Branzino (Sea Bass)
Must-SeeGrilled whole (alla griglia) or baked in salt crust (al sale). Wild branzino is expensive but incomparably better than farmed. Ask for "selvaggio" (wild).
Orata (Sea Bream)
Must-SeeMore affordable than branzino, equally delicious. Baked with potatoes (al forno con patate) is the classic preparation. Another wild vs farmed distinction matters.
Tonno Rosso (Bluefin Tuna)
Must-SeeThe mattanza (traditional tuna hunt) in Favignana, Sicily is legendary. Fresh tuna tartare, seared steaks, and ventresca (belly) are extraordinary. Season: May-June.
Acciughe/Alici (Anchovies)
Must-SeeFresh anchovies are a completely different experience from tinned. Fried (fritto), marinated (marinati), or in pasta (puttanesca, bagna cauda). Cetara (Amalfi) produces Italy's best anchovy sauce: colatura.
Polpo (Octopus)
Must-SeeSlow-cooked octopus (polpo alla luciana) is a Neapolitan masterpiece. Grilled octopus is a Puglian specialty. Always tender when cooked properly — the Italian secret is a wine cork in the pot.
Where to start
Visit the Rialto fish market in Venice at 7am, Catania's La Pescheria at 8am, or Bari's fish market for the most theatrical seafood experiences in Italy.