The Flavours of the Conero: A Story of Fire, Sea, and Tradition

The Conero is not only a place to experience, but to savor. It lives in the salty scents carried by the sea, in ingredients born between water and land, and in the timeless gestures of a cuisine that tells stories before it serves dishes.

Here, sea and countryside intertwine naturally, engaging in a quiet dialogue where neither ever overpowers the other. It is a balance shaped by simplicity and refinement, where the most authentic cooking coexists with contemporary cuisine, in a continuous exchange between memory and innovation.

Dining in Portonovo Bay means stepping into the truest heart of the Conero: a place where fishermen and farmers have, over time, built a culinary culture that is both essential and deeply rooted in identity.

For those who wish to discover the Conero at its most authentic, these are the places to begin. Historic, essential, and sincere addresses, where cuisine follows the rhythm of the sea and tradition, and every dish tells a story of simplicity and truth.

Ristorante Da Emilia: where it all began
In many ways, Portonovo starts here. Da Emilia—born Giulia Palmina Gasparoni—was a small yet determined woman who first recognized the charm of this still-wild bay. She would come down to the shore to offer refreshment to early travelers, turning a simple gesture into a lasting tradition.

Today, in a restaurant dating back to the 1950s, that legacy of authenticity and hospitality is still carefully preserved. Recipes are passed down through generations, maintaining a deep connection to the land. The spaghetti with wild moscioli is a must-try, capturing better than anything else the true identity of the Conero. The mosciolo itself is a Slow Food Presidium, a symbol of this territory.

Da Marcello: the sea, barefoot
Some places are remembered for how they make you feel. Da Marcello is one of them. Here, you dine with your feet almost in the water, accompanied by the sound of the waves and a cuisine that needs no interpretation.

It is the perfect address for those seeking the most sincere essence of the Conero. The flavors are timeless: paccasassi, moscioli, and golden fried fish and vegetables. Dishes that speak a direct, unfiltered language.

And then there is the storytelling—Marcello himself, who between courses brings back the soul and memory of every ingredient. A place that may seem simple at first glance, yet is profoundly genuine in every detail.

For those looking for a different, more contemporary experience—a sensory journey within the journey—the Conero also reveals a treasure of Michelin-starred dining. Here, haute cuisine surprises, intrigues, and engages. Tradition transforms into research, creating gastronomic paths that blend technique, vision, and territory.

Andreina: fire as a language of haute cuisine
Just a few minutes from the Conero, in Loreto, the rhythm of the experience shifts and becomes something deeper. Ristorante Andreina is more than a destination—it is a contemporary narrative rooted in tradition.

Here, chef Errico Recanati interprets fire as a language, transforming embers, smoke, and wood into tools of haute cuisine. The Michelin star, awarded in 2013, is only one expression of a journey defined by research and vision.

Today, Andreina stands as one of the most compelling destinations in the Italian gastronomic scene, where each dish is a balance between technique and instinct, memory and experimentation. It is the Conero evolving—bold, expressive, and told through fire. An experience that lingers.

To fully enjoy it at a relaxed pace, hotel guests can take advantage of a dedicated transfer service, turning dinner into a seamless, worry-free moment to be savored until the very end.

Clandestino: taste as landscape
Overlooking the sea, suspended between sky and water, Clandestino Susci Bar feels like a vision.

This stilted structure by Moreno Cedroni rises along the coast like a place out of time, where the eye drifts across the endless shades of the Adriatic. Here, cuisine becomes a dialogue between cultures—an exploration that blends distant inspirations with local roots.

The renowned susci, Cedroni’s personal reinterpretation of sushi, tells exactly this story: a meeting of different worlds, brought into harmony through technique and sensitivity. The menu surprises with ever-changing themes, always expressed with elegance, alternating memory and innovation in a balance that perfectly reflects the spirit of the Conero.

The Conero can be discovered this way too: at the table. Between tradition and research, between ancient gestures and contemporary visions, every gastronomic experience becomes a different way of inhabiting this land. A weave of languages, flavors, and emotions that lingers—quietly—in memory.