The story
Perched above the Adriatic in Gabicce Monte, Dalla Gioconda holds both a Michelin star and a Green Star for chef Davide Di Fabio’s dedication to local ingredients. Where The Foodies Go calls the view “the most beautiful in Italy,” and co-founder Stefano Bizzarri describes it as romantic, fish-focused, and overlooking the sea.
Diners are often surprised by the generosity of the portions—as Qui si Taffia insists after dining on a gold-plated table for €160, “you don’t eat little at starred restaurants.” Standouts include the Cantarella Versione Salata, an olive-ascolana-inspired “Oliva alla Royal” with hare, and the Pacchero with a secret non-tomato sauce. Francesco Zini calls it “an exceptional dining experience blending tradition and innovation.”
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2022.
What diners say
Synthesized from 34 Google reviews · tap an aspect for the detail
Diners consistently praise Dalla Gioconda for its stunning seaside location, elegant ambiance, and refined, creative cuisine that often surprises and delights. The service is generally attentive and warm, making it a favorite for special occasions, though some note the experience comes at a premium price.
Ambiance and Location
The venue's breathtaking sea views and beautifully decorated terraces create a magical setting that guests frequently describe as dreamlike. The elegant decor, often with a retro 80s/90s touch, and well-spaced tables contribute to a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere.
Food Quality and Creativity
The cuisine, led by chef Davide Di Fabio, is praised for its bold, balanced flavors and artistic presentations. Tasting menus like the 'Hit Parade' are popular, with standout dishes including Adriatic fish pasta and creative vegetarian options. A few guests found certain courses less impressive, but overall the culinary experience is highly regarded.
Service
Staff are frequently described as professional, friendly, and attentive, with many reviewers noting exceptional warmth during special occasions. The team handles dietary restrictions well, and the sommelier receives particular praise for wine pairings. Some guests felt the service could be slightly more polished or that a head waiter was missed.
Value and Pricing
While many find the experience worth the cost for the quality and setting, some diners feel the prices are high, especially for extras like cover charge, water, and coffee. A few mention undisclosed service fees or that portions could be more generous for the price point.
Breakfast and Accommodations
Guests staying at the hotel enjoy a delicious breakfast with a beautiful view, though a minority found it sparse. The rooms are described as comfortable and well-appointed, adding to the overall positive experience.
Dietary Accommodations
The restaurant is commended for accommodating dietary needs, including vegan and gluten-free options, with creative and safe dishes prepared on request. This flexibility is appreciated by guests with specific requirements.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 57 dish mentions say about the food
Reviewers rave about the Foglia di betta in tempura, a singularly praised dish that steals the show. The overall vibe is one of rustic elegance, where simple ingredients are transformed into refined, memorable bites.
“This is a tempura chard leaf with bottarga mayonnaise, cucumber, and pickled gherkin. There's a great play on acidity from the mayo and the pickled gherkin — incredible freshness bubbles. As soon as you put it in your mouth, it tingles on your tongue, and then the acidity of the tomato dominates. It's delicious.”
What creators say
11 creators have covered Dalla Gioconda. Most active: Qui si Taffia, Francesco Zini, Where The Foodies Go
Shorts 6
Videos 5
Dalla Gioconda provides an exceptional dining experience blending tradition and innovation in cuisine.
Dishes mentioned
Foglia di bieta in tempura
This is a tempura chard leaf with bottarga mayonnaise, cucumber, and pickled gherkin. There's a great play on acidity from the mayo and the pickled gherkin — incredible freshness bubbles. As soon as you put it in your mouth, it tingles on your tongue, and then the acidity of the tomato dominates. It's delicious.
Battuta di razza marchigiana e gamberi rosa
We have a beef tartare from the Marche region and pink prawns. The pink prawns here serve to pick up the fattiness of the wagyu-like meat. At the base, there's a broth of grumi and black truffle. In the center, there's a pan brioche with the same tartare, an egg yolk cream, and truffle shavings. The creaminess of this tartare is incredible, especially how the meat melts. The freshness of the meat and then the elegant cleanliness of the prawn — you can taste the prawn at the end. In the tartare on the plate, you can appreciate the prawn's texture much more, it takes center stage. It's a reimagined classic prawn cocktail, super vintage, done in a more complex way.
