The Most Romantic Places to Sip and Dine on Italy's Isola d’Elba

Embraced by the warm, crystalline waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, just off the west coast of Italy’s Tuscan shoreline, Isola d’Elba is Italy’s lettera d'amore to the Mediterranean sun and sea. It’s the largest of the islands in the Tuscan Archipelago and yet still one of the lesser-known islands of Italy.

Elba is a place dripping in romance and lore, where Napoleon chose to spend a year of his exile and where a tragic love between two local legends inspired a locally loved annual festival. The Legend of the Innamorata (meaning "in love”) takes place every year on July 14, where costumed torch bearers parade down the narrow streets to illuminate the beach with 1,000 torches in a symbolic celebration of the Romeo-and-Juliet-esque love story between two Elba residents, Lorenzo and Maria.

Although Lorenzo and Maria’s story ended in tragedy back in 1534, their legendary love lives on throughout the island; not only on Spiaggia dell’Innamorata (“Lover’s Beach”) — the place that became their safe haven from disapproving family — but also within the walls of its most romantic restaurants and the hearts of its passionate farmers and artisans.

At Il Ristorante Le Viste just outside Portoferraio’s historic center, plates of handmade pasta and fresh seafood are served alongside stunning views of the sea from its vantage point inside a secluded cove. The atmosphere is unassuming and authentic, as is the menu, which favors local producers and Elban ingredients. Delicate linens sway in the afternoon breeze beneath servings of arancini di baccala and crispy calamari during the day, but by night the lantern-lit tables take on a more romantic tone as the patio gives way to a menu that changes based on what is fresh and in season.

A bit further inland, housed inside the historic Sapereta winery, Ristorante Sapereta takes its inspiration from the terroir of Elba’s soil and presents it with a modern flourish. Fresh herbs, local meats, and handmade pastas are favorites here, where a live-fire grill adds a rustic bark to everything from the bistecca di manzo to the homemade focaccia. House wines are made onsite, and the tables are set up in either the old aging cellar or outside on the vine-covered terrace as a reminder of the restaurant’s vineyard roots.

It'd be easy to pass by Pozzo al Moro without thinking twice, the worn sand colored building topped with terracotta tiles camouflaging the pristine patio behind. A singular olive tree near the graveled parking lot is the calling card of this Marina di Campo gem, and the Mediterranean menu its main attraction. Expect Italian staples to incorporate local ingredients from Elba (like porcini mushrooms, and local olive oil), pasta to be made by hand (like the pappardelle al cacao), and seafood to be freshly caught. The atmosphere is a refreshing mix of the Tuscan countryside’s refinement and the casual hospitality of a friend's backyard.

It was Napoleon who once said, “the inhabitants of the island of Elba are strong and healthy because the wine of the island gives strength and health.” The highest awarded white varieties are Elba Bianco, Vermentino, and Ansonica (all DOC wines), but it’s Elba’s famous DOCG red, Aleatico Passito, that is the island’s pride and joy. Many wine bars and restaurants serve local wines, and Barkollo Wine Pub in Porto Azzurro has a great selection along with local beer and an extensive cocktail menu. The bar even makes bread in-house for the range of gourmet burgers on the menu. A great place to experience local nightlife on Elba, the pub gets lively with occasional live music.

Pane ae Mare is another great spot for relaxing with a local wine or mixed drink (it’s known for cocktails), but it’s also one of the best places on the island to sample Elba’s schiaccia dolce, a sweet focaccia bread baked with sugar. The coffee and freshly baked pastries are well worth the trek out to the small village of Seccheto.

On Elba, food, wine, and romance are all part of the Mediterranean experience between the land and the sea. It often only takes but a sip of an almond granita from Zero Gradi or even the sight of rare Ballini Farms strawberry-tree honey in a market to understand the lure of this Tuscan Archipelago location.

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