Acqua Pazza

The story

Acqua Pazza Ponza: Michelin-starred seafood on the cliffs of Ponza

Acqua Pazza in Ponza is a seafood restaurant at via Dietro la Chiesa 3/4, holding a Michelin 1 Star for 2026. Its classic cooking is built on fish from the island, served on four terraced levels above the water.

Cooking with local fish

Gino Pesce and Patrizia Ronca opened the restaurant on 2 June 1989 and still run it. The kitchen works with essential dishes where technique and creativity sit in balance. Light cooking and refined raw preparations showcase island ingredients, with a nod to Ponza tradition and an eye on sustainability.

Dishes worth ordering

The listed favourites include ricciola alla catalana, tortelli di dentice with raw tomato sauce, and fusilloni with fermented garlic and sea urchin. Grilled dentice arrives with carrots and artichokes. Dessert follows the same thread with chocolate, almond and passion fruit.

Terraces above the sea

In 2020 the restaurant moved from its old Corso Carlo Pisacane site to a cliffside building on Via Dietro la Chiesa. Four terraced floors hold the dining room, a cocktail bar and a bed and breakfast called Casa Pesce. The bright interiors open onto a panoramic terrace where the sea breeze reaches the tables.