Penthouse on the sea: the terrace overlooking the beach among the best gourmet in the Piceno area

The local

The ancient family of Grottammare, which overlooks the sea, is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and since a Pope, Sixtus V, established himself here in the 16th century, it has become the headquarters of sculptors, architects, writers and poets. In the lower part of the town, in the center of its seafront, there is a restaurant with terrace that recounts the flavors of the Adriatic with great elegance.

From Porto S. Giorgio to Pescara, according to Michelin guide, except for a couple of reports, there isn’t even a restaurant where it’s worth a gastronomic stop. In my opinion though in Grottammare, in a spacious attic floor that elegantly overlooks the beach in front, there is a restaurant that embellishes the offer of the Piceno area.

We are on the border with San Benedetto del Tronto and the village we are talking about, in its historic heart that develops on the hills, has been declared one of the most beautiful in Italy. Grottammare is defined as the “Pearl of the Adriatic”. Golden beach, pedestrian and cycle promenade, tourism and quality holidays if you are looking for beauty without too much confusion. Inside this frame, Sara and Simone Marconi have increasingly established their restaurant project over time.

Penthouse on the sea Sara Simone Marconi

Today, Penthouse on the sea it is fine dining of great elegance and the chef’s kitchen Thomas Melzi, with the Marconis for sixteen years, this year is more than ever a mature gastronomic expression of a territorial cuisine in a contemporary key.

The entrance to the restaurant starts from the base of the tower Kursaal Palace of Grottammare, you enter and take a lift reserved for sliding aluminum doors, the kind that when they open leave you faced with the evidence of a penthouse overlooking the sea. The unique environment is really large and modulated in the spaces by furnishing objects never out of context, like a grand piano and service passes, the tables are large and the seats spacious, with a classic mise en place on a white tablecloth.

The entire room is bordered on its long side by large windows overlooking the sea and part of the tables, in the summer season, can also be set outside. Like all self-respecting penthouses, here too there is a super penthouse and an open-air terrace which is located on the upper floor, accessible by an external staircase, it becomes an exclusive space for small events or private dinners. In a context of luminous elegance, Sara Marconi is the femininity that restores color to things. “Atypical” sommelier as she likes to define herself, she guides everyone who sits at the table towards ever-changing wine pairing paths centered on cuisine, from Burgundy to Etna via the Marche.

Simone for his part is an affable host and also proves to be a faithful guardian of the gastronomic traditions received as a dowry from his family. He smiles, welcomes, talks about chef Tommaso’s cuisine and never leaves anything out to chance. He likes to think that his attitude in his relationship with his guests is one of healthy trust and kindness.

The dishes

The menu Penthouse by the Sea also includes tasting itineraries, from 9 courses between sea and land at €90 and an extract of 5 with only sea at €65. Finally, there is a route dedicated to the great classics of seafood cuisine with 6 courses for €70 which goes from warm seafood salad to turbot with potatoes, olives and cherry tomatoes, then closing with dessert. As mentioned, there is the possibility of wine pairing, but it is completely up to Sara and you can design it with her by choosing three glasses, even on a selection at Coravin. I ate à la carte and passed an amuse bouche over which he towered a taco with roasted artichoke and salted ricotta, the warm seafood salad it was an appetizer brought back to memory.

The plateau it is a raw dish displayed for the entire table made up of scampi, squid, cuttlefish and prawns, which is then cooked in a steamer for the time of an hourglass turned upside down at the table. Olive oil and Biondo Piceno orange salad, as a condiment for a dish that is now almost impossible to find, dedicated to the sea in its purity. Good too Mackerel with bay leaf mayonnaise, a dish dedicated to one of the characterizing products of the area which is the laurel.

At the time of the first courses I ranged between a Cavatello with the quintessence of the sea and gods Tortellini filled with ciauscolo, cabbage and red Sibillini apple. The cavatelli are creamed with a concentrated broth that strongly enhances the intensity of the flavour, accompanied by a raw scampi tartare that softens the flavor of the dish. The ciauscolo tortellini to follow are an explosion of balanced and delicious flavour. In this dish the main flavor components range from the sweetness of the ciauscolo to the controlled acidity of the apple, making the final result in the mouth first satisfying and then clean and persistent.

Turbot from head to tail it is the second chosen dish. It is served with its mayonnaise and turbot cracklings to accompany a grilled steak. Noble raw material with soft and juicy meat, essential to support the vegetal part in the balance with the base. Tasty without reservations. Also because to follow cucumber granita on Italian meringuewith capers and lime, is truly a wave of freshness.

To close, the Soft yogurt with pear ice cream, granola, blueberries and salted caramel, it seems like an international breakfast that takes you back in time. High quality homemade sour yogurt, to control the sugars of a dessert that is satisfying and not excessive. Drinking was constant, ongoing fun. If Tommaso Melzi’s cuisine convinces, the wine list conquers and proves to be one of the best around. Centered on the cuisine, refined in the selections, wide in the choice and masterfully converted into glasses by Sara.

The quality/price ratio is absolute. The sea in front, the elegance around and the welcome of a family that believes in the value of its origins, are the added value of this restaurant. A piano, the smiles and the white table of that kitchen whose dishes make you feel as exclusive as they are satisfied, in the flavors of the Adriatic, are the measure of an experience that is worth the stop.