ristorazione — Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Between the flat waters of the Camargue and the open blue of the Mediterranean, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer holds an unexpected sign: that of Dado and Lilly, a couple from Bologna who chose Provence as the place to bring the flavors and gestures of their own home cooking.
The entrance is narrow and the dining room small, just a few tables that need booking ahead: this is not a stylistic choice, it is the right measure for a kitchen that allows no compromise. Dado and Lilly handle every detail themselves, from welcome to farewell, with the care of those who chose to carry their own city far from home.
The intimate dining room invites you to slow down. The menu offers the specialties of Emilian tradition — from a board of cured meats with tigelle to gnocchi with ragù bolognese — with attention to the needs of those at the table: three gluten-free pasta formats and vegetarian options, thought through without improvisation but with the same care given to the dishes of the house.
In the kitchen, pasta is made by hand every day. The tortellini — singled out by many as the dish not to miss — are born from dough rolled out according to Bolognese tradition, the same one handed down from generation to generation in Bologna. There is no shortcut: the sfoglia (rolled pasta sheet) can be seen, felt, recognized.
A plate of tortellini far from Bologna and yet true to itself: this is the page of Dado and Lilly.
