Autumn in Versilia: the new menu from Il Piccolo Principe

There is an air of renewal in Versilia. The Tuscan coast knows no seasons: if the summer fully lives out its seafaring nature, with the arrival of autumn it becomes a haven for those escaping the city, in search of the sea. So, after eight years, the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte, an iconic, historic structure in Viareggio, has returned to its old ways, extending its summer opening throughout the autumn and winter, until January. Chef Giuseppe Mancino, at the helm of Il Piccolo Principe, the two-Michelin-starred restaurant inside the hotel, for the first time offers an autumn menu.

"I am particularly enthusiastic about this menu, because after so many years I am going back to ingredients that I was no longer used to handling, due to the winter shutdown," says Mancino. "What I have come up with is a journey into autumnal flavours: mushrooms, pumpkin, warm flavours, rounder and fuller, are the representation par excellence of conviviality, of that warm home atmosphere that makes people feel good".

Discover the dishes on the new autumn menu at Il Piccolo Principe, below.

Il Piccolo Principe in Viareggio: the dishes on the new menu

As always, chef Mancino offers gastronomic creations with great aesthetic impact, and full of warmth: colourful paintings and palettes that tell the story of the autumn season in Versilia, amid hints of embers, flavours of land and sea. Here, you’ll find elegant and original dishes, where the territory is narrated with an international tone and a highly creative approach: from the barbecued eel, foie gras, turnips and rhubarb to the pork pluma with oysters, kale and fermented radishes to the beetroot, mascarpone namelaka and fire granita (top photo).

"Remaining on the menu are our evergreens, the dishes our guests are most fond of, and which are most versatile in terms of seasonality: from spaghetti mantecati con burro, alici e tè affumicato [spaghetti emulsified with butter, anchovy and smoked tea] to piccione al barbecue [barbecued pigeon]," the chef says.

Feast your eyes on the new dishes at Il Piccolo Principe in Viareggio, below.

_{Grilled eel, foie gras, turnips and rhubarb}

_{Grilled artichoke with oil and sesame}

_{Edible marble}

_{Barbecued pigeon, pineapple, marjoram and vermouth sauce}

_{Spaghetti mantecati with butter, anchovies and smoked tea}

_{Pork pluma, oysters, kale and fermented radishes}

_{Langoustine, seaweed pesto, green apple extract and fermented cucumber}

_{Tortello with sweet onion, oxtail, pecorino and truffle}

_{Potato tortello, fondo bugiardo, bay leaf and mushrooms}

_{Mullet pizzaiola, Tuscan bread, mozzarella, capers, tomatoes, black olives}

_{Pumpkin, mushroom, hazelnuts and white chocolate}