We are in Sardinia, in the picturesque setting of Baia de Bahas in Punta Marana, to discover a place where the sea is not just a view but also a philosophy.
The restaurant of the Yachting Club Vela Blu is located next to a pier with over 100 berths and is immersed in a natural setting that invites you to slow down, contemplate and, of course, enjoy the taste.
We are welcomed into a refined yet informal setting, where elegant design meets the relaxed atmosphere of a boating holiday. The bright dining room overlooking the pier creates a picturesque setting for a unique experience.
Gustavo Piccinnu tells us about the restaurant's already solid management, based on targeted choices and a well-defined identity: seafood cuisine, local and seasonal ingredients, and an atmosphere that accompanies guests on a journey that ideally continues seamlessly from the beach to the table.
The menu is the result of extensive research during the winter, with constant attention to the quality of the raw ingredients, highlighting the products of the Sardinian land according to availability and season.
The sea is the absolute protagonist: crustaceans, molluscs, locally caught fish within the limits of availability, interpreted with taste and simplicity, without forcing. The goal? To offer an experience consistent with the territory and with the visual and sensory identity of the place.
Our lunch gets off to a great start with extraordinary tonnarello pasta, brought to Vela Blu by Giampiero Guerrieri, a highly experienced chef.
A daring and captivating first course, playing on the encounter between sea and land. The strong flavour of the mussels intertwines with the savoury creaminess of Pecorino Romano cheese, while the datterino tomatoes add a fresh and sweet note. Pepper and white wine complete the harmony, giving the dish a surprisingly elegant character.
We immediately try another first course: tonnarello pasta with prawns, courgettes and saffron. A more delicate dish, but far from timid. The prawns add texture and depth of the sea, the courgette refreshes and the saffron perfumes the dish with a warm and enveloping note. The shape of the tonnarello pasta holds the sauce well, leaving a soft and persistent balance in the mouth.
Discover all the richness of the Mediterranean in the calamarata, which tastes of salt and sun. Prawns, squid, mussels, clams and monkfish come together in a fragrant tomato, garlic and oregano sauce, in which the pasta or fregola, in an even more local variant, captures every nuance. A classic of seafood cuisine, here rendered with generosity and respect for the raw ingredients.
The squid dish is a classic, prepared with meticulous care. The squid is light and crispy, while the prawns are first coated in a thin batter, then dipped in breadcrumbs for an irresistible double crispiness. The result is a dry, golden fry that enhances the raw ingredients without weighing them down.
The restaurant's pizza menu also follows the same philosophy as the cuisine: attention to the local area, quality and seasonality. The dough, which is left to rise for a long time, guarantees lightness and digestibility, while the toppings enhance carefully selected local ingredients.
The wine selection is consistent with the project: a strongly regional list, designed to enhance not only the sea but also the Sardinian land. Italian sparkling wines, fresh whites, elegant reds: everything conveys a precise identity, without excess but with great awareness.
Finally, Vela Blu chooses San Benedetto Millennium Water, pure water from a thousand-year-old aquifer. Thanks to its lightness, it accompanies the bold flavours of every dish.
Gustavo Piccinnu explains that this choice stems from a relationship of trust built up over time: he had already selected San Benedetto in the past for another restaurant, appreciating its quality and reliability. Today, he points out, the elegance of the glass bottle harmonises perfectly with the aesthetic consistency and refined atmosphere of the restaurant.
Our gastronomic experience in this corner of Sardinia, between authentic flavours of the sea and the genuine hospitality of those who live catering with passion, turned into a real holiday. Vela Blu is a place where you stop not only to eat, but to experience a moment of beauty, taste and conviviality with the sea as a backdrop.
Yachting Club Vela Blu, Golfo Aranci (SS)
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