Il Veliero Restaurant in Follonica, Italy

Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 3/01/2016

Il Veliero Restaurant in Follonica, Italy

Classic dishes gone modern, twists that leave you in wonder, and new flavors that you never thought you would ever taste. Chefs from the new generation are overwhelmingly creative and talented that it is always fun to anticipate what will come out next. I am a big lover of fusion because even in my own kitchen, I like to experiment with new combination of tastes. The surprise in the first forkful is always an exhilarating experience. Did the combination work or did it not?

But with all the fuss about twists and turns from the regular recipes, there is always room for a classic dish - unaltered and prepared exactly how you remember it to be. Classic dishes remain forever for two reasons - because they are very good and because they hold the tradition for generations. The beauty of traditional dishes not only touches our palate but also a slight tug in one corner of our hearts. That's how they were prepared in the past - and that's how we want to revisit them.

At Ristorante Il Veliero, you can still enjoy the dishes that you loved back in the days because time remained still inside with much traditional seafood dishes that you can see. The food is dependably excellent as it had always been from the time it opened in 1977. The owner is a lover of the sea and passionate about fishing so expect only the best catch with simple Mediterranean cooking.

Follonica is in the middle of the seaside of Tuscany and Rome and the restaurant is easy to access. It is among restaurants in the area that is recommended by the Michelin guide and with exceptional reviews of clients, we gave it a try for lunch. Service is very efficient and attentive especially to my kids, the quality of the food is excellent with fresh ingredients (I had the raw seafood platter) and the price is reasonable for the quality of the food that you get.

When the dishes are cooked in a straightforward manner, with no unnecessary creams that can easily cover the natural flavors of the ingredients, then that for me is good cooking. Their grilled seafood platter is plainly cooked on fire then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt. That's the best way to present seafood. The pasta is abundant with ingredients and cooked as simple as it could be. When good quality and the right quantity of ingredients are used, then the dishes are excellent just like the ones my family and I had at Il Veliero. It's definitely a restaurant to come back to.