Il Saraceno

The chef’s Amalfi origins re-emerge in great style in this restaurant at the gates of Bergamo, with a chiefly seafood cuisine of great quality. From raw seafood to spaghetti with sea urchins and breadcrumbs, from seabream to the fish of the day, it is a feast for the palate, culminating in the desserts. The quality of the leavened products is noteworthy, from bread to focaccia with oregano and cherry tomatoes. The wine list is good too, starting with the selection of Champagnes.

• One-star dining just outside Bergamo, with a primarily seafood menu that leans on Amalfi Coast memory and Mediterranean technique.
• Strong bread and leavened work, including house bread and focaccia with oregano and cherry tomatoes.
• The dining room sits in Cavernago between Castello di Malpaga and Castello di Cavernago, with a quiet, countryside setting.

Signature Ingredients

• Raw seafood platters, including plateau di pesce crudo
• Sea urchin, for spaghettoni ai ricci di mare
• Shellfish, including scampi, lobster, mussels, clams
• Mediterranean fish, including pezzogna and amberjack
• Citrus, used as carpione and accents across the menu
• Leavened breads and focaccia, part of the house identity

Seafood-led Mediterranean cooking shaped by chef Roberto Proto’s Amalfi roots, served a la carte and as tasting paths. The current menu runs from raw seafood platters, including a plateau of crudo (€65 per person, minimum two), to spaghetti with sea urchin and breadcrumbs (€35), a mixed fritto of calamari, shellfish and sea vegetables (€45), and fish mains such as amberjack with pistachio and pine nut sauces (€45) and a three-part pezzogna course (€45), with meat options like veal cheek with smoked potato and mushroom emulsion (€40). Desserts include a Sicily homage of brioche and hazelnut gelato (€16).