- Raviolo con olive mare
- Francesco ZiniLoved
Uno degli stellati Michelin più chiacchierati d’Italia #food · @ 0:01
A very interesting Michelin-starred restaurant with bold, bitter flavors and clever use of humble ingredients, offering a memorable tasting menu.
Dishes mentioned
Cappelletto di Olive Amare, Burro di Arancia e Ricci
This dish really struck me — the bitterness is pushed to the max without any fear. The fresh pasta acts as a vehicle to bring the filling to your mouth, accompanied by a sweet and citrusy fat. One of the most impressive plates I've had.
Bottone di Patata
The chef took such a humble ingredient, broke it down into all its elements and characteristics, and brought out different shades of flavor and textures that define this dish. Really clever.
Zuppiera di Pasta con Brodetto Marchigiano
For lovers of classics — seven fish, sauces and types of pasta wrapped in this brodetto that they serve directly in the tureen that stays on the table. A real show.
Neola
One of their iconic desserts, straight from Abruzzo — inside there's vanilla custard, orange and a sauce made with duck jus. Absolutely spectacular.
- Where The Foodies GoLoved
Gli "stellati non stellati" (Edit: dal 11/22: 1⭐ Michelin) - Dalla Gioconda - Gabicce Mare (PU) · @ 1:25
Dalla Gioconda is a fantastic restaurant with a spectacular view, where chef Davide Di Fabio, formerly of Osteria Francescana, delivers an incredible dining experience with creative dishes that blend Abruzzese tradition and global influences, all in an elegant setting with a great wine cellar and even a cinema room.
Dishes mentioned
Blini con Impasto di Piadina, Saraghina Marinata, Squacquerone, Caviale, Erba Cipollina, Cedro Candito e Scalogno Sottaceto
This blini is made with piadina dough, topped with marinated saraghina, squacquerone instead of sour cream, caviar, chives, candied citron, and pickled shallot. It's very fresh and elegant, the truffle softens the sheep cheese beautifully. A fantastic pairing.
Piadina Fritta con Stracchino di Pecora, Crema di Cipolle Arrosto, Tartufo Estivo e Sale di Cervia
Fried piadina with sheep stracchino, roasted onion cream, summer truffle, and Cervia salt. The truffle softens the sheep cheese, really interesting combination.
Oliva alla Royal Ripiena di Lepre
An olive alla royalty filled with hare, ground and fried. It's a classy olive, a spectacle for the palate, like listening to the Rolling Stones in concert.
Gambero Rosso Crudo con Erbe Aromatiche, Riduzione di Oliva, Salsa di Kefir, Marmellata di Arancia e Gel di Limone
Red shrimp served raw with aromatic herbs that smell of lemon, a reduction of olive, kefir sauce, orange marmalade reduction, and lemon gel. Very pleasant, you can really taste the lemon aftertaste, the herbs give something extra, and every bite is different because you get a different herb each time.
Gamberetto Bianco Fritto con Limone Verde e Polvere di Limone
White shrimp fried whole, eaten with your hands, with green lemon and lemon powder. What's more comfort food than eating fried food with your hands? The frying is perfect, it's like this shrimp was born fried.
- Where The Foodies GoLoved
Cena al ristorante Dalla Gioconda, 1 stella Michelin ⭐, di chef Davide Di Fabio · @ 0:00
A fantastic dinner at Dalla Gioconda, now with a Michelin star and a green star, where every dish is a bomb of flavor and the chef's signature is recognizable in every plate, with a spectacular view and a new cocktail bar upstairs.
Dishes mentioned
Cantarella Versione Salata
This is a classic, a signature of the chef. It represents Romagna: we have a saraghina lightly marinated, a squacquerone cheese, chives, and caviar, plus a touch of candied lemon. There's a fresh cream with herb oil that they recommend you do a real Italian scarpetta with the cassone — a traditional dough with a mix of herbs, steamed so it stays very soft, like a bao. I down it in one bite.
