266 La Barraca Restaurant: A Family Story of Italian and Spanish Gastronomic Cultures at the Roman Coast of Torvaianica
Driving along the coastal road Lungomare delle Meduse in Torvaianica, the immaculate white structure of 266 La Barraca with its white stone fence and manicured garden stands out among its neighboring buildings. Its location in the coastal area between Pomezia and Ardea makes it easily accessible to Rome with just about forty kilometers from the center of the capital. Here you are immersed in a hidden oasis where the Tyrrhenian Sea splashes against the long stretch of coastline of Torvaianica distinguished by its vegetation belt and low dunes.
In September 2020, the family-run restaurant kicked off in spite of the difficulties that the pandemic period was posing. With a big family effort led by Chef Claudio Morlé (called as Pietro by everyone), his Galician wife Rosario and son Mario, who directs the dining area, the restaurant smoothly coursed through the years. Being an architect, Rosario was the one who projected the restaurant with an open-view kitchen, internal room that accommodates 60 guests and a large outdoor veranda with a 360-degree view of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The pocket lawns on two levels at the beachfront were created respecting the natural growth of vegetation bordered by the big century plants that are already existing. The lower one is reserved on weekends for sunbeds for the clients who want to spend a pleasant day at the beach while the upper lawn has tables for dining under the stars.
One of the particularities of the restaurant is the kitchen which is influenced by their family history: origins from Palermo, then Ponza and the northwest of Spain, Galicia. The proposals of the chef evoke freshness and quality of the ingredients and purity of flavors. He and his team aim in bringing to the tables the fresh catch from the boats of the local fishermen, always respecting the natural availability of raw materials and their seasonality. The dishes are modernized, impressed with the diverse culinary cultures of the family, but always mindful of tradition and the clarity of tastes on the palate.
The characteristic traces of Galician cuisine integrates well in the Italian dishes with harmony such as the Galician mussels with Sicilian orange and reduction of fennel or the selection of raw seafood composed of shrimp of various species such as the red shrimp of Mazara, violet and pink shrimp from the Sicilian waters, and the prestigious Carabineros, a large vibrant red shrimp species found in the deep waters of Spain.
A surprising and refreshing dish is the swordfish, typically used in Sicilian recipes, prepared with yogurt, strawberry ice cream and popcorn. There's also the bluefin tuna with Jerusalem artichoke cream, chives and droplets of aged balsamic vinegar. Cod in cooked at 60°C garnished with fried aubergine skin on a bed of pumpkin and ginger cream has delicate flavors. As for the pasta, the classic spaghetti with the local wedge clams and datterino tomatoes merits a space on the table. The Riso Imperiale, a risotto recipe handed down by the chef's grandmother, has undergone variations over the years to adapt it to the passage of time, but always keeping in mind the authenticity of its recipe. The rice is cooked with milk, buffalo butter and sour cream, then placed on pink prawn cream and garnished with lemon zest and raw pink prawn. The selection of desserts is a must especially the small Sicilian cannoli made by hand. Mario has come up with an interesting wine list to accompany the dishes. Mostly white wines, he has put up a selection of labels from Spain, Italy and France.
Spend about: appetizers (€12 to €30), first dishes of pasta & risotto (€16 to €18), main courses (€20), and desserts (€8).
266 La Barraca
Address: Lungomare delle Meduse 266, 00071 Pomezia (RM), Italy
Tel: +39 06 85386554
Website: https://www.266labarraca.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/266LaBarraca