Osteria Bartolini

The story

Osteria Bartolini in Cesenatico: Bib Gourmand Seafood on the Canale

Osteria Bartolini, Cesenatico

It began in 1999, in a courtyard with friends, eating fried fish that had been caught that same morning. That day, Stefano Bartolini decided his osteria should feel exactly like that: simple, convivial, and rooted in the catch of the day. What started as Osteria del Gran Fritto is now Osteria Bartolini, a seafood restaurant on the Porto Canale di Leonardo da Vinci in Cesenatico.

The kitchen draws directly from the Adriatic Sea and the hills of Romagna. Ingredients are chosen by season, and the guiding principle is the recovery and reinterpretation of the flavours of the fishermen’s tradition. This is not fussy cooking; it is the kind that comes from a fishing boat – direct, honest, and full of character.

Osteria Bartolini has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year from 2009 to 2026, a recognition that rewards good quality, good value cooking. The award fits naturally here: the restaurant’s philosophy has always been about making excellent seafood accessible. No reservations are taken, and the welcome is warm and informal.

Alongside the sit-down menu, the osteria offers takeaway and street food. The fried fish, served in a paper cone, is meant to be eaten strolling along the port, evoking the days when fishermen would cook their small catch right on the docks, sharing simple, powerful dishes that tasted of the sea. At Osteria Bartolini, that spirit is alive every day.