The spit roast on the beach just outside Cagliari (with stunning wines) that revolutionised Sardinian cuisine

The huge sign leaves no room for doubt. Cucina e Cantina since 1967. The Murgia family’s restaurant is about to celebrate its 60th anniversary and, decades ago, it changed the way people thought about dining out. It started in the fishermen’s village, and in the 1980s moved to its current location. We’re 20 minutes from Cagliari, in Maddalena Spiaggia. The name reveals quite a lot: Sa Cardiga e Su Schironi. And indeed, in any self-respecting Sardinian home, could you really go without a grill and a spit? Definitely not. The formula has always been the same—today it might seem ordinary, but back then it was truly innovative. A vast array of starters—raw, cooked, hot and cold—followed by a few main dishes, prepared according to a couple of essential rules: only the finest ingredients and simple cooking methods, designed not to alter the natural essence of the produce.

Artisanal and natural wines

In 2000, the handover: from father to son. Today, Gianluca Murgia runs the kitchen founded by his father, but he has elevated the establishment through his passion: wine. He owes much to Lello Atzeni, a historic wine merchant in Cagliari—Murgia began attending tastings with him and exploring Sardinian wineries, from Gallura down across the island. Another of his “teachers” was Luca Gargano, owner of the Velier and Triple A catalogues, who introduced Gianluca to the world of natural wines and biodynamic farming, starting with Nicolas Joly.
“There are around 600 labels in my cellar, with many vintages, so there’s a strong sense of verticality. I’m undoubtedly protective of some old Vernaccia di Oristano reserves from the 1970s, bottles of Malvasia di Bosa from the 1980s, some cult Spanish labels over 50 years old, like Vega Sicilia’s Unico — not to mention a 1945 Petrus. Another bottle I was—pardon me, I used to be—very fond of was the 1976 Torbato Passito by Sella & Mosca, a label produced only in a few vintages. When Vittorio Moretti came here to celebrate his acquisition of Sella & Mosca, I asked him if he knew of it. He believed it never existed, thinking it was just a local legend. So how could I prove him wrong? I opened it. And that’s how we ended up drinking that marvellous sweet wine.”

Don’t forget to try the eel

Many passionate drinkers and renowned winemakers have passed through here. Mateja Gravner came to open some old bottles of Breg, Radikon brought something very old from his cellar to share, and Silvio Jermann, after a lunch spent drinking Burgundy, gifted Murgia one of his own bottles from his private collection. But speaking of Schironi, if you come here for a meal, at some point you’ll see eels still on the spit being paraded through the dining room by expert waiters. It doesn’t matter if you’re already full by then—grilled eel is a must. Also because Gianluca will be right there, ready to uncork one of his great bottles.