IL MATTACCHIONE

This was the best restaurant of our trip. Service amazing and food incredible.
It’s in a slightly strange location but don’t let that judge your opinion. Incredible! Everyone must go

Che dire , cibo servizio e ambiente di altissimo livello . Il ristorante migliore di Olbia!!

Myself, my wife, and two friends visited Il Mattacchione in Olbia to celebrate the birthday of one of our friends. The restaurant is located outside the city center on Via Copenaghen, a fitting address given that the owners Rossella Meloni and Giuseppe Barracu previously lived in Denmark. Upon entering, Rossella welcomed us heartily and immediately made sure that we were comfortable. As we settled in, we noted the décor reminiscent of Northern Europe, with modern, stylish furniture and sparsely decorated walls.

Rossella told us that the whole table would need to share the same tasting menu. Since my wife is pescetarian, we immediately looked to the vegetarian menu. However, this menu did not entice us as much as a fish and meat menu. Rossella happily accommodated us by switching the meat dishes to vegetarian ones to create a unique menu showcasing Sardinian flavors that exceeded our expectations. Rossella’s service was spot on throughout the evening, from cocktail suggestions to wine pairing recommendations, always paying attention to every detail.

The food was prepared by chef Giuseppe Barracu with both excellent technique and imagination. At times, however, the results were a bit uneven, falling into three categories: amazing, very good, and average.

Amazing!
Marinated salmon. Both the intense flavor and unique consistency of the salmon stood out. It was served sliced, topped with pieces of marinated red onion, dollops of apricot marmalade, and drops of almond puree that perfectly complemented the fish.

The frozen peanut “pre-dessert.” A wonderfully surprising composition of lightly salted chunky peanut butter ice cream enrobed in crisp white chocolate, resembling a peanut and served on a plate surrounded by real peanuts.

Dessert. Another sophisticated and visually stunning creation, this was a dairy-based honeycomb topped with olive oil and hazelnut cream drops, accompanied by a scoop of creamy gelato.

Very good
Rombo (turbot). The fish was cooked to perfection and served on a bed of Swiss chard and quinoa, flavored with fish broth and lemongrass. The dish had an excellent balance of flavors but no surprises.

Another pre-dessert, a block of dark chocolate ganache sprinkled with bay leaf powder.

Average
A barley stew with Jerusalem artichokes and lentils served in goat’s milk. Visually the least inspiring of the dishes, the stew lacked any distinctive flavor and had a strange chewy texture.

Spaghettone (thick spaghetti) cooked in mushroom broth and an emulsion of fine herbs. The pasta was unfortunately undercooked (well below al dente) and lacked the earthy mushroom punch that we expected.

The last pre-dessert, a caramel cube. This was reminiscent of a treat that we could buy as children for a few cents. Although it did bring back fond childhood memories, I am not sure that was the desired effect.

Despite the mixed success of the dishes, we heartily give this restaurant 5 stars. The team was particularly attentive and handled every aspect of the evening with great professionalism. I loved the passion exhibited by Rossella and Giuseppe throughout the meal. For example, we appreciated that dinner began with a greeting from the kitchen in the form of four small finger foods. Everything possible was done to surprise and delight the guests. Finally, the total price was completely as expected and, in our opinion, an excellent value!

Wir verbrachten einen wunderbaren Abend in einem Lokal, wo einheimische Produkte und sardische Weine die Hauptrolle spielen, kombiniert mit unheimlich viel Leidenschaft und noch mehr Können!
Rossella & und Giuseppe verdienen jeden Umweg - grazie per una serata fantastica!

Een fantastische avond, een culinaire sensatie met Michelin ster waardige gerechten van Sardinië. Echt een aanrader, al zul je als je als je er langs loopt het niet gelijk zo herkennen. Hele lieve, persoonlijke bediening. Dank voor deze fantastische Sardijnse culinaire avond, Marieke en Jan Willem