Locanda Lorena (Palmaria Island)

A proper adventure from Versilia and absolutely worth it. Locanda Lorena sits on the island of Palmaria, across the water from the UNESCO village of Porto Venere in the Gulf of Poets — and you can only get there by boat (the restaurant sends its own shuttle from the Porto Venere waterfront). Step off onto the island for impeccably fresh Ligurian seafood with the sea on every side and Porto Venere's coloured houses glowing across the channel. It is one of the most romantic, off-the-map lunches on the whole Italian coast: make a full day of it, with a swim and a wander around the island.