Don’t expect a place full of clichés and glitter: at Dama Dama, they take things seriously, offering truly regional cuisine—from “Maremma Pig” to homemade limoncello. At the helm is Emiliano Lombardelli, a seasoned chef who highlights the artisanal expertise of nearby farms: in addition to the golf courses and spa, this is a restaurant worth checking out during a vacation in the Argentario.
The sea air still stings a little as the road leaves the lagoon behind, entering a silence broken only by the swaying of the mastic trees. It almost feels like traveling in an isolated bubble, where the Tuscan landscape gradually sheds its usual postcard-perfect stiffness and becomes a film in slow motion. However, beyond the gate of the Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort, the scene changes once again: the view opens up onto the geometric layout of the green, and inside, the setting becomes imposing, forming a citadel of luxury with 5 stars emblazoned on the door.
Twenty years of tournaments, organic certifications back when sustainability wasn’t yet a hashtag, and an international clientele that today blends seamlessly with our local “regulars”; this is how the resort overlooking Porto Ercole came to be—a vacation destination where the adrenaline of a workout on the court harmonizes with the pleasure of relaxation at the spa.
After two or three minutes of getting your bearings, your eye falls on the 18-hole course, a par-71 layout spanning over 6,000 meters designed by Brian Jorgensen; it is precisely this course that, on June 2, 2006, began drawing sports enthusiasts in droves to Monte Argentario for the first full-swing training camps. Since then, the former patch of land near the Duna Feniglia Nature Reserve has become a small golfing haven, the only one in Italy to boast the title of PGA National Golf Course Italy.
“Titans” such as Gary Player and Matteo Manassero have walked these fairways, culminating in the DP World Tour Italian Open in 2025. But this 20-year milestone is also the perfect opportunity for new beginnings, especially as the torch is passed from one generation to the next, thanks to a free introductory fitness program designed for young people.
Once the match is over, however, the bag is set aside in a corner and it’s time to switch gears. Just a few steps away lies a “resort within a resort”: the Dama Dama Restaurant, led by executive chef Emiliano Lombardelli, who for years has been serving up a significant portion of the local food ecosystem, supporting the area’s green initiatives.
At his side is the restaurant manager and veteran sommelier Nicola Alocci, the creator of a wine list that brings together top-tier wines from across the Alps and interesting local labels. Not to mention the cocktail pairings, with the option to order a “Martinez” made with local vermouth as an aperitif.
Dama Dama Restaurant: the Maremma with a modern twist
At first glance, the dining room gives the same impression as the common areas: the refresh by interior designer Andrea Fogli has transformed the space with shades of charcoal gray, bronze sculptures, and a decidedly intimate layout (fewer tables, more personalized service), while plans remain in place for a future Winery Room designed for “glass-in-hand” experiences. Behind the scenes, a journey that strips the Maremma of its rural clichés to clothe it in a focus on the product: here, Tuscan identity is a modern link, not a totem to be worshipped.
This is evident the moment we sit down, thanks to the milky purity of the butter from Fattoria Il Palagiaccio (a farm particularly known for its vegan cheeses, ed.); it’s almost a gentle nudge that paves the way for the contrasts to come.
The name says it all: the region takes a playful turn withMaremma Pig: a spiced mousse reminiscent of pulled pork, nestled on a savory crumble to liven up the welcome. The visual touch? The chef transforms the fat from the guanciale into a stencil shaped like a piglet, a flavorful design that looks like a souvenir you can bite into.
The sea makes its presence felt “in small sips,” first with a soy-marinated Atlantic bonito surrounded by lightly blanched Tuscan panzanella, then with blinis topped with raw yellowtail, enlivened by the sharp zing of capers. The inland takes center stage again in the charcoal cracker with chicken liver pâté mousse and bitter orange, where the citrusy punch sharply cuts through the richness of the offal. For the final round, the goat cheese macaron with foie gras and hazelnuts, with its interplay between the blood-red and the toasted.
The Dishes
A thin layer of Argentario pink shrimp opens the main courses, a marine veil that caresses the cheeks at the start of the tasting. Introducing it is an unexpected temperature contrast: organic extra-virgin olive oil ice cream (BioAgriCert certified and sourced from the resort’s own estate), made without eggs so as not to “taint” the fruit’s aromatic identity. In response, the chef breaks down the crustacean and balances its richness with precision: “To make use of the heads, I make a bisque and serve it alongside herring caviar, which adds a slightly smoky note.” A clever move to counter the pronounced saltiness of traditional caviar.
