This fun and fashionable people-watching spot is perfect for an aperitif or a postprandial cocktail. Make sure to get a table on the terrace with its superb views of the Porto Cervo marina.

According to Forbes, Flavio Briatore, the owner of this club and the unofficial playboy king of the Costa Smeralda scene, is “only” a millionaire, but that doesn’t stop him from playing the billionaire. His 25,000-square-foot discotheque (and restaurant) is the height of the Porto Cervo scene, attracting people like Italy’s former president Silvio Berlusconi, steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal as well as models and twenty-something leggy Russians.

Anyone tired of glitz and bling will welcome I Frati Rossi (which translates to “the red friars”), located on a hillside close to Porto Cervo but feeling world’s away. The views from the veranda are wonderful as is the local cuisine designed to keep things simple and traditional. Laurel Barrack, owner and managing partner of Costa Smeralda Hotels, considers it one of her favorite local spots.

One of the most renowned seafood restaurants on the Costa Smeralda, Il Pescatore is also the coast’s sole restaurant where diners can sit on a waterfront terrace. It’s a great spot to sample the region’s ultra-fresh seafood. Laurel Barrack, owner and managing partner of Costa Smeralda Hotels, considers it one of the island’s two best fish restaurants.

You need a boat to access the nice restaurant of La Casitta hotel, located on Santa Maria island (part of La Maddalena archipelago). It’s a fabulous spot for lunch. Diners sit on a terrace overlooking the water in the distance, and many of the dishes feature vegetables grown in the property’s gardens. Ask your concierge to make arrangements for this truly local hot spot.

Surrounded by crystal-clear waters and dramatic rock formations, La Scogliera is a striking beachside spot with views of Isola Caprera in the distance. Its appeal, however, is not just about its secluded location—the seafood is also excellent. Accessible only by boat, the restaurant makes for a fabulous meal ashore for travelers renting a charter in the area. The menu of contemporary Mediterranean dishes includes fresh fish and shellfish as well as homemade bread and pasta; don’t miss the classic spaghetti alle vongole. If you’ve stopped by during daylight, be sure to soak up the sun on the pink-sand beach club after lunch.

When my husband and I came across this restaurant, just outside Porto Rotondo, we immediately knew we had discovered a jewel. Lu Stazzu (“the house of a farmer”) has just the right combination of rusticity and sophistication. Guests sit beneath a pergola on a granite terrace overlooking the Mediterranean and enjoy delicious fresh food, an upscale version of traditional Sardinian fare. We didn’t even look at a menu (we trusted our friendly server), and feasted on an assortment of tasty appetizers, pasta, and the house specialty: roasted suckling pig.

This beach club is considered one of the island’s uncontested hot spots. Due to its location on a rocky enclave right by the water, Phi is a good place for sunset cocktails before you head back to Porto Cervo (about a 20-minue drive) for dinner.

This buzzy pizzeria serves excellent pies with fresh ingredients, as well as seafood and pasta in the simple, airy dining room or on the alfresco terrace. The crowd is a mix of visitors and locals who adore the family-run favorite.