Today, Versilia offers a wide range of experiences, from iconic restaurants that have been popular for decades to the newest establishments, where a commitment to sourcing the finest ingredients and culinary techniques go hand in hand with a warm welcome that remains one of the defining characteristics of the Tuscan coast. This selection features ten restaurants, each unique in its own way, yet united by a strong identity and the ability to interpret the region through different perspectives.
Versilia is one of Italy’s most famous seaside destinations: over the years, a culinary scene has developed in the area—spanning Forte dei Marmi, Pietrasanta, Lido di Camaiore, and Viareggio—that successfully blends the region’s seafaring spirit with high-end dining. Alongside historic establishments—guardians of a tradition rooted in the Tyrrhenian Sea’s catch—are restaurants that have successfully reinvented the language of contemporary cuisine, attracting talented chefs and an increasingly discerning international clientele.
Gilda
For forty years, Gilda has been one of Forte dei Marmi’s must-visit spots. The Tabarani family’s restaurant has weathered trends and changes without compromising its identity, built around simple seafood cuisine where the quality of the ingredients takes precedence over any stylistic flourishes. Today, the restaurant is run by Ilda alongside her husband Riccardo and son Niccolò, while Adua continues to prepare the desserts that have delighted generations of guests. The menu treats the day’s catch with great respect, ranging from raw and steamed dishes to classic recipes, all executed with a sure hand. Among the must-try dishes are the scampi croquettes with fennel velouté and a hint of orange, paccheri pasta with scorpionfish, olives, capers, and oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, and sole alla mugnaia with lemon-infused mashed potatoes. The wine list is extensive and well-curated, while the service maintains that balance between professionalism and warmth that is one of the restaurant’s hallmarks.
Viale Italico 85, 55042 Forte dei Marmi (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 880397
Website: www.gildafortedeimarmi.com
Dalmazia Beach Club
Inside the Dalmazia Beach Club at the Hotel Principe, the restaurant led by Valentino Cassanelli reinterprets seafood cuisine with a contemporary style that draws on local flavors and lightens them without altering their essence. The three verandas overlooking the beach make the sea an integral part of the experience, but it is above all the cuisine that captures the attention thanks to its clean and distinctive preparations. The grilled octopus with Tuscan barbecue sauce, baby artichokes, and crispy Jerusalem artichokes perfectly embodies this philosophy, as do the paccheri alla trabaccolara with tomato, eggplant, and sea fennel, and the grilled tuna with mint-infused eggplant and roasted tomato emulsion. The wine selection, curated by Sokol Ndreko, places special emphasis on artisanal producers and natural wines, rounding out an offering designed for an international clientele but also appreciated by locals.
Viale della Repubblica 18, 55042 Forte dei Marmi (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 783636 (hotel) – +39 334 9919964 (restaurant)
Website: www.principefortedeimarmi.com
Osteria del Mare
Just a short walk from the center of Forte dei Marmi, Osteria del Mare offers elegant cuisine that highlights the freshness of its ingredients. Fish, vegetables from the restaurant’s own farm, and produce from small local growers form the foundation of Chef Lleshi’s work, as she creates simple, balanced dishes full of character. Among the most representative dishes are pan-seared octopus with cannellini beans, celery, lovage, and Luciana sauce; risotto with mussels, clams, and herb-infused Vermouth di Prato; and seared amberjack with an almond crust, tomato gazpacho, goat cheese sauce, and fresh oregano emulsion. Rounding out the menu are wood-fired pizzas, a well-stocked wine cellar, and a pleasant veranda overlooking the sea.
Via Achille Franceschi 4/C, 55042 Forte dei Marmi (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 83661
Website: www.osteriadelmare.it
Bistrot
Overlooking one of the most elegant stretches of the Forte dei Marmi waterfront, Il Bistrot represents the Vaiani family’s most ambitious culinary project. At the helm of the kitchen is Andrea Mattei, a native of Versilia, who—after working alongside Alain Ducasse and at Enoteca Pinchiorri—has developed a personal culinary vision that combines technique, balance, and culinary heritage. His cuisine draws inspiration from the sea but also features intriguing forays into land-based ingredients, always presented in a minimalist style that avoids unnecessary embellishments. This is evident in dishes such as mountain potato ravioli with scampi, orange, and a shellfish reduction; squid with Swiss chard, olive and caper pesto, and citrus; and turbot in Vernaccia wine with grilled razor clams, zucchini, and zucchini flowers. The four tasting menus are particularly noteworthy, while the wine list—featuring over two thousand labels and a special focus on Burgundy and Champagne—is one of the most impressive on the coast.
Via Achille Franceschi 14, 55042 Forte dei Marmi (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 89879
Website: www.ristorantebistrot.it
La Risacca – Bagno La Perla
Since 1972, the history of the Tosi family has been intertwined with that of Bagno La Perla, one of the best-known beach clubs in Lido di Camaiore. In recent years, La Risacca has found new energy thanks to Lorenzo’s return to the dining room and the continuation of the family’s culinary tradition, maintaining the seafood-focused character that has always been its hallmark. During the summer season, the terrace overlooking the sea is one of the most pleasant places to relax, but the interior spaces also retain a warm and refined atmosphere. The menu focuses primarily on fresh seafood, while also offering meat and vegetarian dishes, all while staying true to Versilian tradition. Among the signature dishes are the “alla Risacca” tagliolini—a tribute to the restaurant’s history—roasted mazzancolle with Camaiore-style scarpaccia, zucchini flowers, and cuttlefish lard, and fish soup prepared in the traditional cacciucco style. A wine list rich in Italian sparkling wines and Champagne perfectly complements the dishes.
