Gianfranco Pascucci is one of the most authoritative voices in contemporary Italian seafood cuisine. Born in 1970 and raised in Fiumicino, near Rome, he developed an instinctive bond with the sea from an early age. In 2000, together with his wife Vanessa Melis, he took over the family restaurant in Fiumicino, originally opened by his grandparents after the Second World War, giving rise to Pascucci al Porticciolo. Over the years, the restaurant has earned prestigious 

national and international accolades, affirming Pascucci’s role as a leading figure in modern marine gastronomy. Pascucci interprets the sea as a true territory, telling the story of the entire marine ecosystem, from sea beds to the inland areas of Fiumicino, from algae to the crops of Isola Sacra and the aromas of Mediterranean scrub. A true “researcher of the sea”, he uses his 

restaurant as a laboratory of technique and experimentation, where raw ingredients and their transformation lie at the heart of his cuisine. While rooted in Fiumicino, Pascucci’s vision extends across the Mediterranean, aiming to create a shared, contemporary European seafood culture grounded in territory, research, technique and flavour.