Trattorie del Porto — Alici di Nettuno e Spaghetti alle Vongole
The small fishing port shared between Anzio and Nettuno is one of the last working harbours on the coast south of Rome, and the cluster of unpretentious trattorias and fish restaurants along the portside quay serve some of the most honest, ingredient-led seafood cooking in Lazio. The star of the show is the alici di Anzio-Nettuno — fresh anchovies so good they have their own Slow Food Presidium de
What to Order
Start with a plate of alici fritte (lightly battered and fried fresh anchovies) or alici marinate (marinated raw in lemon juice with olive oil and parsley) — the difference between these and the tinned version you know from home is staggering. Follow with spaghetti alle vongole veraci, made with the local carpet-shell clams, finished in white wine and a whisper of chilli.
For a secondo, look for branzino (sea bass) or orata (sea bream) roasted whole in a wood oven with local olive oil, cherry tomatoes and capers. Ask the waiter what came off the boats that morning and order that — you will not go wrong.
Where Specifically to Eat
Ristorante Il Grappolo, on the portside at Anzio (a 10-minute drive or direct train stop before Nettuno), has been feeding fishermen and discerning Romans for decades and is the benchmark for the style. In Nettuno itself, look for the small trattorias clustered on and around Via Matteotti and the lungomare — Trattoria da Saverio is a reliable local favourite known for generous portions and zero pretension.
Lunch is the main seafood meal on this coast: kitchens open from 12:30 and by 14:30 the best dishes are often sold out. A full seafood lunch with house white wine and water will cost €25–40 per person at a mid-range trattoria — extraordinary value for the quality.
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