Lobster
Palinurus elephas
The queen of our sea. By weight, always alive until cooking. Our specialty since 1958.
Speciality Catch of the day
Our Catch
Every morning the fishermen of the Maddalena archipelago bring to La Grotta what the sea has given. No cold chains, no middlemen. Just fresh fish, cooked the same day.
0 kmFrom the sea
Every morningFresh catch
Since 1958Same philosophy
Our philosophy
From the Strait of Bonifacio to your fork
The waters of the Strait of Bonifacio are among the richest in the western Mediterranean. Currents that meet, varied seabeds, clean waters: an extraordinary ecosystem that has fed our work for sixty years.
The local fishermen we work with go out at night or very early in the morning before dawn. What arrives on our tables is determined by what they found that morning — not by a fixed price list or an industrial supplier. That's why the menu changes every day.
What does "0 km" mean?
The fish you eat was caught that morning or the day before in the archipelago. We don't freeze it. We don't import it. If a species isn't there, it's simply not on the menu.
Maddalena ArchipelagoSardinia
The species
The species of our sea
What you find on the menu depends on the season and the day's catch. These are the species that most often grace our kitchens.
Sea bream
Sparus aurata
White, firm flesh, perfect grilled or in salt crust. One of the most appreciated fish of the Mediterranean.
Seasonal · Apr–Oct
Sea bass
Dicentrarchus labrax
Delicate and versatile, one of our guests' favourites. Grilled, in salt crust or steamed.
All year round
Scorpionfish
Scorpaena scrofa
Intense flavour, white flesh. Ideal for soups, fish sauces and Sardinian broths.
Seasonal · May–Sep
Octopus
Octopus vulgaris
Tender and tasty. We serve it as carpaccio, char-grilled or stewed with cherry tomatoes.
All year round
Dentex
Dentex dentex
Prized, with firm and tasty flesh. One of the most sought-after fish of the Mediterranean, grilled or baked.
Seasonal · Jun–Sep
Amberjack
Seriola dumerili
Blue fish with rich flesh. Excellent raw as carpaccio or grilled with aromatic herbs.
Seasonal · May–Oct
Tub gurnard
Chelidonichthys lucerna
White and delicate flesh. Perfect for soups, broths and oven cooking.
All year round
Swordfish
Xiphias gladius
Firm and tasty flesh. Sliced and grilled, as carpaccio or seared.
Seasonal · May–Sep
Tuna
Thunnus thynnus
Prized blue fish with red flesh. Excellent raw, seared or grilled.
Seasonal · May–Aug
Seafood
Clams · Mussels · Oysters
The Maddalena sea in one taste. Raw, gratin or in our seafood pasta dishes.
Seasonal
Fish soup
Our tradition
Family recipe with the day's catch: scorpionfish, gurnard, seafood and rocky-bottom fish.
Specialty The process
From the sea to the table — every day
Three steps, every morning, no exceptions. From the boat to your plate.
Fishermen leave at dawn
Before dawn the boats leave La Maddalena harbour towards the fishing areas of the archipelago. The Strait of Bonifacio, rocky seabeds, open waters.
The catch arrives in the kitchen
By morning the fresh fish is in our kitchens. Enzo and Fernando personally select every purchase: only what passes the visual and olfactory check goes in.
On your table for lunch or dinner
What you see on today's menu is determined by what arrived that morning. Not the other way around. If a species isn't there, it's not available — simple as that.
The catch changes every day.
Check the menu or ask staff which species are available today. Booking helps us guarantee the right fish for your evening.