Checking into the 7Pines Resort in Sardinia for Michelin-starred dining and a whole lot of pizza

A bird's eye view of the resort shows how huge it is - taking up 15 hectares of seafront property in Baia Sardinia.

In a nutshell, why should we want to go?

Let's start with the island itself. Sardinia is an absolute jewel of the Mediterranean; the island sits off the west coast of Italy, just below Corsica. And if there's one part of Sardinia you have to go, it's the Costa Smeralda, named for the emerald hues of the sea here.

Now, Sardinia is not known for being a shy and retiring kind of place. This is where the Beckhams, Leo DiCaprio, and Beyoncé go on their super yachts and where the default mode of transport is Lamborghini. And into this rather OTT landscape sits 7Pines, a Destination by Hyatt resort that's much more about quiet luxury and great food.

The resort has a number of tiny coves to find a sunbathing spot in, so it never feels crowded.

So the food is good?

The food is VERY good. Last year, the hotel's restaurant Capogiro got a Michelin star, making it one of only five on the island. 7Pines also has a pizza restaurant run by none other than chef Franco Pepe, who's one of the world's best pizza chefs. So if you're looking for a sun holiday that also ticks all the boxes for a foodie, this is the place.

The pizzaiolos in action at Spazio

What are the rooms like?

The hotel has 75 rooms and suites, dotted around the resort. There are rooms overlooking the expansive gardens, some rather lovely ones in The Laguna (an adult-only section with its own pool) and those with a sea view, which is where we stayed. Our Sea View Suite was massive, with its own kitchenette (obviously, there's a wine fridge) and a terrace so close to the sea we could hear the waves from our bed.

Rooms are very tastefully done with local textiles

Let's get back to the food. There's a Michelin-starred restaurant?

Capogiro by Pasquale D'Ambrosio saw the Campania-born chef pick up a Michelin star in the 2026 Italy guide. Boasting frankly stunning views over the coast, making it particularly good for a romantic sunset meal, D'Ambrosio says his food here is all about being authentic to its Sardinian setting. Seafood is landed five minutes away, there's a kitchen garden supplying most of the herbs and the kitchen pays more than just lip service to the notion of seasonality and sustainability.

Dishes on the tasting menu we enjoyed were not only stunning to look at - all of the local crockery was commissioned by the chef - but memorably good too.

The main dining room at Capogiro with a terrace overlooking the sea. 

The canapes at Capogiro were an absolute vision (we're just glad we didn't have to do the washing up!)

Purple raw prawns with clam and seaweed in a marinara-style broth

And what about the pizza?

If you're after more of an informal meal at the hotel, you go to Spazio by Franco Pepe. That's the poolside restaurant that's a mix of trattoria and pizzeria. So you could be enjoying simple dishes like mind-blowingly good melon and local prosciutto, or opting as we did one night, to go for a pizza tasting menu that allows you to try slices of all Pepe's pizzas on the menu. There are some here that are exclusive to the hotel, which you won't find in the chef's other restaurant.

One of the exclusive pizzas, this was topped with smoked fior di latte, Sardinian artichoke, red beef carpaccio, olives, sea fennel oil and Sardinian DOP pecorino foam. 

Local prosciutto di Seulo with melon.

What if we fancy brushing up our culinary skills while we're on holiday?

The hotel provides a range of culinary experiences from wine tasting run by local vineyards to cookery lessons. We took a class led by Pasquale himself (it would cost 300 euros), which took us through the basics of pasta making before feeding us with a selection of tiny tasters, using the pasta we'd helped make.

Pasquale and his sous chef, Dua, teach us the basics of pasta making

Tagliolini with freshly grated black truffle.

Anything else we should know about?

We were here in very early season, so a couple of extra parts of the hotel hadn't opened yet. The resort has its own beach club, Cone Club, with DJs and a seafood menu. And they were also getting ready to open a rooftop bar by Bollinger for the summer.

How do we get there?

The one budget-friendly thing about Sardinia is that both Ryanair and Easyjet fly there, with flights taking just under two and a half hours.