The best restaurants in the Argentario

From top restaurants to the tastiest trattorias: our guide to local flavours

After having refreshed the spirit while enjoying a splendid sea and one of the most evocative sunsets in Italy, it is time to think about the stomach and the Argentario will not disappoint you in this either! There are plenty of restaurants, mostly fish restaurants, that pamper tourists and locals alike with exquisite dishes, traditional and otherwise. We have selected the best ones for you!

If you want to enjoy a nice aperitif before dinner, here is a list of the best aperitifs in Argentario. If you want to enjoy the Argentario by day, here is our guide to the most beautiful beaches and coves.

Il Leccino
Strada Regionale 74 Maremmana, 170 - Orbetello
ph. +39 0564 188 6996

The Il Leccino Restaurant at the AgriResort Podere Maremma offers its guests an unforgettable experience, culinary but not only. Located in the heart of Maremma, surrounded by 16 hectares of olive trees, from which an excellent extra virgin olive oil is produced, and only two kilometres from the sea, it is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the spirit of this land. The pasta and bread are homemade, the fruit and vegetables used in the kitchen are those grown in the farm's vegetable garden, and the meat and fish are the freshest on the market. There is also an open cellar that stocks the best certified Tuscan wines.

La Vivienda
Località Le Piane, 1 - Monte Argentario
ph. +39 366 876 0482

Overlooking the Orbetello lagoon and embellished by an elegant veranda overlooking the Argentario Polo Club polo field, La Vivienda restaurant is ready to satisfy the needs of the most varied palates. The cuisine offers the typical flavours of Italian and Tuscan tradition, but there is no lack of gourmet reinterpretations, such as the Embeeé, a Gold Rack lamb loin accompanied by burnt leeks and a salted peanut sauce. For those more faithful to tradition, there is Nonna's souvenir menu, consisting of the classic Tuscan tagliere, the timeless pappardelle al ragù and meatballs stewed with peas.

I Pescatori
Via Giacomo Leopardi, 9 - Orbetello
ph. +39 0564 860611

A small place but with a large forecourt and a beautiful veranda overlooking the sea, I Pescatori is a tasting centre run by the Orbetello lagoon fishermen's cooperative, which has exclusive rights to fish in the lagoon. What comes to the table is only and absolutely the catch of the day, which is served with simple recipes that allow the taste of fresh fish to be savoured at its best. Among the workhorses are the eel, marinated or fried, the grilled sea bream and the tagliolini with courgettes and Orbetello botargo. In addition to the kitchen, there is also a small shop where a market is held every day.

La Bussola
Piazza Facchinetti, 11 - Porto Santo Stefano
ph. +39 0564 814225

The cuisine of this restaurant, an institution for those who frequent the Argentario, exudes the scent of the sea from every dish. From starters to main courses, it is always fresh fish that plays the starring role here. Proposed both in the traditional way, such as the timeless spaghetti with seafood, and in a more innovative way. Also worth tasting are the appetisers, tagliatelle, gnocchi and bread!

Ristorante Domizia
SP161, n° 40 - Porto Santo Stefano
ph. +39 0564 810246

The watchword here is creativity. The fish dishes on the menu always have an original touch: the classic spaghetti with clams is dressed with a garlic cream, the half pacchero with red prawns meets lard, mint and pecorino cheese, the monkfish is accompanied by coconut flakes, milk and escarole, to name but a few examples. All served in a magical setting, that of the Giannella tombolo and the Domitian Bay.

Vecchia Pesa
Piazzale del Valle, 11/A - Porto Santo Stefano
ph. +39 0564 813574

Since 2018, Vecchia Pesa has been mixing traditional Italian and Santo Stefano flavours, from land and sea. The dishes on offer are great classics: risotto alla marinara and spaghetti with clams to name a few first courses, frittura and mixed grill among the main courses. Obviously, imagination is not lacking, such as that which can be found in the tuna steak with aubergine caponata and pea cream or in the paccheri with swordfish Messina style. Large selection of wines from all over Italy.

Il Pellicano
Località Sbarcatello - Porto Ercole
ph. +39 0564 858111

It is part of the beautiful Hotel Il Pellicano, set in a cove of rare beauty. The menu is sophisticated and innovative, with seafood and land dishes, from pigeon to lobster, and is very attentive to Tuscan excellence and the seasonality of the products, purchased only from small producers. If you don't know what to choose, there are no less than three tasting menus. However, leave some room for the end, here even the desserts are of the highest level! 1 Star in the MICHELIN Guide.

Hosteria Alicina
Piazza S.Sebastiano, 54 - Porto Ercole
ph. +39 0564 832630

Great cuisine in a small restaurant! Hosteria Alicina, a family-run gem, offers land and seafood dishes studied with maniacal care in the choice of ingredients, their highly original combinations and the presentation of the dishes. In the hands of the chef lies the magic, if you don't believe us try the fantastic smoked fusillo with cacio, pepper and bottarga (roe) and perhaps pair it with one of the 300 labels stored in the restaurant's cellar.

Ristorante Dama Dama
Località Le Piane - Porto Ercole
ph. +39 0564 810292

It is the restaurant of the elegant Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort and owes its name to the nature that surrounds it: the green hills of the Resort are in fact populated by free-roaming deer, whose scientific name is precisely dama dama. Here the dominant philosophy is respect for nature: the products are always seasonal, mostly organic and 0-kilometre, they come from the Resort's vegetable garden or from selected farms in the Tuscan Maremma. A wonderful panoramic terrace and a wine cellar containing the best of Italian oenology complete this splendid picture.

La Terrazza
Viale Caravaggio angolo Via Tramontana - Porto Ercole
ph. +39 0564 833636

This is the panoramic restaurant and lounge bar of the five-star Porto Ercole Resort and Spa, has a splendid view of the Feniglia beach and is equipped with an elegant swimming pool. Meat and fish are prepared here according to traditional Tuscan criteria, but the menu also includes several vegetarian dishes. The wine cellar of this restaurant will leave you speechless: there are many wines on offer selected only from the best cellars!