La Barrocciaia — Restaurant in Livorno

I loved this place. Had perfectly cooked branzino, lovely vegetables, a fabulous antipasto, and a nice little "while you wait" appetizer. And the price for that plus a espresso and a "punch" (see below), was 23€, an insane bargain from my perspective.

Very friendly, welcoming staff with good English. The menu is not printed and seems to change daily, so listen closely (or just ask them to choose for you - and go with whatever they bring). The changing menu is likely due it's proximity to the "pop-up" fresh vegetable and fish market which, at early lunchtime, hides the place somewhat. and, no doubt, to the changing menu and quality of the food.

As a solo diner at this family style place, I was seated at a table for six with another solo and two sets of friends (fine with me and turned into great fun). After lunch, at coffee time, one of my seat mates introduced me to the local specialty coffee called "Ponce Livornese" (Livorno punch): strong espresso, rum, a liqueur, plenty of sugar and a bit of lemon peel. Great, but, like true love, not for the faint of heart (h/t Avatar Meher Baba).

I can't imagine a better way to get a taste of the local flavor, in both senses...

Not the average restaurant. This is a place you'll say you're lucky you found it. If you want to have a waiter in tuxedo serving you overpriced turistic food, don't come over here. If all you know about Italian food is pizza and spaghetti meatballs and you don't dare to try something real and local, don't come over here. Now...if you like to try real specialities from Livorno and you like to be surrounded by genuine people who works their socks off to give you an amazing experience and make you feel like one of the family, this is the place. Loved every bit of it from the first moment. Loved the food, the guys, the place, the wine and the ponche. I am Italian and places like this make me proud to be one. Till next time...

My conclusion is, if u look for having nice seafood, this is a place to avoid. They have no idea how to prepare seafood at all (I live in costal region and eat various seafood all my life and a good cook myself too)

We had 3 dishes. 1 appetiser, 2 mains. The salmon appetiser is okay. Carbanara di mare (with some clamps and mussels) is absolutely terrible. It's one of the worst carbonara I had.

Another scary main is composed of whole fish, octopus, clamps, mussels etc. God the whole dish is cramped onto one small plate covered in the same dark brown awkward sauce. The fish is definitely fishy. The octopus is too unfresh and softly cooked that it tastes like cotton than...