Hello! We are going to be in Abruzzo next week and would like to have lunch at a Trobocco on the coast. Does anyone have any recommendations? I've tried Trobocco Pesce Palombo but cannot get a response to a reservation request. Thank you!

I LOVED Abruzzo!!! We spent about a week there, in combination with Le Marche. Did not eat in any trabocchi, as we were there in late fall. But although I have no first-hand experience, I know that most of them are in the stretch between Vasto and Ortona. Try googling 'COSTA DI TRABOCCHI' or Trabocchi coast, or other similar terms..you'll find a lot of info that way. Then check the reviews...
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See this: https://www.visitterredeitrabocchi.it/trabocchi-to-discover-nine-places-to-have-dinner-hanging-over-the-sea/?lang=en

For Pesce Palombo, (not sure why this is showing up in blue)..if you have a hotel booked in the area, ask them to call for you. Or phone them yourself. They also might take booking on their Facebook page, if you have FB.

Would you mind letting me know your general itinerary in Abruzzo? Thanks!!!

Thank you Eks -

I'm happy to hear that you loved Abruzzo. Where did you stay and what did you do while there? Any great restaurant recommendations?

We are staying in Sulmona. We have never been to Abruzzo before, so this trip is kind of exploring and getting to know the area. We are actually going to be viewing some properties for sale while we are there. We plan to visit Sulmona, Scanno, Penne, Caramanico Terme, and Palombaro to name a few. We did make a reservation at a Trabocco, so we're looking forward to that, I'd love to know what you did and what you liked! Thanks, again.

We had Sulmona as our base for a visit to Abruzzo. One of our day trips was to the Abbe of San Clemente Casauria (12th century), then up to Caramanico Terme (a charming spa town), then across SR487 and the Majella Massif/Passo San Leonardo (beautiful drive) and emerging from the mountains to Pacentro (where the singer Madonna's family is from) and on to Sulmona. So basically a loop.

The Abbe of San Giovanni in Venere is a jewel further down the coast, which you might visit combined with the trobocchi. It has a stunning location on a promontory above the Adriatic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gi...n_Venere_Abbey
I visited San Giovanni while staying in Lanciano, a fair sized attractive town.

Abruzzo has a number of charming Romanesque churches. They are not always in great repair, but they are worth a look at. Romanesque sculpture can be quite fanciful.

In Sulmona, we visited one of the confetti factory/museums, the Abbey of Santo Spiritu al Morrone and enjoyed the market day in Piazza Garibaldi.

We stopped for coffee one day in Penne and a man bought our group (my brother, sister, cousin and I) coffee and then came back with a bottle of wine for us!

No restaurant recommendations--our trip was 10 years ago. We had hoped to return before Covid.

PSGMARTINO:

We also based in Sulmona. I have to find my notes (wish I knew how to post photos here) for more information on our trip, but It's funny, as we met an American couple (one of the very, very few, if any, Americans we met on this trip) who had recently purchased an apartment right across the street from our hotel, and they would stay there and also rent it out. This is a great area, since there is so much to do and see in the near vicinity. And travel time to Rome is very short..surprisingly short.

Ok..will try to find more information for you, but you asked about restaurants: There was one in Sulmona itself that we liked a lot..very simple, changing menu...we te there more than once:

TRATTORIA DON CICCIO. Book ahead.

The best eating, for us, was outside the city:

PACENTRO. We had lunch at TAVERNA DI LI CALDORA. Superb. Ask for table with view across the valley. Reserve ahead. I would have loved to explore the town but when we were there in mid-day, many things were closed, a situation we found often in this region, and I guess, in most of Italy. Definitely worth setting aside time to explore before or after lunch or dinner. Also there can be detours in getting to Pacentro..check to see about road closures. Very close to Sulmona.

CIVITELLA CASANOVA. One hour or so from Sulmona, on a scenically beautiful route, LA BANDIERA draws many diners from Rome, as well as tourists from other parts of Italy and beyond. As I said, I do not have my notes here (am not at home for next 2 weeks), but highly, highly recommend. Despite various stars and accolades, the owners/staff were lovely and kind and welcoming. Food is terrific...sorry I cannot remember what we had, but for us the drive was well worth it. I believe chef worked at Gualtiero Marchese near Milan..this is Michelin-type food but it really showcases the food of the area and is not overly fussy or complicated just to be talked about. Most expensive tasting menu is 95euro which, for that quality, is very fair. And they have a la carte, with no dishes more than 28euro or so.. It's expensive, but think about what you would pay for an ordinary restaurant in places like Amalfi Coast (cannot even imagine!)

As I said, the drive from Sulmona was spectacular and I fantasized about renting a house somewhere in that countryside..near Rome, near the sea,, near the mountains, great food, normal prices in the area..wish we had had time to explore much more of this area..

We also drove to SCANNO one morning...twisty mountain road, signs warning of wild bears! Just gorgeous. Unlike my usual, we went with no idea of where to eat, just a short list but we found many places were not open during the week in early November (I think early November)...so we went to a simple place that was open and had an excellent lunch....again wish we had gone when more places were open so we could explore...trip to Scanno is one fo the top day trips from Sulmona and for the drive alone, I can see why...also the Lake is beautiful..you pass this on the way to town... This was one restaurant where we met English speakers; seems that many Abbruzziani (??) emigrated to Canada much later than the big Italian emigration from further south, to the US... We met a table of Canadians on a "family roots" visit.

We also went to a very, very local restaurant in a town to the west of Sulmona....packed to the rafters at lunchtime...seems like they had never hosted anyone from outside the immediate area before!! It was a wonderful experience..set lunch for very small price. They kept bringing platter after platter of food, lots of meat...we had so much fun there....Again, I am sorry I do not have the details but will try to find..

On the drive back to Rome, we had lunch at a fantastic restaurant in CARSOLI..L'ANGOLO DI ABRUZZO.....it is well known to Romans, as there is a train from Rome that stops near the restaurant...again, just fantastic! Would certainly take train to eat there next time in Rome. Heard bout it years and years ago from Maureen Fant (food writer, based in Italy, now offers food tours in Italy with her daughter....tempting. I got many ideas from her "trattorie" book. published long ago..worth checking into her and her writing.)

Just writing this makes me want to return to this area. I am in the early stages of planning a trip maybe beginning in Bari and driving through a bit of Molise (trabocchi!!) to stay in either Termoli or Vasto for a few days (do you have any opinion on which of those 2 towns would better for us??) explore inland from either of those, and then head further into Abruzzo..do you have an itinerary you can share here? I thought we could go in October...when the Senise peppers will be available in Basilicata. I know this sounds like a crazy plan but I am working on it and it makes sense....

You brought back many memories of a wonderful trip to an unsung part of the country. Thank you!