Viale Sergio Bernardini 604, 55041 Lido di Camaiore (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 617464
Website: Bagno La Perla – La Risacca
Filippo
In the historic center of Pietrasanta, Filippo di Bartola has created what can be considered his culinary home—a place where Tuscan cuisine meets a contemporary sensibility without losing touch with its roots. The restaurant embodies a vision of tradition in motion, rooted in memory but also driven by curiosity, with dishes that seek new harmonies without straying from authentic flavor. The cuisine alternates between seafood and meat, with a particular focus on ingredients and seasonality, as demonstrated by the trout all’uccelletto, spaghetti alla chitarra with oyster broth, Senise peppers, and mantis shrimp, and the grouper with eggplant and yellow peaches. A menu that combines technical precision with immediacy, complemented by a refined wine list and attentive yet never formal service.
Via Padre Eugenio Barsanti 45, 55045 Pietrasanta (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 70010
Website: www.ristorantefilippo.it
Da Gigi
Located on the Tonfano promenade in Marina di Pietrasanta, right next to the pier, Da Gigi is one of the newest spots to have quickly carved out a place for itself in the coastal dining scene. Behind the project is a young team led by Andrea Salvatori, a maître d’ with extensive experience gained at Michelin-starred Italian restaurants. The seafood cuisine on offer is elegant, and the setting—with its attention to detail—conveys a distinct vision of hospitality, featuring refined spaces designed to maintain a relaxed atmosphere. The cuisine draws on Versilian tradition and reinterprets it with a lighter touch, focusing on the quality of the ingredients and the purity of the flavors. Among the dishes that best embody this philosophy are the sea bream skewer with lard, zucchini cream, and scapece; the Riserva San Massimo risotto with turbot, smoked ricotta, and rosemary; and the roasted salt cod with pizzaiola sauce and carasau bread. A restaurant that looks to the future while maintaining a strong connection to the sea.
Viale Roma, Marina di Pietrasanta, 55045 Pietrasanta (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 345613
Website: www.ristorantedagigi.it
Lunasia
Located on the Viareggio boardwalk, inside the Hotel Plaza et de Russie, Lunasia has been one of the most intriguing destinations on the Tuscan coast for years. The bright, contemporary dining room showcases the cuisine of Luca Landi, a chef who skillfully creates a balanced dialogue between the sea, the land, and the plant kingdom. His style stems from a deep exploration of ingredients—especially local ones—which he elevates through technique and artistry without ever turning the dish into an exercise in form over substance. The tasting menus showcase different facets of the chef’s cuisine: from the “Mar d’Amare” menu dedicated to seafood to the “Mare e Vegetali” menu, and on to the selection focused on meats. Among his most representative creations are mackerel scented with bergamot, served with kiwi, arugula, and smoked yogurt; and fermented pasta baskets made with rennet and saffron, filled with sea urchin, tomato pesto, and chives. The wine list features less conventional selections and complements a cuisine where color, precision, and depth coexist naturally.
Hotel Plaza e de Russie, Viale Daniele Manin 4, 55049 Viareggio (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 44449
Website: Hotel Plaza e de Russie – Lunasia
Romano
In the heart of Viareggio, Romano remains one of the historic landmarks of Italian seafood dining, capable of evolving without losing its character. Today, the restaurant thrives on the collaboration between two complementary figures: Roberto Franceschini in the dining room and Nicola Giancarlo Gronchi in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Romano is always on the floor, overseeing operations. Over the years, Franceschini has built one of the coast’s most impressive wine cellars, with a selection exceeding 1,300 labels and a particular focus on Champagne, Burgundy, and great Italian wines, transforming every pairing into a story. Gronchi, on the other hand, interprets the sea through contemporary cuisine that honors tradition while embracing innovation, where recipes are streamlined and simplified. Examples include the cuttlefish tagliatelle with snow peas, tartar sauce with wild mint and dandelion, and the “Calle di Gragnano” with mixed seafood, mantis shrimp, and parsley. Romano thus remains a place where past and present coexist, keeping alive the connection between the local territory and gastronomic culture.
Via Giuseppe Mazzini 122, 55049 Viareggio (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 31382
Website: www.ristoranteromano.it
Il Piccolo Principe
For years, Il Piccolo Principe, located inside the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte in Viareggio, has been one of the most prestigious restaurants on the Tuscan coast. The dining room exudes understated elegance, while in the kitchen, Giuseppe Mancino has, since 2005, found the ideal setting to develop his own culinary vision, built on the fusion of Mediterranean traditions and contemporary influences. The chef, originally from Campania, draws on his roots and his connection to the sea to create dishes where technique and creativity always serve the palate. His cuisine combines Tuscan ingredients, influences from Southern Italy, and Eastern-inspired elements, with playful interplay of textures and contrasts that are never excessive. Among the dishes that best exemplify his style are the Campania-style buffalo mozzarella risotto with seaweed and lemon, the yellowtail with zucchini and fenugreek, and the pigeon with unripe apricots and Cibreo sauce. A restaurant that, over the years, has managed to maintain a distinct and ever-evolving identity.
Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte, Piazza Giacomo Puccini 1, 55049 Viareggio (LU)
Tel. +39 0584 4011
Website: www.principedipiemonte.com
