Where to Eat Near Porto Cervo

Eating well here is easy, but the range is wide — from harbourside restaurants in Porto Cervo where the yachts are part of the view, to inland trattorias in the Gallura hills where a full meal costs a fraction as much and the food is arguably better.

We give every guest a personal list on arrival, but here's the shape of it.

Porto Cervo and the marina

Porto Cervo is the glamorous end of the spectrum. The marina restaurants are excellent and priced accordingly; booking is essential in July and August, often several days ahead. This is where you go for an occasion rather than a Tuesday.

Gastronomia Belvedere - this is a delicious and well located restaurant that specialises in seafood. It is a short and, most of all, worthwhile 10 minute drive.

Fingers Porto Cervo - this contemporary brazilian-japanese restaurant offers a fantastic view of the Porto Cervo Marina and its yachts. If you love Asian food, this is a must-go.

Cannigione and Baja Sardinia

A short drive north, both are more relaxed than Porto Cervo without giving up the sea view. Cannigione in particular has a working-harbour feel and a good spread of seafood restaurants at friendlier prices.

Phi Beach - this place combines restaurant and club, offering one of the most spectacular restaurant views of Sardinia, however with a noisy background.

Inland Gallura

This is where we'd send anyone who wants to eat the way Sardinians actually eat. The hills behind Arzachena have agriturismi and trattorias serving suckling pig, seadas, local pecorino and Vermentino from the surrounding vineyards. Portions are generous, prices are reasonable, and the setting is usually a stone farmhouse rather than a terrace.

Worth knowing: many inland places serve a fixed multi-course menu rather than à la carte, and dinner is a long affair. Don't plan anything afterwards.

La Colti Agriturismo - this place offers the most fabulous suckling pig!

Il Vecchio Mulino - a family-friendly and easy food pizzeria with a large variety of satisfying dishes.

Cooking at the villa

The kitchen at Villa Horizon is fully equipped, and a good number of guests end up cooking more than they expected — mostly because eating on the terrace as the sun goes down is hard to beat.

For shopping, the supermarkets in Arzachena and Cannigione cover everything and are around ten to fifteen minutes away. For better produce, look for the local markets and the small alimentari in Arzachena, where the cheese and cured meat are a different proposition entirely.

There's a gas barbecue on the terrace, which works well for a simple evening of fish or vegetables from the market.

The best places to buy your supplies are:

• Eurospar (Arzachena) - Supermarket
• Nonna Isa (Abbiadori) - Supermarket
• Pescheria Ittico Sarda (Arzachena) - Fish Store

Practical notes

Restaurants in this area open late by northern European standards — many don't start dinner service before 19:00, and 20:00 is entirely normal. Lunch tends to run from 13:00 to 15:00.

Outside the summer season a good number of places close entirely. If you're visiting between November and March, call ahead rather than turning up.