ConFusion

ConFusion is a Michelin-starred restaurant tucked into the marina at Porto Cervo, the glittering heart of the Costa Smeralda in north-east Sardinia. As its name suggests, the kitchen fuses Sardinian raw materials with Asian and broader global techniques, producing inventive, precisely plated dishes that have made it one of the most talked-about tables on the coast. The interior is chic and deliberately understated — a foil to the glamour outside — and the crowd reflects the Costa Smeralda's international, yacht-owning clientele during the short, intense summer season. The menu leans on the Mediterranean: spaghetti with local vongole, the day's grilled fish, and refined takes on Sardinian classics sit alongside more experimental, cross-cultural plates. The seadas, the island's honey-drenched cheese pastry, here finished with acacia honey, closes the meal on a traditional note. Because ConFusion opens only from roughly June to September and seats a small, design-led dining room, reservations are essential and should be made well ahead for peak weeks in July and August; a terrace table, the most sought-after seat, is worth requesting at the time of booking. A jacket is recommended for men in the evening, in keeping with the polished Porto Cervo dress code, though the mood is stylish rather than stuffy. Expect to spend in the region of €90–€150 per person before wine — prices that reflect both the Michelin pedigree and the rarefied resort setting. The wine list spans Sardinian growers and prestige international labels suited to the well-heeled clientele. ConFusion suits travellers who want a high-gloss, creative dinner as part of a Costa Smeralda stay, and who appreciate cooking that crosses culinary borders while keeping one foot firmly in Sardinia.