Il Corallo

During a recent visit to Alghero we came here for lunch following the suggestion of a local shop. We were not disappointed.
The ambiance is nothing special (white walls with some contemporary paintings; a large TV showing Italian fiction with no audio), but the food did not disappoint. We decided to try the prix fixe lunch tasting menu which, for 25 euros it’s an amazing deal: 4 starters (3 cold; 1 warm) plus a pasta dish, a bottle of mineral water, half a liter of house wine (for 2 people), 2 persons minimum.
The first cold appetizer was cuttlefish with crispy vegetables, and this was perhaps the dish I enjoyed the most: tasty, refreshing, and delicious. This dish was followed by an octopus carpaccio with cucumber, tomatoes, and croutons; and then monkfish with purple cabbage, carrots, and radishes. The monkfish was nicely flaky and firm, but the flavor was somewhat lacking. The prawn tails with pane carasau breading and eggpant caviar was the warm starter, and it was delicious. The prawns were tasty and the carasau breading provided a nice contrast of consistencies with the eggplant caviar.
The spaghetti alla chitarra dish with occhiata (sea bream) fillets, zucchini blossoms, fresh cherry tomatoes, and bottarga was satisfying, and it had an intense sea flavor that I particularly liked. Also, I’m a sucker for spaghetti alla chitarra, a type of fresh pasta that you don’t find too often.
Portions are large, and service is prompt and knowledgeable. If you decide to order fresh fish a la carte, they will bring you the fish first, and let you know the weight/​cost, plus different ways they can prepare it. Plating was also very nice.
They also serve pizza, but only for dinner.