Retroscena

Verdict: One of the Adriatic Coast's Most Compelling Reasons to Detour

The misconception about Retroscena is that it rewards destination dining simply because it sits in a small Marche coastal town where competition is thin. That's wrong. Richard Abou Zaki's Michelin-starred kitchen on Largo del Teatro earns its place on the Porto San Giorgio restaurant circuit on technical merit alone; and it would hold its own in any major Italian city. If you are planning a meal on the Adriatic coast and wondering whether the detour is justified, it is. Book this before you book anything else in the area.

What the Kitchen Does

Retroscena earned its Michelin star in 2024 and was ranked #350 in Opinionated About Dining's Leading Restaurants in Europe for 2025; two different credentialing systems that rarely converge on the same room in a town this size. The common thread in both assessments is the cooking itself: creative, technically precise, anchored by a deliberate use of acidity that gives each dish a structural clarity you don't always find at this price tier. Abou Zaki trained in Modena, traces of that northern Italian discipline show in the plating and the precision, but the cooking doesn't read as derivative. The inventiveness is the point.

If you have eaten here once and are deciding whether to return, the answer is yes, the reason to come back is to track how the kitchen evolves. The wine program is described as always expanding, which in practice means the list you encountered on your first visit is likely broader now. The cocktail and spirits selection is also noted as serious, so arriving early for a drink before sitting down is worth the time rather than a formality to rush through.

The room is small, just a few tables in a minimalist space with exposed brick and an open kitchen. That last detail matters: the kitchen is visible, which means the pace and precision of the crew is part of the experience rather than hidden infrastructure. For diners who've been once and want to know what's different, the short answer is: the menu moves, the wine list grows. There is no stable repeat visit to Retroscena in the way there might be at a more traditional trattoria.

How It Performs Against Peers on the Adriatic

For context on where Retroscena sits among Italy's creative kitchens, Uliassi in Senigallia is the obvious reference point on the Adriatic: three Michelin stars, coastal produce-driven, significantly harder to book and more expensive. Retroscena operates at a different register, one star, smaller room, more intimate, but the technical ambition is not proportionally smaller. Further inland, Reale in Castel di Sangro occupies a similar creative-driven profile, though the settings are entirely different. For Italian creative cooking at the highest tier, Osteria Francescana in Modena and Piazza Duomo in Alba are the national benchmarks, but neither is a short drive from Porto San Giorgio. For this region, at this price point, Retroscena has no direct local rival.

Booking and Practical Details

Retroscena is genuinely hard to book. A room with just a few tables, a growing national and international reputation, limited service hours means availability closes fast. Service runs Wednesday through Monday evenings (7:30 PM to 10 or 10:30 PM depending on the day), with Saturday and Sunday lunch added (12:30 PM to 2 PM). Tuesday is closed. Do not arrive expecting a walk-in to work, this is a planned reservation situation, booking several weeks ahead is the minimum reasonable assumption. The price range is €€€€, placing it at the top of the local market and consistent with Michelin-starred dining in Italy generally.

Porto San Giorgio is a small town on the Adriatic coast in the Marche region. If you are building a wider itinerary, hotels in Porto San Giorgio are limited but available, the town itself has a historic centre worth an evening. For a broader picture of the area, see our guides to bars, wineries, and experiences in Porto San Giorgio.

Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2024) | OAD Top 350 Europe (2025) | €€€€ | Wed–Mon dinner; Sat–Sun lunch | Closed Tuesday | Hard to book, reserve weeks ahead.

How It Compares