The main course features a “super-local” TosKobe tartare, a cross between Kobe and the Romagna breed with a unique, savory flavor. The rest of the dish “unfolds gradually” in harmony with nature: there’s a gel made from Biologica Rustici’s cacione cheese, a Marzolino white truffle, and asparagus presented in two forms (as a gel and as a crudité). Yet, the real star is a cold-cooked and blast-chilled egg: the yolk takes on a silky density, while the white is prepared poached-style, recreating the texture of a tiny creamy egg.
Can a soup be transformed into stuffed pasta? Yes: at Dama Dama, this happens with the Bottone di Caldaro dell’Argentario, which “deconstructs and reconstructs” the local fishermen’s “regatta broth” (the caldaro, in fact) with a new culinary approach.
“From the collagen in the thorns, I made a reduced broth that I simmered for three days. The finest part, however, is inside the bud; on top, a cicada placed raw and just seared in the broth”. A spoonful that’s both rustic and refined, since the wafer-like garnish is reminiscent of the bread that usually tops the soup.
The intensity rises a notch in the Tortelli di colombaccio alla cacciatora, where the bird’s meat is completely stripped from the bones and combined with a few anchovies, mimicking the classic Tuscan pâté.
The pasta, made with “egg yolks only,” remains firm and chewy, while the trimmings are used to create a rich jus flavored with mace, which imparts a subtle, resinous note. The succulent highlight comes from a fondue made with Gigante, a long-aged, cooked-curd pecorino.
And here comes the highlight of the evening: the rack of lamb, a product of Lombardelli’s experience at Anna Stuben in Ortisei. “The chef, opening a can of tuna, told me he had sensed a strange harmony between wild and roasted notes. I took that intuition to heart by lightly smoking the meat in hay and adding a sauce made of tuna, coffee, and lamb stock."
Bringing balance to the dish are the truffle potato pâté and the broccoli rabe quickly seared over an open flame. To finish, a snapshot of summer: “As a child, I used to eat Sammontana lemon sorbet with a licorice stick. That’s where the desire to turn it into a contemporary dessert came from”. And so the dessert unfolds “vertically”: the airiness of Italian meringue, a lemon sauce, and a licorice mousse that lingers on the palate. On the drink side, the finale also captures the artisanal spirit of the estate, where the team independently produces an organic limoncello liqueur cream, made with lemons harvested from the garden and flavored with vanilla.
Experience the resort, from the spa to the suites, all the way to the Club House
Once the lights of the Dama Dama have dimmed, the morning glow illuminates the Espace Wellness Center, a sleek, modern space that plays on the contrast between monochromatic black and white and light woods. In the wet zone, the dense scrub of the Maremma peeks through the windows, tinging the dedicated treatments with green: many “recipes for the skin” that banish chemicals to draw directly from the richness of the soil, massaging the body with the estate’s organic olive oil and the natural scents of freshly picked lavender.
Relaxation follows the same signature style in the property’s seven suites, each with its own distinct character. Staying in the 70-square-meter open-concept Spa suite, for example, means having an exclusive private retreat all to yourself: the boundaries between room and home gradually blur, transforming the accommodation into a personal wellness center. You move freely between the steam jets of the Turkish bath, a workout on the high-tech exercise bike, and a dip in the oversized hot tub, before floating on the 60 square meters of terrace that extends like a springboard over the Tuscan hills.
And for those seeking an even more secluded getaway, the villas in the complex offer a private retreat where comfort is measured in silence, private gardens, and outdoor hot tubs overlooking the sunset.
Is anything missing? Yes, all-day dining: to break up your workout routine, you can always stop by the Club House, a spacious venue reserved for group or family meals. Try the excellent fresh-pulled tagliolini with seafood, the premium cutlet, and the lemon cake. The latter, often served at official events, is exactly the dessert you need after a battle down to the last swing.
Contact
Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort, Autograph Collection
Località Le Piane, Porto Ercole (GR), 58019,
Phone +39 0564 810292
Email info@argentarioresort.it
