Sardinia for gourmands: 48 hours between Porto Rotondo and Porto Cervo

Romantic in the evening for a candlelit dinner on the beach and refined at lunchtime to enjoy fish and crudités specialties a stone's throw from the sea, Marinella is the pieds dans l'eau restaurant of the Hotel Abi D'Oru, address of luxury hospitality in Porto Rotondo nestled in the enchanting Gulf of Marinella, where the water is turquoise and the sand is very fine. Lunch is the most evocative time to enjoy this place, starting with a selection of caviar served with blinis and creamed potatoes, or raw platters that include shellfish, oysters and knife-beaten tartare. The advice is to order the bronze-drawn spaghettone with the precious blue lobster, or let yourself be conquered by the catch of the day served on the grill or in the classic salt crust. The pink lobster is a Sardinian gem and here it is on the menu, prepared in the Catalan style by executive chef Pierluigi Putzu .

Marinella, Hotel Abi D'Oru - Gulf of Marinella, 07026 Porto Rotondo

Still inside the luxury hotel in Porto Rotondo, there is a summer pop-up designed by Fedrigo Gaetani Dell'Aquila D'Aragona , said Barù, wine expert and influencer who takes over the grill by the pool at the Abi d'Oru throughout the season. Also open for lunch, the pop-up becomes accessible only to adults at dinner time, with a menu consisting of only six courses. Like the Sicilian prawn skewer, served with chickpea hummus and the ever-present Sardinian lamb chops. The pineapple passed on the plate ends on a sweet note, accompanied by ricotta and honey ice cream.

Braci by Barù, Hotel Abi D'Oru - Gulf of Marinella, 07026 Porto Rotondo

Fresh, colourful, sustainable and circular cuisine, based on products from local suppliers and materials from the Sardinian territory. Pasigà, the bistronomic restaurant overlooking the Gulf of Cugnana, is the flagship of the Sulià House boutique hotel in Porto Rotondo. The menus are the signature of the starred chef of Sardinian origins Claudio Melis, with two different tasting menus to try for dinner. Those who pass by here for lunch will find a more easy-going offer with extremely fresh dishes such as local bluefin tuna served in tartare, or the workhorse of resident chef Emanuele Mazzella: tagliolino cheese, pepper and raw prawns. Even the sea bass with vegetable caponata deserves a taste, accompanied by a selection of organic wines from local cellars that enclose the rich terroir of Gallura in the glass. Drink lovers can taste the blends of the bartender Fabrizio Guaglianone dedicated to colours, with names in dialect. There is Grogu (yellow) which mixes a Sardinian lemon gin with white myrtle, a reduction of Vermentino and lime, or Birde (green) based on Sardinian gin infused with sage and rose and cucumber shrub. Those who want to relax by the pool, on the other hand, can try the pool bar options such as club sandwiches and the Sulià burger, large salads or fried shellfish, squid and fish with tartar sauce.

Pasigà Restaurant by Claudio Melis - Via Monte Ladu 36, 07026 Porto Rotondo

New location for the summer pop-up of It, a successful format with venues in London, Milan, Ibiza and Tulum, which for the third time opens its doors to those on holiday in Porto Cervo. At the beginning of the Promenade du Port, facing the pier where the most luxurious yachts dock, is the 700 m2 panoramic terrace of It Porto Cervo, where good Italian cuisine is staged, accompanied by signature cocktails and live DJ sets. The Enjoy It pop-up welcomes the staff of the Milan restaurant, on break in the hottest month of the year, under the supervision of the executive chef Michele di Bonito in the kitchen, who uses local raw materials and extremely fresh fish. At aperitif time we start with a fresh and slightly spicy Spicy Mezcalita, a Mezcal-based drink with jalapeño liqueur, accompanied by it's thin and crunchy pizzas, such as the one with ricotta, red prawns and caviar or the Sardinian 4 cheeses. Try the selection of dishes cooked in josper (a special charcoal-fired oven), including the scallop with mushroom demi-glace and fennel salad and, among the first courses, the seafood fregula with mullet roe. Those who wish can conclude the evening at the counter indulging in a Butter & Limoncello Old Fashioned: an all-Italian twist on one of the most popular cocktails in the world.

It Porto Cervo - Promenade du Port, Via Aga Khan, 1, 07021 Porto Cervo

Those who want to spend a different evening in the company of friends and family can choose the Meraviglioso, an Italian Singing Restaurant with a musical soul, with a preference for Italian and French bubbles. The space is large and houses the outdoor area of ​​the Promenade Restaurant, with white tables and elegant director's chairs, where the Après-beach is staged, an aperitif with a wide selection of cocktails reminiscent of the winter version of the Courmayeur Super G (signed by Andrea Baccuini and Giacomo Sonzini). From 20:00 to 24:00, it is instead time for the singing dinner, with live performers who sing the most famous Italian songs, accompanied by the creations of chef Rosario Miccoli. Like the fregula with crustacean bisque, the tacos to share and the timeless tuna and potatoes. Going up to the first floor there is a karaoke room, to be reserved for private performances with the dishes of the starred chef Andrea Berton, who is entrusted with the gastronomic line of the Terrace Restaurant, a gem with a view of the Porto Cervo marina. And when it's time to get back on the boat, Champagne à Porter takes care of it, with a rich selection of bubbles from the Moët Hennessy group in customized glasses, which arrive at home together with an expert barman.

Wonderful Italian Singing Restaurant - Via Aga Khan, 1, 07021 Porto Cervo