Il Marinaio – Bologna (Italy) en

A seafood restaurant outside of town. It’s a sure thing according to my friends who live beside it and really appreciate the place. On the internet opinions contrast between those that are really enthusiastic about it and those that complain about high prices. If you’re a French guy in Italy, especially if Parisian and you’re in Bologna having an entire fish, fresh, for 20 euros, it’s a decent price, but for some Italians, they’ll find the prices too high.

I maintain that the value is good, and that it’s been so since 2000. I liked the boss and also the fact that not only the seafood was fresh, but also the good reputation they have for their pizzas; when you come in you can see the huge ovens.

It’s a large room with a small one at the back. I liked the atmosphere, the clientele was pretty disparate.
It’s comfortable “sans etre guindé”, there’s lots of room.

The boss is from Campania. He was pretty colorful, I got up to ask him for advice near the kitchens. Without any hesitation he said I should try the whole sea bass that he showed me on a tray.

He spoke French like many other Italians of his age. At the end of the meal he left the Myrtle liquor bottle on the table, “a notre discrétion”

My friends chose the wine, a Greco di Tufo, that I thought was nice, but not outstanding: a little flat, fruity but without tonicity, like someone that talks but we don’t hear the end of the sentences.

It was a feast.
As an appetizer we shared fried fish with lemon, a delight.

Some mussels

A focaccia arrived out of nowhere, without being ordered, the magic of Italy.

A fish that wasn’t for us, that I saw and went in pursuit of.

My sea bass cooked with tomatoes. “de la manière la plus qui soit, comme l’avait recommandé le patron.”
Very well cooked, too bad there were so many bones.

Mixed grilled skewers.

Spaghetti alle cozze (mussels)

For the little anecdote, an Italian friend of mine that makes his own balsamic vinegar travelled 30 km to see us and bring me a bottle of his elixir. It’s so thick that it doesn’t go on tomatoes, ” rather, not even a drop on a nice piece of meat or on strawberries.”

Little cream puffs to finish, too cute.

I thought the bottle had a “gueule de maison”, my headache the next day seems to indicate the opposite, and my friend agreed. To be honest, I didn’t really care, I thought it was super nice of them to have put it on the table, free of charge.

We were 5 and had a great time. There were enough people to not feel alone, but at the same time it was calm enough that it felt like home, we could hear each other talk