Restaurant in Viareggio, Italy
Maître-led dining with a clear booking case.
Henri Restaurant is a €€€€ Michelin Plate address in Viareggio where the service philosophy earns the price. Maître Henri Prosperi guides diners through a contemporary Italian menu with French inflections and a serious wine list — Sassicaia to Petrus — from his open kitchen room on Viale Ugo Foscolo. Rated 4.8 on Google (197 reviews), it is the strongest call for a guided, wine-led dinner in the city.
If you've already eaten at Romano and want to see whether Viareggio's contemporary side can match its old-guard seafood institutions, Henri Restaurant is the right next booking. This is a €€€€ room with a 2025 Michelin Plate, a 4.8 on Google across 197 reviews, and a service model built around a maître who has spent a career learning when to guide and when to step back. It earns its price point, but only if you value front-of-house craft as much as what arrives on the plate.
Henri Prosperi returned to his native Viareggio in 2021 after a career formed in the old-school European tradition, and the room at Viale Ugo Foscolo reflects that biography directly. The service philosophy here is the product, not a supporting detail. Prosperi reads the table, adjusts the pace, and steers wine choices with the kind of quiet authority that removes decision fatigue without removing autonomy. For a diner who has been once and wants to go deeper, the move is to let him guide the order rather than arriving with a fixed plan.
The menu divides cleanly between meat and fish, with a contemporary Italian framework that absorbs French influence without losing its coastal identity. The kitchen uses premium ingredients throughout, and the same commitment applies to the wine list: Sassicaia, Petrus, and a considered selection of Italian and French sparkling wines sit alongside the food program rather than apart from it. An open kitchen adds transparency to the experience, and outdoor seating is available for evenings when the Versilia air cooperates.
At this price tier, the comparison that matters is with Il Piccolo Principe, Viareggio's other leading creative Italian address. Il Piccolo Principe carries more formal credentials and a deeper Michelin history. Henri is the call if you want service intimacy over institutional polish, and if the prospect of a maître who knows the cellar cold is more appealing than a larger brigade operation. For a second visit, that distinction becomes clearer and more useful.
For context within the broader Italian contemporary category, Henri sits comfortably alongside addresses like Agli Amici in Rovinj and L'Olivo in Anacapri — venues where personal service and ingredient quality drive the experience rather than spectacle. It is not operating at the level of Osteria Francescana or Enoteca Pinchiorri, nor does it position itself there. What it offers is precision within a human scale.
Booking difficulty is low by the standards of a Michelin-recognised address at this price. Henri does not carry the national profile of Le Calandre or Dal Pescatore, which means you are unlikely to be fighting a three-month queue. That said, the outdoor terrace fills in summer and Viareggio draws visitors during the peak Versilia season, so booking two to three weeks out in July and August is sensible. Outside of summer, a week's notice is generally sufficient.
The wine list at this level requires engagement. If you are returning for a second visit, arriving with a budget ceiling in mind and asking Prosperi to work within it will produce a better outcome than ordering independently from a cellar that runs from mid-range to Petrus. The same applies to the menu: ask about what is performing well that day rather than defaulting to the most familiar sections.
For more options across the city, see our full Viareggio restaurants guide, our Viareggio hotels guide, and our Viareggio bars guide. If you are planning a wider Tuscany trip, our Viareggio wineries guide and experiences guide are worth a look.
At the same €€€€ tier, Il Piccolo Principe is the most direct comparison , more formal, deeper Michelin history, suited to diners who want a full brigade experience. Romano is the call for traditional Viareggio seafood without the contemporary framing. If you want to spend less, Da Miro alla Lanterna (€€€) delivers solid seafood at a lower commitment level, and MaMe Restaurant (€€) is the practical choice when the occasion does not justify the top tier. Lunasia is a different proposition entirely , modern Chinese at €€€€ , but worth considering if your group wants variety across a longer stay.
No specific tasting menu details are confirmed in our data. What is clear is that the service model , a maître guiding the order with reference to premium ingredients and a serious wine list , functions leading when you give it room to operate. A set menu format suits that dynamic. At €€€€ with a Michelin Plate, the investment is justified if you engage with the full experience rather than ordering defensively.
No dress code is confirmed in our data. At a €€€€ Michelin Plate address in a coastal Italian city, smart casual is a safe floor , clean, considered, not beachwear. Viareggio is a resort town but Henri's service positioning suggests the room skews more formal than the surroundings. If in doubt, dress one level above the street.
The service is the differentiator. Prosperi's old-school maître approach means you will be guided through the menu and wine list , lean into that rather than arriving with a fixed order. The menu covers both meat and fish. The wine list runs from accessible to Petrus, so setting a budget ceiling with the maître upfront is a practical move. Booking is direct; outside summer, a week's notice is generally enough.
