The story
Pascucci al Porticciolo, at viale Traiano 85 (corner of via Fiumara 2) in Fiumicino, earned one Michelin star in 2026 for its seafood cooking. Chef Gianfranco Pascucci describes it as a "cucina di mare", a kitchen of the sea rather than simply of fish.
Pascucci was born in Fiumicino in 1970. He cooked his first fish dish at 12, spaghetti with telline he had gathered himself along the Lazio shore. His seafood cooking draws on the whole coastal setting. The fish is local and used in all its parts, noble and humble. Herbs come from a friend's garden, and the salty scent of the shoreline carries into dishes that are not strictly marine.
The cellar follows the same idea, with "wines of the sea" from vineyards facing the water or planted in salty soils. The producers were chosen for savoury, mineral wines with a hint of seaweed. There is also a deep selection of sparkling wines, Champagne in particular, and the sommelier, Luca, guides pairings.
Vanessa Melis, the chef's wife, runs the room and acts as its narrator. Her service is personal and unstiffened, adjusted table by table. Paintings by Gabriele Leonardi, in bright colours that recall the deep sea, hang on the walls. The 2026 50 Top Italy Grandi Ristoranti 25 listing singles out her storytelling as part of what makes the experience.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
Gianfranco Pascucci is synonymous with the sea, locality, and sustainability, which he interprets through technical mastery and deep knowledge, innovation and ambition. At his Porticciolo in Fiumicino, the experience sails close-hauled—against the wind, against the fleeting trend, and against everything old that some still stubbornly insist on calling tradition. The chef’s course runs parallel to America’s Cup foiling yachts. One soars high, gliding over a dynamic philosophy of ingredients. The dishes recount depths as rugged as rocks and as ancient as lampreys. From the land come the fragrances and resins of strictly coastal pines. From the territory come its ultra-local excellences. And then there is the dining room, guided by Vanessa Melis, whose storytelling voice stirs the guest like a Maestrale wind, precisely where the blue foams across the palate.
Location
Nearby
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