what to eat in sorrento and amalfi coast

Food and Drinks in Sorrento and Amalfi Coast

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Sorrento and Amalfi Coast – Where to eat Welcome to the taste of Sorrento Peninsula, flavors and special aromas! Simple and tasty dishes created with the basic ingredients of the Mediterranean cooking, generally locally produced, characterize the typical cooking of this magnificent region. The Mediterranean diet is acknowledged everywhere like the most wholesome, natural and […]

Sorrento and Amalfi Coast – Where to eat

Welcome to the taste of Sorrento Peninsula, flavors and special aromas! Simple and tasty dishes created with the basic ingredients of the Mediterranean cooking, generally locally produced, characterize the typical cooking of this magnificent region. The Mediterranean diet is acknowledged everywhere like the most wholesome, natural and complete diet.

Oil, tomatoes, mozzarella and spices are the basic ingredients of rich dishes like “cannelloni” (once called “strascinate”), gnocchi alla sorrentina, pasta with beans, stuffed pepper (in dialect called “mbuttunat”) or of delicate dishes, such as caprese salad (tomatoes and mozzarella), pasta with courgettes, parmigiana di melenzane (fried aubergines with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese). Here, you’ll delight your senses with handmade pasta of all kinds, pizza, different kinds of fresh or ripe cheese, sausages, vegetables cooked in different ways as side dish with all kinds of meat and fish.

When life gives you lemons, make a Limoncello! Wherever you’ll go, the smell of lemon will seduce your senses. Don’t thing to those little ordinary yellow lemons because when you arrived here you’ll be surprised of the lemon’s size. Made from locally grown lemons with pure alcohol, Limoncello is like a kiss from the sun and is most often served after meals. So, a cold glass of Limoncello is more than welcome on a hot summer day!

If you want to experience the taste of Amalfi Coast you should try the Food Walking Tour. Wash your tastings down with local beer, wine and limoncello! In the late morning, meet at Piazza Tasso Sorrento, Sorrento's main square, for your 3-hour food tour. Your passionate local guide will lead you on a leisurely walk through central Sorrento, revealing the southern Italian city’s old-world charm and fantastic culinary delights and traditions.

Your first stop is a local pasticceria, where you'll try traditional sfogliatelle (a shell-shaped, filled pastry). Follow with a classic Italian panini and palle e riso, the Neapolitan version of arancini. These fried rice balls are a southern Italy staple. Visit a family-owned deli market for real buffalo mozzarella, local cheese and salumi (a cured meat, not to be confused with salami).

Sample the area's oldest handcrafted beer, and then savor Sorrento's famous pasta dish with wine at a local trattoria. You'll also learn how Sorrento's famous lemons are turned into limoncello — the must-try beverage of southern Italy. Your meal concludes with the perfect treat: gourmet gelato! You’ll return to Piazza Tasso Sorrento around 1:30 pm with a happy belly.

As you walk, you’ll admire the postcard-worthy cliff side dotted with stacked houses and lemon and olive groves, with majestic Mount Vesuvius as the backdrop.

After experiencing the beauty of the Amalfi Coast, all that’s left to do is sit down and sample some of the typical dishes of the region. From traditional trattorias, and pizzerias to fancy Michelin stars restaurants the Sorrentine Peninsula has serious foodie credentials. Where to have the best culinary experiences on Italy’a Amalfy Coast?

Don Alfonso 1890 is located in Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi (Massa Lubrense) a small hamlet just to the south of Sorrento. The restaurant holds two Michelin Stars for its superb cuisine and wine cellar. The restaurant owns its own farm, Le Perraciole, on the Sorrentine Peninsula, that supplies ingredients like the extra-virgin olive oil used at Don Alfonso. The exceptional wine cellar houses 25 000 bottles in tunnels that date back many centuries.

In the heart of Sorrento lies Il Buco, here you can sit outside just a few moments’ walk away from the sea, or inside where once were the wine cellars of an old monastery. Critics reckon Il Buco serves some of the best food in Sorrento, and the Michelin Guide has awarded the restaurant one of its coveted stars. There’s a tasting menu, a traditional menu, an à la carte menu, or you can let the chef devise a meal for you. The traditional menu features dishes like candelapasta with Neapolitan ragout sauce, and beef roulade stuffed with escarole and potatoes.

