In brief. At Waves, fish is not ordered from a fixed menu: it arrives every morning from the fish auction in Formia, a few kilometres down the coast, and the offering adapts to what the sea has provided. The cooking is by chef Raffaele Lenti — raw dishes, low-temperature cooking, and contrasts crafted without forcing. Dinner from 19:00, on Lungomare Caboto in Gaeta, with free parking in front.
Where does the fish come from?
A few kilometres down the coast is the Formia fish market. At dawn the boats return and the night's catch is auctioned off: that is where they buy the fish that by evening arrives on the plates at Waves.
It's not a detail from a specification sheet. Buying at auction means buying what's there that morning, not what you need to fill a menu decided months beforehand. It's the reason why some nights there's amberjack and other nights there isn't.
Why the fish menu changes
At Waves there is no fixed list of fish dishes. There is a kitchen that decides every morning what to do with what it has bought.
For those arriving at the table, the difference is real: it's worth asking your waiter what came in that morning before ordering. The answer changes from week to week, and is often the best thing about the evening.
Raw fish dishes
Raw fish is where you can immediately tell if it’s good, because there’s no cooking behind which to hide.
Red prawn carpaccio is served with a creamy avocado, red onion and candied lemon: three elements that pull in different directions — fat, acidity, sweetness — around the natural sweetness of the prawn. The tuna tartare arrives with panzanella and gazpacho, which bring the raw fish back into a recognisable Mediterranean register.
The cooking methods
The other half of Waves' seafood cuisine lies in low-temperature cooking, where the fish stays just right instead of drying out.
The low-temperature cooked amberjack is served with fennel and a warm tomato gazpacho. The sea bass goes with a pea cream and mullet bottarga, which adds the salty element without overpowering. The tagliatelle with true octopus is the dish that best explains the method: no rare ingredients, everything built on texture.
The dishes that tell the story of this cuisine
The cuisine is that of the chef Raffaele Lenti, Neapolitan by birth and adopted Gaetan. The recurring feature is a contrast built without forcing: an acidic element that lightens, a crunchy texture that breaks, a traditional ingredient placed where you least expect it.
The "A-Mare" tasting menu
For those who want to trust the kitchen without choosing dish by dish, there is the fish tasting menu, built around the catch of the season. It changes with the season and with what the market brought in: it is the most direct way to understand where this cooking is heading.
When to visit and how to book
Waves works at dinner, from 19:00, on Lungomare Giovanni Caboto in Gaeta. In front of the venue there is a free car park with more than fifty spaces, which in the summer months in Gaeta matters more than it seems.
At weekends and during peak season, it is advisable to book a few days in advance. For a group dinner or special occasion, there is a dedicated page for private events, where it starts from ten people.
Not just fish
Waves is not just a seafood restaurant, and it's fair to say that sooner rather than later.
In the same room stands the open-view Maturmeat® ageing cabinet and the Josper, the charcoal oven where T-bone, rib-eye, tomahawk and sirloin of scottona take centre stage. And there is a wine list featuring over five hundred labels, from the wines of southern Lazio to champagnes.
It is the reason why at a mixed table no one has to give anything up: you can order the catch of the day and grilled meat in the same dinner. The full details are on the page of the menu.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the fish at Waves come from?
From the Formia fish auction, a few kilometres up the coast, where the night’s catch is sold every morning at dawn.
Is there a permanent fish menu?
No, and it's not an omission: the offer adapts to what the market delivered that morning. It's worth asking the waiter what arrived before ordering.
Can you eat raw fish?
Yes. Raw dishes are an important part of the cuisine: red prawn carpaccio, tuna tartare and whatever the catch of the day allows.
Can you have meat and fish in the same meal?
Yes, and it is the most common situation. The kitchen works daily with the catch from the fish auction and the meat that ages in the Maturmeat and cooks in the Josper.
Is there a fish tasting menu?
Yes, the “A-Mare” tasting menu, which is based on the catch of the day and therefore varies with the season.
What time do people have dinner at Waves?
Dinner service starts at 7 pm.
Is there parking?
Yes, in front of the venue: free, with more than fifty spaces.
Can allergies or a vegetarian menu be catered for?
Yes. Allergies, intolerances, vegetarian and vegan menus can be catered for: just let us know when booking.
