Hotel Riviera

From the coast, you take a winding road uphill to this family-run trattoria which boasts sea views from its terrace. Apart from the salted cod, the menu only features meat dishes, with a focus on simple, traditional Abruzzo specialties. These include arrosticini (skewered grilled meat), fragrant mushrooms, barbecued meat and delicious “pizza dogge”, the latter a type of layered dessert with sponge cake, custard, confectioner’s cream and Alkermes liqueur. The concise wine list also focuses on the Abruzzo.

The rather anonymous location does not in any way detract from the quality of this historic restaurant, which is renowned for its excellent fish and seafood. The menu showcases fish from the Adriatic cooked using classical techniques with the occasional modern twist, such as in the tuna tartare seasoned with caramelised onions and citrus powder-flavoured mayonnaise. Considering the quality of the fish here, the prices are very reasonable. The beautifully presented desserts are an added bonus.