Noce Caramellata Salata con Fegatini
This is a new one — a noce, a wafer filled with a mix of fegatini from the courtyard: chicken, duck, and rabbit, with a sauce of dried apricots and Albana Passita, finished with a caramelized walnut in a savory version. Oh my god, it's so good — it's better than a Ferrero Rocher. The flavors of the fegatini are perfectly balanced with the sweet and crunchy walnut and the creaminess of the cream. An atomic bomb.
Scampi dell'Adriatico con Maionese di Ceci
We start our tasting path with Adriatic scampi, observed with a roasted chickpea mayonnaise, a light touch of lemon gel, verbena, and flowers, and we finish the dish with a tomato that's aromatized with elderflower. I could write a poem. The chickpea mayonnaise is spectacular, and the wonderful sweetness of the scampi perfectly balances with the tomato. Poetry, poetry.
Insalata di Calamaretti
This is an insalata di calamaretti with lettuce cooked in osmosis, anchovy, and capers. I love these cutlery — in nouvelle cuisine, remember? This restaurant is so good — every forkful is a bomb that explodes in my mouth: the true sea, earth, salinity of the earth from the capers, and the serenity of the sea, iodized from the calamari, all together. Spectacular.
Cappelletto con Olive e Riccio di Mare
The cappelletto — the pasta sheet is just a vehicle to carry the olive filling. This is one of the two dishes on the menu that's about the taste of bitterness, which I think is the new generation. Inside the cappelletto there are fresh olives cooked with a bit of oil, then reduced to a bitter paste, then the cappelletti are closed, boiled, and dressed with a dill oil, and then raw sea urchin — which in Italy is not sweet, it has very little sweetness and is very mineral and bitter. So the bitterness is balanced with an orange butter. Spectacular. First comes the sweet note of the orange butter, then you bite the cappelletto and the bitter hit of the olives arrives — so cool that the cappelletto is used as a mere container, the sheet is very thin and disappears immediately, then the marine, iodized, salty hit of the sea urchin. The bitterness of the sea urchin stays in your mouth, perfectly balanced. If you think about it, bitterness is really one of the characteristic traits of Italian cuisine.
Dalla Gioconda is a Michelin-starred and Green Star restaurant in Gabicce Monte with a stunning view, where the tasting menu on a vinyl record offers creative, seafood-driven dishes with excellent wine pairings and a memorable, indulgent experience.
Dishes mentioned
Cialda Croccante con Purea di Mele Arrosto, Parmigiano Stagionato e Basilico
I start with a crispy wafer with roasted apple puree, aged parmesan, and a basil leaf. It's pleasant, very good.
- Alga Fritta con Crema di Bottarga, Gel di Cetriolo e Cetriolo al Sesamo
Battuta di Seppia Cruda e Cotta
This is a raw and cooked cuttlefish tartare, meant to recall a sea salami, like ventricina. It has sweet Altino pepper powder and chili. I taste it pure first, then spread it on a hot crispy bread. There's a beautiful balance between the sweetness of the pepper and the spiciness. The crunch of the bread makes it interesting. It's cuttlefish but you don't feel like you're eating cuttlefish — it's just right.
Cappelletto di Olive Mare
This is a cappelletto filled with olive paste preserved with salt and citrus, on a base of rice and orange butter. It's paired with a Baldinini Bitter and Mediterranean tonic. It's a very interesting dish — the cappelletto is not the classic one, it's smaller, and the bitterness is the protagonist. It's bitter, really bitter, but the sauce breaks it. Not a dish for everyone, probably. The cocktail pairing balances it a lot — it's not a random pairing. I enjoyed it, it grew on me during the tasting.
Morone (Ricciola di Fondale) Cotto in Salsa Aromatizzata allo Yuzu e Acetosa
The catch of the day is morone, a deep-water amberjack, cooked in a sauce flavored with yuzu and acetosa. It's served with wood sorrel leaves from their garden and semi-dried apricots in sweet and sour. It's very delicate, very delicate. The mix of the apricot's acidity, the mysterious leaf, and the mysterious fish — it's an interesting mystery, pleasant.
