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Romano
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| The flavours of Versilia's seas are the speciality of this restaurant, opened almost forty years ago in the heart of Viareggio by Romano Franceschini. It is a family-run restaurant- managed by Romano and his wife Franca and children Roberto and Maria Cristina - that has made a name for itself amongst the Tuscan coast's most prestigious gastronomic destinations. |
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Romano Franceschini was just 23 years old when, in 1966, he opened this traditional Versilian restaurant together with his future wife Franca. Initially only simple dishes were served, such as Spaghetti with clams or mixed fried fish, as the restaurant itself, rurbished in wood and Tuscan terracotta, was also quite rustic in appearance. Today, following its recent restructuring, the two rooms of the restaurant- one for receiving guests and as a cloakroom, the other larger room with tables- are more classical and elegant, with a predominance of soft colours: from light parquet to a soft lighting and decorations in coloured glass. It is a refined setting for what has for some time been part of the circuit of Italy's most exclusive restaurants, the "Le Soste" association, inspired by Gualtiero Marchesi over twenty years ago. |
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Since the early '70s, the kitchen has been firmly in the hands of Franca, an excellent chef who has managed to rework Viareggio's cheerful gastronomic dishes with creativity and imagination. The freshness of the ingredients is indispensable: the fish is never farmed, and is supplied directly by Versilian fishermen. The oil, too, is from the nearby middle Luccan hills, with an aroma that is not so strong that it overpowers the flavour of the fish. The menu provides an ample selection of fish dishes. Amongst the antipasti, the baby squid stuffed with vegetables and shellfish, mullet fillets with olives, tomato and basil, and scampi with Piana di Camaiore beans stand out. Unmissable first courses include Bavettine pasta with scampi, baby squid with flowered courgette, Spaghetti with seafood and fish, and the classic cacciucco alla viareggina, a soup made with a variety of different types of fish caught along Versilia's coastline.
There is more fish for the second courses, from umbra with a local brandy to Livorno style mullet. Desserts that should be tried, prepared by the Franceschinis' daughter Maria Cristina include the Bavaroise with a chocolate heart and sautéed pears with acacia honey.
Roberto is an expert sommelier and is responsible for a vast wine cellar: over 1,500 labels that include Tuscan and Italian wines and a good number of French wines. |
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 Romano
Via Mazzini 122
Viareggio (Lucca)
Tel: 0584.31382
Fax: 0584.426448
Closed on Mondays (in July and August, also Tuesday lunchtime)
Capacity: 55
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