Sardinia, Italy (Porto Cervo) - Gastronomia Belvedere

The sea view from Gastronomia Belvedere

Let's face it, when you book a trip to Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, you have to mentally prepare yourself for a disproportionate quality-service-price ratio in most hotels and restaurants. But thanks to Gastronomia Belvedere, you can actually dine with the true locals, eat well at honest prices, and leave the 'VIP scene' behind: both the view and the food will take center stage here.  

One of two dining areas

At Belvedere, you place your order at a large counter inside and then choose any table you like in one of two dining areas. Belvedere's menu changes each day, depending on what is fresh. Hot dishes include homemade pastas with various sauces, meat, and of course, the catch of the day from the sea. You literally pick out the fish you want from a platter and they cook it for you whole. But the real attraction here is the huge cold buffet made up of a myriad of vegetable and fish combinations.

Cold buffet offerings of various fish and vegetables

Homemade pasta, take your pick!



A buffet sampling of avocado and shrimp, and octopus with both potato and artichokes

Avocado and shrimp

Malloreddus pasta from Sardinia with meat sauce

A whole sea bass that was de-boned at the table

Amazing typical homemade Sardinian biscuits

We ate at Gastronomia Belvedere twice over the course of a 3 day weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the Sardinia specialties as well as the same local faces who dine there each day. The owner, who has lived all over the world and has worked at some of the most famous five-star hotels (Le Meurice in Paris, Hotel Cala di Volpe, among others) is extremely nice and a very gracious host. The Belvedere was originally a family home that he and his brothers turned into a restaurant; I, for one, thank them for that.