Bovo Marina is an enchanting place: ten kilometers of nearly uninterrupted beach, a pine forest behind it, the vast blue expanse of the Mediterranean ahead, and a profound sense of tranquility—something increasingly rare along the Italian coast. Locanda Perbellini al Mare is just a short walk from the sand and is anything but your typical beachfront restaurant: umbrellas and lounge chairs are right there, but this is certainly not what you’d normally expect to find along the shoreline.
Similarly, its elegant informality means it’s not one of those stuffy destinations: in fact, it’s a perfect example of how the concept of fine dining can be expanded and contextualized without turning it into a synonym for an ever-less-understandable excess of formality. Stunning sunsets await, then, but also a delicate refinement that only the touch of a master like Giancarlo Perbellini can provide. The project began in 2020, when the Veronese chef chose the Agrigento coast to create a seaside version of his Locanda, in collaboration with Luna Minoica Suites & Apartments. The minimalist building, constructed of wood and glass, blends harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. The philosophy is the same one that defines the group’s other restaurants: straightforward, accessible cuisine, high-quality ingredients, attentive service, and a relaxed atmosphere. As the Veronese chef puts it: “A place far from the city, a place to rest and enjoy the tranquility, with the added bonus of savoring the magic of a sunset over the sea.”
The restaurant, the chef, the concept
The history of this place, however, goes back much further, because the restaurant was already in operation under the Vella family. Giacomo, born in 1988 and now the resident chef, tells us: “It was a family-run restaurant founded way back in 2001–2002. I practically grew up there. We ran it until 2019 and then sold it to the owners. Then Giancarlo Perbellini came on board, and I stayed there doing what I’d always done”. His personal story, however, isn’t exactly straightforward. Giacomo didn’t follow the traditional path through culinary school: “I wasn’t born a chef—in fact, I graduated as a plumber.” After graduating, he found work as an electrician, while his mother and sisters ran the restaurant. Then came a turning point, almost by chance: “I’d lost my job and found myself cooking. That’s how I started—as a self-taught cook, learning through trial and error. In 2013, I stepped into the kitchen and haven’t left since.”
His encounter with Giancarlo Perbellini marked a turning point. After selling the restaurant, Vella spent the winter months in the kitchens of the Verona-based group, first at Al Capitan della Cittadella and then during a stint in Milan. Here, in this charming setting, we find the signature style of Giancarlo Perbellini—one of the leading figures in contemporary Italian cuisine—blended with that of a Sicilian chef who has known the area since childhood and who has successfully forged his own culinary identity by seamlessly integrating these two distinct influences.
When asked how much of the cuisine at the three-star restaurant 12 Apostoli still reflects the owner’s original style and how much is instead a product of his own vision, Vella replies without hesitation: “As of today, I’d say ninety percent, because the dishes are based on ideas that are fundamentally mine. Then, when I work alongside a great master like him, there’s always an extra touch, a little gem—that special something we fine-tune together. Giancarlo clearly has a more Nordic vision, while I’m much more regionally focused. I like to experiment with the ingredients I know, and there’s this constant exchange: I introduce him to ingredients he may not have seen before, and I pick up things from him that I’ve never used before.”
It’s a strong collaboration, then, in which each season begins with a week of testing in the group’s kitchens, during which ideas take shape, are tasted, adjusted, and refined before the opening: essentially a workshop where Perbellini’s technical rigor combines with the instinct of a chef deeply connected to his island. Vella continues: “My cooking is very instinctive, simple, and straightforward. The only thing that really matters to me is flavor. I’m not someone who seeks out rare ingredients or top-of-the-line products. I like to take an anchovy, a red mullet—simple ingredients—and bring out the best in them. I want the guest to taste the dish and simply say: ‘This is so good!’”
The dining room staff, led by Chantal Feletto, is warm and courteous; the wine list isn’t particularly extensive but offers everything you need and shows a special focus on Sicily and the wines of Luna Sicana, a winery owned by the same company, which also supplies the extra virgin olive oil and some of the pistachios used in the kitchen.
The Cuisine
The menu, of course, features several of Giancarlo Perbellini’s signature classics. These include, for example, the famous ‘cooked and raw tuna Milanese,’ the ‘unfried arancino,’ a reimagined version of the dish that eliminates frying without compromising the flavor. The dishes never feature any gimmicks, but they do showcase extreme precision in cooking, harmonious flavors, and a distinctive taste, with results that struck us as remarkable. Take, for example, the interpretation of the Sicilian summer salad, served with yellowtail, tomatoes, olives, onion, and the round watermelon grown locally. “Basically, it’s the salad we eat all summer long, and we’ve recreated it on that plate,”
Vella explains, noting that the dish is topped with a pistachio sauce made from pistachios grown on the farm. Another exquisite salad, this time in the Ligurian style, inspired by a classic pasta with pesto, potatoes, green beans, and basil, with the addition of cucunci, the fruit of the caper bush. The salad is prepared like a pesto pasta dish but finished with a potato mousse made with olive oil and puffed buckwheat to add a crunchy element.
Elegant in its gentle sweetness, the minced white tuna, served with a piece of potato focaccia and olive oil for dipping into the sauce. The spaghetti alla marinara with oregano, tomato, and anchovies, tossed in a light tomato broth, is delicious—topped with a brunoise of bell peppers sautéed to order and then doused with the tomato broth, along with mackerel confit and smoked herring caviar. The ravioli (shaped as a single large raviolone) stuffed with almond curd—made from almond milk curdled as if it were cheese—were absolutely delicious. They were tossed in a pan with orange juice, a hint of butter, and, to finish, coffee powder, pan-seared capers, almonds, and orange zest.
Perfect in both texture and flavor, the sea bass is seared on the skin side and served with a sauce made from pure pistachio paste, seasoned with lemon, salt, and anchovy sauce to add a nice savory kick.
The dessert course begins with a successful personal take on the brioche with ice cream and Sicilian granita, transformed into an irresistible dessert. To finish, you simply can’t miss the now-legendary “Strachin” mille-feuille, a delectable creation by master pastry chef Giancarlo Perbellini.
Contact
Locanda Perbellini al mare
Bovo Marina, 92010 Montallegro AG
Phone: 347 922 1759
