1. Restaurant Il Pellicano

You can choose from two restaurants at the hotel and the Michelin-starred Restaurant Il Pellicano is the more formal choice, located on the top terrace. Guests in linen suits and sundresses clink glasses in the little bar outside while piano music drifts lazily out into the night.

We tried Chef Michelino Gioia’s tasting menu as a treat with our friends and we sat happily drinking it all in, listening to the ocean. Dishes are Tuscan-inspired with a contemporary twist – including lobster and game showstoppers, and the most perfectly golden, juicy scallops I’ve ever tried.

There’s pasta, of course, and the burrata and sage ravioli is unforgettable. While dessert is velvety slabs of chocolate, wheeled out on a stylish trolley. On Mondays, the restaurant goes meat-free in the name of sustainability, and you’ll find creative veggie and fish dishes that are more than worthy.

2. Pelligrill

Pelligrill is more laidback and overlooks the sea and the pool area. The atmosphere and menu captures all the freshness of the sea and is great for lunch or more relaxed dinners. So, it’s here we savoured the catch of the day and a bottle of Tignanello (produced nearby at Antinori’s vineyards) after a morning swim.

The menu celebrates traditional Tuscan cuisine, so it’s the place to go for local T-bone steaks, slow-roasted lamb and classics like cacio e pepe and truffle pasta. Plus, all the Mediterranean herbs used are taken from the surrounding gardens. The only place to head after is by the pool for a snooze.

3. Bar All’Aperto

Aperitivo (or cocktail hour) was my favourite time of day at Pellicano. Bar All’Aperto is a cool terrace bar with clusters of sofas to curl up on. Lead mixologist Federico Morosi is passionate about ingredients from local producers and has his own personal library of recipes, spotlighting Italian liqueurs.

The drinks are classic with a twist, and while sitting beneath a signature lemon-striped umbrella, we browsed the menu and nibbled on local olives and hunks of tongue-tingling Parmesan that arrived as soon as we sat down. My Pelican Martini had a dash of Mandarinetto (a mandarin orange liquor from the Amalfi Coast) and the Aperol Spritz was spiked with Elisir di China, which is herbal and fragrant.

Thankfully, the bar is open all day – from early morning espressos to sunset Negronis, if you so wish.

Stay

You can choose from rooms in the main hotel or a cottage with its own private pool. We stayed in a double sea view room that was quiet and understated. The interiors are authentically Tuscan with warm, terracotta tiles and beams. It felt more like a luxurious guest room in a welcoming home. Even the mini bar is complimentary so it’s like helping yourself to your host’s secret pantry.

The terrace had panoramic views and we stood for a moment when we first arrived, breathing in the smell of fresh rosemary from the garden. The highlight for me was the huge marble bathroom, with plenty of space for dressing up and getting ready for our sumptuous dinners.

Explore

The Beach Club is just a short walk from the rooms, and the private pier is perfect for launching yourself into paddleboarding or snorkelling. The beach bar serves up hangover-crushing juices and smoothies, and light lunches so you could just make this your base for the trip.

But, if you’re keen for something more active, there are the hotel’s tennis courts and local hiking routes. From the hotel, you can follow a trail up Monte Argentario’s hillside and take in the wild heather, juniper and rosemary as you climb. 10 minutes’ drive away is Porto Ercole – where the artist Caravaggio lived for a while. It’s a modern port town, so you can perch up in one of the bars to watch the yachts come and go.

Or, book yourself a private boat trip and head to Grotta Azzurra – a rocky cave with clear, turquoise waters to explore. We headed a little further to Isola del Giglio – one of seven islands that make up the Tuscan Archipelago. We pulled up for lunch, wandered around the tiny village and tucked into fresh octopus and raw fish.