Yes, provided the occasion suits a guided, unhurried experience. The combination of open kitchen, outdoor seating, and a maître who manages pace and wine creates a setting that works well for anniversaries, significant dinners, or any occasion where being looked after matters as much as the food itself. It is better for two or a small group than for a large celebration requiring a private room , no private dining data is confirmed in our records.
One to two weeks is sufficient in low season. In July and August, when Viareggio's Versilia coast draws peak visitors and the outdoor terrace fills, aim for two to three weeks out. Henri does not carry the national waiting-list pressure of venues like Enrico Bartolini or Atelier Moessmer, so last-minute bookings are more viable here than at comparable Michelin-tracked addresses.
At €€€€, yes , if service quality is part of what you are paying for. The 4.8 Google rating across nearly 200 reviews and the 2025 Michelin Plate both point to consistent execution. If you are comparing against Romano purely on food, the answer depends on whether you want a traditional Viareggio seafood institution or a contemporary room with a strong front-of-house identity. Henri is the better call if the latter matters to you.
The open kitchen format makes solo dining viable , counter or kitchen-facing seating tends to suit single diners at this type of address. No counter or bar seating details are confirmed in our data, but the service model, which is built around direct engagement between the maître and the guest, is naturally suited to solo visits. You will get more out of the experience dining alone than you might at a venue where the table dynamic drives the evening.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henri Restaurant | Italian Contemporary | Having returned to his native Viareggio in 2021, Henri Prosperi, a gracious maître in the old-school tradition, will guide you with style and professionalism in choosing dishes that blend classic and modern approaches, with a penchant for some French influences. The menu, divided between meat and fish, always focuses on premium ingredients, the same character that distinguishes the wine cellar, rich with great national and international labels, from Sassicaia to Petrus, including the finest Italian and French sparkling wines. An open kitchen and outdoor seating!; Michelin Plate (2025) | Easy | — |
| Il Piccolo Principe | Italian, Creative | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Lunasia | Chinese, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Romano | Italian Seafood, Seafood | Unknown | — | |
| Da Miro alla Lanterna | Seafood | Unknown | — | |
| MaMe Restaurant | Seafood | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Il Piccolo Principe is the most direct comparison at the same €€€€ tier — more formal, with a longer Michelin track record, suited to diners who want a full brigade structure. Lunasia offers a fish-forward tasting format at a similar price. Romano is the old-guard choice for Viareggio seafood classics without the contemporary angle Henri brings. For a more relaxed spend, Da Miro alla Lanterna and MaMe Restaurant step down in price and formality.
No confirmed tasting menu details are in our data, so this is not a tasting-menu destination in the structured sense. The format is guided à la carte: Henri Prosperi, as maître, steers you through a menu divided between meat and fish, built on premium ingredients, with French influences threading through. If you want a set-course progression, Lunasia is the stronger call. If you want a skilled host shaping your meal in real time, Henri is the format.
No formal dress code is confirmed. At a €€€€ Michelin Plate address with an open kitchen and outdoor terrace on the Versilia coast, smart casual is a reasonable floor — clean and considered, not suit-required. The outdoor seating and coastal setting keep the atmosphere from feeling stiff, but trainers and beachwear would read as underdressed for the price point.
The service is the differentiator. Prosperi's maître approach — old-school European training, returned to Viareggio in 2021 — means you will be guided through the menu and wine list rather than left to navigate it alone. Lean into that: this is a room where asking for direction is the intended mode, not a fallback. The wine cellar runs from Sassicaia to Petrus, so the list rewards engagement.
Yes, if the occasion suits a guided, unhurried pace. The combination of open kitchen, outdoor terrace, and a maître managing the room creates a considered atmosphere without rigidity. It works well for two. Larger groups should confirm table configuration in advance, as no private dining details are in our data.
One to two weeks is sufficient outside peak season. In July and August, when Viareggio's Versilia coast is at full capacity and the outdoor terrace fills, book three to four weeks ahead. The venue does not carry the national booking pressure of Lunasia, but the 4.8 Google rating across nearly 200 reviews suggests it fills reliably in summer.
At €€€€, yes — if service quality is part of what you are paying for. The 2025 Michelin Plate and a 4.8 Google rating across nearly 200 reviews give independent backing to the price. The wine cellar, ranging from Sassicaia to Petrus, means the bill can climb with the bottle; go in with a ceiling in mind. If you want Michelin recognition at this tier with a longer track record, Il Piccolo Principe is the alternative.
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