daverio, and dinner in a magnificent internal courtyard. Service varies, with the time-honored kindness of the older generation and the arrogance of the younger crowd, some with tattoos. Prices are decidedly high, but the quality is decent. Drinks are available until late (cocktails start at €15).
Vote: 7
The Goat's Fountain – In the Countryside
A trattoria in the countryside, with a lovely pergola and simple Maremma cuisine, primarily meat-based, with the addition of wood-fired pizza. Originally a hunting lodge in the 1960s, it offers reasonable prices, aside from the incomprehensible €4 cover charge per person.
The Fontanile dei Caprai, Capalbio-Marsiliana road, kilometer 13. Tel. 0564 896526.
Vote: 6/7
Vallerana – Rustic trattoria for grilled meat
A carnivore's paradise in a rustic, country setting. Pappardelle with wild boar, tortelli Maremmani, fried chicken, lamb, and above all, a wide selection of grilled meats, served tableside on a soapstone grill. A cover charge of €2 is more than reasonable.
Via Monte Forcato 1 Capalbio tel 340 533 6126.
Vote 7
Dogana – Chic and gourmet beach
A beautiful restaurant right on the waterfront, all white wood, divided into an aperitif/cocktail area, a bistro area, and the restaurant itself. It's a comfortable place, and the cuisine is top-notch, following its takeover by the La Torre wine bar. Prices are high, in line with the quality: spaghetti with clams €18, fried calamari and shrimp €20, grilled octopus €18, desserts €8.
Via Graticciaia, Chiarone Scalo (Capalbio), tel 0564 183 0669.
Vote: 7
Tully
A classic restaurant, with a sort of terrace at the entrance to the old town. Everything is very classic, the service isn't particularly cheerful, the wines are ultra-classic and a bit dusty, and the dishes are of decent quality. You might even bump into the indestructible duo Rutelli and Palombelli or the editor-in-chief of Die Zeit, Giovanni di Lorenzo. It's not exactly heartwarming.
Via Nuova 27, Capalbio 0564 896196.
Vote: 6.5
Maria – Popular restaurant
A historic trattoria in the heart of the old town. Moderate prices. A first course—pappardelle with wild boar and pici with cheese and bottarga—is about 10 euros, while main courses range between 15 and 20 euros.
Piazza Carlo Giordano 3, tel 0564 896014.
