Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Il Castagnacciao
(Via del Mercato Vecchio 5; pizza €4.50-7; 9am-2.30pm & 4.30-11pm Thu-Tue)
Hidden in an alley
near Piazza Cavour, this iconic address with bench seating at wooden tables is no-frills
pizza bliss. Watch your thin-crust, rectangular-shaped pizza go in and out of the wood-
fired oven, and save space for dessert -
castagnaccio
(chestnut 'cake') baked in the same
oven. To go completely local, start with a lip-smacking plate of
torta di ceci
(chickpea
'pizza').
PIZZERIA
€
Caffescondido
(Via del Carmine 65; meals €25; lunch & dinner Mon-Sat)
This Slow Food-endorsed trattoria,
footsteps from pretty Piazza Gramsci, makes for the perfect getaway from the waterfront
crowds. Options are kept simple - just a handful of
primi
(first courses) and
secondi
(second courses) are chalked on the blackboard which usually stars a local classic such as
baccacà alla marinese
(saltcod with potatoes) or
polpo brisco
(octopus). No credit cards.
TRATTORIA
€€
Osteria Libertaria
( 05 6591 4978; Calata Giacomo Matteotti 12; meals €30; lunch & dinner summer)
Across from
the fishing boats, this waterfront
osteria
cooks up a tasty fish-driven cuisine. Simple
dishes such as fried calamari or
tonno in crosta di pistacchi
(pistachio-encrusted tuna fil-
let) are fresher than fresh and cooked to perfection every time. Dine at one of two tile-
topped tables on the traffic-noisy street outside or on the back-alley terrace. No coffee.
TUSCAN
€€
Stella Marina
( 05 6591 5983;
www.ristorantestellamarina.com
;
Viale Vittorio Emanuele II, Banchina Alto Fondale;
meals €45; lunch & dinner Tue-Sun)
Completely incongruously, Portoferraio's finest dine
lies low in an unglamorous building in a car park. Ferry boats moor in front, guaranteeing
great entertainment from the terrace. But step inside and it is white tablecloths, smart ser-
vice and sublime fish and seafood cooked with a fabulous dose of creativity. The black
rice risotto with
seppia all' elbana
(mushrooms) is divine. Reservations essential.
SEAFOOD
€€€
