It is not often that 2 restaurants merge completely to create a single entity that enhances both their souls.

This is what, surprisingly, happened in the culinary scene of Lignano between two “top-seeded” restaurants: The Taste opened in 2018 inside the Monaco Suites Hotel under the guidance of chef Rudi Santuz, and Al Bancut which has a long history rooted in the region.

The 40-year history could not be forgotten and for this reason together with Arnaldo and Petra we have started a new joint adventure that offers the highest food and wine quality.

(Enrico Salvadori, owner)

The idea was strongly desired by the owner of the Monaco Suites Hotel, Enrico Salvadori, so that, following the deserved retirement of Arnaldo Anastasia after 40 years of activity, his incredible human and gastronomic heritage would not be lost.

Located in Piazza Fontana in the heart of Lignano Sabbiadoro, The Taste & Al Bancut today combines their mutual skills, talents and even design. The minimal spaces of the restaurant hall of the Monaco Suites Hotel have, in fact, been enriched with the symbols of Al Bancut, such as the dark wood sign, the models of sailing ships, the scales and other memorabilia that add a pleasantly retro touch.

At the head of the kitchen is chef Rudi Santuz, a great self-taught talent, part of the Monaco Suites Hotel team for 26 years, who uses excellent raw materials, especially fish, to create seafood dishes, such as his legendary raw plateaux, creative recipes of his own invention, such as Ravioli Cacio e Pepe with pure red shrimp tartare and caviar, and those that hark back to the tradition of Al Bancut, such as Spaghetti all’Arnaldo.

The restaurant management by the maître d’ and sommelier Mosè Costaperaria and Petra Heidegger is fantastic, who you will remember at the helm of Al Bancut together with her husband Arnaldo, fantastic in “spoiling” guests from the appetizer to after dinner.

Everything, from the Murano glass table setting to the recipes, reflects the same “green” philosophy adopted in the hotel, which, for example, favors ingredients that have traveled the fewest kilometers from the production area and that involve the least possible energy expenditure and waste.

The restaurant has in fact obtained the “Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia” brand, which attests to the sustainability of regional businesses and the origin of agri-food production.

The perfect experience? Book an aperitif at The Sun, the panoramic rooftop solarium located on the 5th floor of the Suites Hotel Monaco, then move to the restaurant and ask, at the end, to serve dessert and a digestive (the 24-carat golden Spumone with fiordilatte and a drop of Sassicaia oil is fantastic) on the terrace overlooking the central Piazza Fontana.

The Secret

The history of Al Bancut is closely linked to nautical history, since it is right there that some of the crews that have led Lignano to win important regattas such as the Barcolana or the 500×2 were born. This explains the presence of so many symbols linked to this world in the new The Taste & Al Bancut.

Useful Info

The Taste & Al Bancut
Viale Gorizia 24
33054 Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine
Tel. +39 0431 71926

Startes: from 16 to 40 euro
First courses: from 16 to 28 euro
Second courses: from 16 to 32 euro