Ristorante La Vecchia Grotta, Sperlonga

Ristorante La Vecchia Grotta sits in the heart of Sperlonga, one of the most beautiful coastal villages in southern Lazio, a tumble of whitewashed houses and narrow stepped lanes overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. The restaurant specialises in the fresh seafood and coastal cooking for which this stretch of the Riviera di Ulisse is known, drawing on the daily catch landed along the shore. Signature dishes include spaghetti con totani e patate (squid and potato), frittura di calamari and other fried and grilled fish, spaghetti alle vongole and seasonal shellfish, prepared in the simple, ingredient-led style that lets the freshness speak. The setting is a large part of the charm: tables tucked into a characterful, partly grotto-like interior and spilling onto the picturesque whitewashed alley outside, where diners eat among the village's photogenic lanes. The atmosphere is relaxed and summery, busy in the high season when Sperlonga fills with Italian holidaymakers and quieter in the shoulder months; casual, beach-town dress is entirely appropriate. The wine list focuses on Lazio whites well suited to the seafood. Prices are moderate, with pastas around €14 and fried fish mains in the mid-teens, fair for a popular seaside village. Sperlonga is also home to a celebrated archaeological site—the Grotto of Tiberius and its museum just outside the village—and superb beaches, making a seafood lunch here a natural part of a coastal day. In summer the restaurant is busy, so reservations are recommended, particularly for evening tables in the alley. For fresh fish in a postcard setting, La Vecchia Grotta is a Sperlonga favourite.