La Puntulina: The Family Home They Refused to Sell, by the Sea in Rovinj
Terraces on the Rocks, Adriatic Views and Three Generations of Rovinj Cuisine: The Restaurant Born from a Refusal
Rovigno / Rovinj, Istria
In 2004, Corrado Pellizzer and his children faced a choice: sell the family home perched on the cliffs of Rovinj or give it a new purpose. They chose to open a restaurant. The view over the Adriatic was already there.
La Puntulina wasn't born from a business plan. It began with a decision not to sell. The Pellizzer family's home stood on the cliffs of Rovinj's old town, overlooking the island of St. Catherine, with a series of terraces cascading almost to sea level. In 2004, Corrado Pellizzer and his sons, Nereo and Giovanni, chose to keep it and transform it into a restaurant. The name Puntulina, in the Rovinj dialect, means a small rocky point jutting out into the sea—exactly what this place is.
The Pellizzers have been part of Rovinj's restaurant scene for generations and now run four restaurants across the town. At La Puntulina, the kitchen is led by Jodelle, the founder's granddaughter and the family's third generation. The menu stays true to Rovinj's culinary traditions, with Italian influences: fresh seafood, scampi, Istrian truffles, homemade pasta and seasonal ingredients. It has been recommended by the Michelin Guide for years.
But the real reason people book weeks in advance is the lowest terrace—where you're seated almost at sea level, surrounded by rocks, with the Adriatic stretching out before you and the sunset stealing the scene. It's one of those views that speaks for itself.
This is an independent editorial feature.
Photo ©puntulina.eu
Practical Information
Location: Rovigno / Rovinj, Istria
Duration: Lunch or Dinner
Estimated price: From €45 per person
