The sea in all its forms, between beach and nature: La Dogana by Enoteca La Torre is Capalbio's latest beach club revelation. Comfort, good vibes and an unusual pairing take center stage: Luca Morroto and Ricardo Takamitsu, two talented chefs who entertain at the table.
Photo credits: Mario Suarato
The philosophy of La Dogana by Enoteca La Torre
A terrace overlooking the sea that blends into the surrounding Mediterranean scrub; Lake Burano (Italy's first WWF oasis) just a few kilometers away; Giannutri, Ansedonia, and Monte Argentario in the background. When you arrive at La Dogana by Enoteca La Torre in Capalbio, this is the scene that greets you. The message is clear: nature and the sea are the main ingredients of the beach club owned by Terre di Sacra – a company that boasts numerous facilities and projects in the area, such as the exclusive glamping site just a stone's throw from the beach club – and managed since 2020 by the famous restaurant brand.
Silvia Sperduti and Michele Pepponi, now at the helm of the Enoteca La Torre group, strongly believed in the rebirth of this place, a borderland between Lazio and Tuscany, which in 2025 will boast a well-established restaurant offering with a dual soul: La Terrazza and Il Doganino. The former is led by Luca Morroto, one of the architects of the format's success: since his arrival in 2023, he has created a cuisine that reflects the territory with playful touches and recognizable flavors.
Il Doganino, on the other hand, is the new addition for the summer, thanks to the Japanese-Brazilian sushi style of Ricardo Takamitsu, another well-known face of the Viterbo group for his work at Enoteca La Torre Tritone in Rome. The two chefs, different in style and attitude, share the talent that the brand has always been able to bring out and enhance. This is somewhat similar to what happened with Domenico Stile, a chef who earned two Michelin stars at Enoteca La Torre Villa Laetitia, also in Rome.
The glue that binds the two establishments together is Rudy Travagli, restaurant manager of the group and maître d' of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant, who brings his profound knowledge of wine to the seaside. The wine list is limited, divided between sure bets—especially in the Champagne and Italian sparkling wine sections—and solid intuitions, such as Vermentino di Monteverro (which grows its vineyards right at the foot of Capalbio) and other interesting whites from southern Italy.
The gastronomic format of La Terrazza
While white and wood are the stylistic hallmarks of the environment, the atmosphere gives guests that feeling of relaxation and “slow living” that a beach resort must guarantee at certain levels. It is a setting in which Luca Morroto is now at ease; his strength lies in bringing to the dishes that sense of comfort that is a mantra at La Dogana, both on the beach and in the various dining areas. “We focus on recipes with few ingredients where the flavors are clearly recognizable,” says the chef from Sorano.
Your welcome is then served in the form of warm multigrain bread with a sinuous anchovy butter, followed by small tastes of the sea such as tuna tartare with buffalo mozzarella and truffle or tempura of prawns and sweetbreads. The freshness of the sea and the flavors of the land are a constant feature in the Maremma.
Thelobster salad with fresh fruit, pink pepper, vegetables, and lime and basil mayonnaise is like a caress of sea air, while the saffron risotto with raw red shrimp and burrata is bursting with flavor. “I love risotto, but given the large number of covers and timing, I opted for this variation, which suits the Terrazza setting and is very popular with customers.”
The chef also loves to play around with the dishes of the day to ensure that the menu is always streamlined and varies according to the catch and the season. “I have several suppliers and I enjoy myself more,” comments Morroto, who, since our last visit in 2023, we found to be even more on form and perfectly at home in what is now his second home.
Sushi with a sea view
The open kitchen on the other side of the veranda offers a glimpse of the work of Ricardo Takamitsu, who has slotted perfectly into the beach club's team. The Brazilian-born chef is a great connoisseur of sushi and seafood, as demonstrated by his teaching on the subject and his Carpaccio E.L. Takamitsu, which he usually serves to guests. “To make a good carpaccio, you need a lot of technique, and given the difficulties involved, this type of cutting is disappearing. With the success of fusion sushi, all chefs have become maki-men, and the culture of this preparation has been lost,” reveals Takamitsu.
His version is a symphony of flavors, combining bluefin tuna, octopus, red shrimp, sea bass, and scallops accompanied by a hint of anchovy. The rolls and nigiri have found the winning formula in the cooking of the rice – where the chef has managed to reduce both the cooking time and the use of water by 70% – and are expressed in gourmet bites with the taste of salmon, scampi, and bluefin tuna.
The plant-based sushi and the Bao bacalhau (Takamitsu's invention) are also excellent. At the end of the meal, we recommend refreshing your palate with mochi gelato in a variety of flavors, which complete the original sushi experience just a stone's throw from the sea.
CONTACTS
La Dogana Terre di Sacra by Enoteca La Torre
Via Graticciaia, 58011 Chiarone Scalo (GR)
Info and reservations
Phone +39 0564 183 0669
dogana@enotecalatorre.group
