The story
Romano is an Italian seafood restaurant at via Mazzini 120 in Viareggio, awarded one Michelin Star in 2026. The Franceschini family has run it for almost sixty years, and the dining room still works as a family house.
Romano Franceschini looks after hospitality, while Roberto runs the dining room and the wine list, known for its variety and depth. Nicola Gronchi cooks in the kitchen. He is a young chef who has brought new energy to the place without changing its character. In 2026, 50 Top Italy placed Romano at number 42 in its Grandi Ristoranti ranking.
The calamaretti ripieni, baby squid stuffed with vegetables and crustaceans, has its own page on the restaurant's website. Raw fish arrives as a crudo that changes with the catch, and a steamed salad brings together crustaceans, fish and shellfish. The Rovellina di razza reworks a Lucchese classic with skate, tomato sauce, Pantelleria capers, oregano and basil. Among the pasta dishes, spaghetti comes with scampi and Cabras bottarga, and bread-dough buttons are cooked like a peppery mussel stew.
The "2026" tasting menu opens with a mackerel giardiniera and ends with sole in a meunière sauce with asparagus and salmon roe. It runs to eight savory courses, and dessert is chosen from the carta. The menu is served to the whole table at €145 per person, wine not included. Two other tasting menus are on offer, "i grandi classici" and "un pranzo in amicizia". Desserts include a cardamom panna cotta with citrus textures and salted caramel, and a "Dessert Viareggio 2.5" of sponge cake, vanilla ice cream and a crunchy chocolate and rum heart.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
Il Ristorante Romano in Viareggio is much more than an icon of the Versilia: it is a true house of taste where tradition and innovation meet naturally. For almost sixty years, the Franceschini family has welcomed guests with warmth and style. Romano, a symbol of elegance and hospitality; Roberto, managing the dining room with his extraordinary wine list, remarkable for its variety and depth; and Nicola Gronchi in the kitchen, a young and brilliant chef who has breathed new energy into the establishment without ever betraying its soul. Alongside historical dishes – such as the unforgettable stuffed baby squid, incredibly fresh crudo, and crustacean salad – shine modern and surprising creations: the Rovellina di razza, with tomato, Pantelleria capers, and oregano (a reinterpretation of a classic Lucchese dish), fresh pasta buttons with chicory, or grilled cuttlefish with chicory, turnips, cuttlefish liver, and sea urchins, dishes that unite technique and imagination. Every course tells the story of the sea with respect and passion, in a perfect balance between elegance and authentic flavor. Impeccable service, world-class wines carefully recommended, and a family atmosphere make every dinner at Romano an experience that remains close to the heart.
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