Travelling Doc
Google
Tucked away on a quiet side street for pedestrians near the Rosselli Hotel, Grain street sits adjacent to its sister restaurant with a Michelin star called Under Grain and they share the same kitchen.
The two spacious outdoor dining areas — perfect for warm days with chilled background music. The terrace is stylish and inviting, setting a refined yet relaxed tone.
Inside, there’s a small bar and a couple of tables near the entrance, giving an intimate first impression.
The meal started well with excellent bread, tuna tapenade, good-quality olive oil, and marinated olives. The starter of pig’s ears — thinly sliced, lightly battered, and slightly sweet with a touch of sauce — was an interesting and well-executed dish, great for sharing.
For mains, I tried the local fresh fish (sea bass) with Bronte pistachio, pink grapefruit, and basil. The flavours were pleasant, and the nut crust added nice texture, but the portion was disappointingly small and felt poor value for money.
The Lasagne ‘Nera’ — a seafood lasagna made with squid ink, calamari, and a hint of nduja — was very good, rich in flavour and beautifully balanced (€19/€22).
I also sampled the local Hauteville Cabernet–Shiraz blend. It was fine, but again, the pour was on the small side for the price.
Service, while polite, was glacially slow — a true example of the “slow food” experience, though perhaps unintentionally