What a fabulous night
in Sestri Levante!
The inn was near the sea…
the clouds were on fire in the sky
and the most vivid colors took
turns on the mountains.
H.C. Andersen - 1833
Proving it is not just the sea that makes Liguria beautiful, the farmstead of Cantine Cattaneo is located under the first hills of Punta Manara, in Sestri Levante. Here, you can have dinner in the garden or inside the welcoming ancient stone walls of the hall. A cuisine full of surprises is waiting for you, and from native ingredients it goes over traditions, along a refined path among meticulously balanced flavors.
The owners Nadia and Enrico have opened Cantine Cattaneo in December 2003, renovating the ancient seventeenth-century building of the Marchesi Cattaneo Della Volta. Since then, they have not placed any sign, due to a little bit of superstition and because the satisfied clients are the best spokesman.
Nadia has designed the dining room in every little detail, from the rustic elegance of decorations to the solid wood furniture. The 35 seats guarantee intimacy and discretion: the big stone arches, the soft lights and an attentive service will involve you in a total experience.
In 2017 the owners started a farm on the land surrounding the farmstead: all its products become a valuable raw material reserved to the restaurant. Enrico’s kitchen has a strong identity: not regional or local but of the Cantine, result of the meeting between his artistic view and the ingredients that the farm produces. With its 14 hectares, it discovers again the flavor of the olive trees and of the vegetable gardens from which different lost native varieties are recovered, and then adapted to a contemporary and personal cuisine.
Chef Enrico’s dishes are a mix of elaborate tastes and elegant shapes. The flavors of meat and fish are layered with smokes and charcoal cooking in which the vine trellises and olive wood leave their aromas. Preboggion herbs, lemongrass, savory and rosemary and sage flowers characterize the courses.
The menu changes very often in order to meet the rhythm of nature. The more distinctive dishes are proposed every season with the ingredients Nature offers. An example? The Eel on embers of olive wood is served with a fragrant broth of herbs in its Winter edition, while during Summer is accompanied by a fresh salad of watermelon.
STARTERS
Eel on olive coals, sweet garlic, herbal scent
Red tuna, restricted veal, “navone” cabbage, bergamot
Cod, ash pumpkin, lemon
Veal sweetbreads & Montoro onions
Deer, strawberry tree, carrots
FIRST COURSES
Plin of San Ste, Zerli onion, rabbit kidneys
It is not a Carbonara
Lobster ravioli, lettuce, Asetra caviar
Tortelli of spicy piglet, dashi, broccoli of Lavagna
SECOND COURSES
Mackerel, orange, Luisa grass
Pigeon, porcini pot, fake pumpkin
Diaphragm, endive on the grill
Suckling pig, juniper apples from the garden
DESSERT
Pear, chestnuts, milk, star anise
Caramel, parfait, nougatine, strawberry tree honey ice cream, sheep curd
Pineapple, rum, celery, kefir, lemon thyme
Pumpkin, Araguani chocolate, mustard, kumquat
“Not just labels but a medium to reach people”: the wines of Cantine Cattaneo will engage you in an exciting sensory and cultural experience, mediated by sommelier Vito Santolla. Studied from the customer and the dish, each pairing holds a story and a wisdom to be explored: Vito's narrative will walk you through the tasting, allowing you to grasp the nuances and stimulating your curiosity with some technical insights. The precious selection of bottles overcomes the distinction between conventional and natural: what makes the difference is respect for the environment and for the sacred bond between the Earth and its fruits. Cantine Cattaneo acts as an ambassador for the production realities it believes in and conveys to the customer the commitment and passion of winemakers. Precisely for this reason, Vito established a direct contact with them, in which the tasting is just the beginning: together with guests, he organizes guided tours to vineyards and wineries in the region to let them see first-hand the work of professionals in the art of winemaking. There is no better way to convey all that wine represents: a pleasure, a moment of confrontation but above all a memory destined to last.
For any inquiries, please email our sommelier vitosanto@gmail.com
Via Vicinale della Madonetta
16039 Sestri Levante (GE)
Tel. +39 0185 487431
info@cantinecattaneo.it
Parking available
Opening Hours
Every day from 7:45pm to 00:00am
Closed on Monday.
