Ristorante La Roccia, Castro, Salento

A small corner of culinary heaven as seen by a new local, my friend Sinan, on his always awesome Sinanation blog.

Hotel La Roccia stands like a fortress on top of a bay that runs into the town of Castro. In the southern tip of Salento, approx. 1.5 hours away from Lecce, this town is a smaller version of the romantic Italy you are used to seeing in movies.

Secluded estates that reveal only their entrance gates line up around the rocky shoulders like a string of pearls. You take extra caution driving on a snake-like road built right next to a cliff that rolls into the Aegean Sea, but you still wish you had a convertible red Ferrari or a classic sports car to test your skills on such a memorable track.

Beyond its rough topography, Castro is built for peace and serenity.

I can’t say much about Hotel La Roccia, but I believe it could be an amazing hotel once given a good renovation and a modern vision. It has a great setup and a unique beach that comfortably stands on a narrow cliff running down to the crisp Aegean waters. The hotel’s seafood restaurant on the other hand has so much more to offer.

On a bright night where the moon dives into the Aegean, we take our seats outside at Ristorante La Roccia with Andrea. We wait impatiently for food, trying to avoid the undisturbed romantic scene that lacks the right partners.

Dinner starts with fantastic appetizers of muscles, tuna carpaccio and an octopus salad dressed up with celery and carrots.

The spaghetti with muscles and tomatoes here (prepared for two, modified a little by Andrea*) is simply the best I have ever eaten so far anywhere around the world. It is simple yet prepared just right to provide the best flavor out of all the ingredients that made up this unforgettable dish. Every bite gives a hint of an amazing olive oil, fresh tomato, parsley, muscle wrapped around pasta al dente. The main course, a sea bass oven-baked covered in salt, is equally impressive and prepared with the same vision. I demand that you save room for dessert and order the Panna Cotta and the warm apple cake served on top of a vanilla sauce.

I hope you make it to this place. I certainly want to go again.

* As standard, most restaurants will offer two versions of spaghetti with muscles: red or white (i.e. with or without tomato sauce); in reality, the best choice is neither. You should ask for bianca con qualche pomodorino spezzato (i.e. white with a few freshly chopped cherry tomatoes). This is how you’ll enjoy it better, this is how you’ll have it if you ever are at a table with me.