Piro Piro, Reggio Calabria

Domenico Bellantonio and Laura Saraceno have been managing Piro Piro for ten years and have based their offering primarily on dining and events, set in a truly spectacular seaside location: we’re facing the Strait, Sicily, and the city of Messina. And we’re in Reggio Calabria, in what Gabriele D’Annunzio called “Italy’s most beautiful kilometer”. Piro Piro is also a beach club, or rather: it’s one of the five temporary concessions in Reggio Calabria, installed in May and then dismantled in October, although the structure isn’t designed for large numbers as we’re talking about just ten stations for about twenty sun loungers, primarily reserved for guests of the b&bs in the area. However, during the day, the evening sofas give way to additional sun loungers, accommodating up to sixty guests who dedicate themselves to the cult of tanning and the occasional brave dip in the waters of the Strait. In the evening the atmosphere changes and Piro Piro becomes a venue for concerts and shows, DJ sets and dancing by the sea combined with an intriguing selection of signature cocktails perfect for enjoying aperitifs or dancing until the early hours. At the restaurant, the menu changes according to seasonality: we recommend the cod my way, octopus and panelle, spaghetti with lupins and mussels, amberjack with spinach bergamot and buffalo mozzarella milk. Pizzas and craft beers are always an excellent combination and since 2022 Domenico and Laura have been partners in a craft microbrewery, Funky Drop, which is collecting awards and whose beers are naturally on the menu. Over 300 wine labels available to guests, with a focus on Calabria, giving space to the heroic viticulture of Bagnara Calabra and many small local realities with limited production. Extensive cocktail and spirits menu, the result of an established collaboration with Velier, one of the Italian leaders in distribution. Among the projects in the pipeline is a mooring point for boats.