Another central Sorrento spot for excellent cuisine is Ristorante Museo Caruso. The customer reviews describe the food as the ‘best meal in Italy,’ and the restaurant holds a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. The restaurant is named after the famous operatic tenor Enrico Caruso, born and raised in Naples. The menu is traditional, but is combined with modern techniques and beautiful, contemporary presentation. Inspiration comes from the Mediterranean and classic Neapolitan flavors and dishes.

Another place with a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor in the historic center of Sorrento is Ristorante TavernAllegra, which opened in 2010 in what was once the stable area of a 15th-century palazzo on the Via Pietà, close to the cathedral. On the menu are specials including linguine with lobster, chateaubriand fillet of beef for two, and prawns on a bed of chicory and local Sorrento lemons.

You’ll find Bagni Delfino down the coast from central Sorrento at Marina Grande, an old fishing village that still retains a lot of old world charm. The restaurant sits on the waterfront, and from there, diners can enjoy spectacular views across the Bay of Naples to the huge, sprawling city in the distance. Family-owned since opening in 1968, Bagni Delfino is ranked number two out of 229 restaurants in Sorrento, according to the customer reviews on TripAdvisor – that’s better than the restaurants with Michelin Stars!

Discover the panoramic view of the Sorrento and Amalfi Coast from Dolce Far Niente Ristorante. This fun, yet elegant restaurant offers local and authentic Italian cuisine, using local meats and fish, as well as fruits and vegetables from Casale Villarena's own organic garden.

In Positano, Il San Pietro di Positano on via Laurito is a beautiful hotel, Michelin-starred with a fantastic atmosphere. Go for an evening drink; sit on the terrace overlooking the sea and it will feel as though you are in a film. The waiters wear bow ties and the drinks come on silver salvers, and although it is 15 for one cocktail, they come with the very best local nuts and olives. The cocktails are so flavorful and fresh like rosemary-and-gin fizzes. Afterwards you can go and get a pizza somewhere cheaper, or dine at Next2, a modern and friendly restaurant run by a mother and daughter with an excellent and delicate touch.

Da Vicenzo: excellent regional food. Founded in 1958, this restaurant is now run by the third generation and it’s going as strong as ever. Solid Neapolitan dishes are refined with modern touches in this cheerful and lively place. Go for fried anchovies (delicately dressed in garlic and fried mint), grilled octopus with fried artichokes, grilled squid with ricotta cream, tomatoes and basil, and rigatoni with Neapolitan ragu (prepared with beef and pork sausages in a tomato based stew, this is a typical Sunday lunch). Sounds so tasty! Also, the staff is very friendly, attentive, with superb service.

If you are a big foodie, book your table at Adamo ed Eva by Eden Roc Hotel in Positano. The restaurant, spacious and hospitable, offers the perfect criteria for rich and delicious dishes. The ideal place to start or conclude the day is the terrace with its charming atmosphere and spectacular views over the Positano. From fresh fish to homemade pasta; seafood to vegetables cultivated in their garden, your palate will be delighted with different tastes of unceasing high quality. For breathtaking photos and unforgettable memories you can enjoy a special dinner with your family while savoring the tasty bubbles of Italy: Prosecco. You gotta go here!  

La Cambusa: their main focus is fresh seafood. Sit on the upstairs terrace overlooking the beach in this pretty restaurant furnished with pastel-colored tables and bright tile floors. Pine trees on the beach, an mediterranean breeze, the sight of Le Galli archipelago (home of the sirens, according to the ancient myth and also of the legendary Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev) in the distance heighten the romantic charm of Positano. Try spaghetti alla positanese (pasta with shrimp & olive sauce) or scaloppina di vitello alla sorrentina o a limone (veal with tomato & mozzarella or with lemon sauce): both dishes are mouthwatering.

In Sorrento, you can take Gelato Ice Cream making lessons. In Sorrento, or perhaps indeed across Italy, you can never be too far away from gelato ice cream. Specific to Sorrento, not only can you relish some truly delectable flavors, but you can in fact participate in tutorials by the likes of Marco the chef at Gelateria David where instructional lessons in gelato making are shared!

Be aware that when you ask for the bill, you’ll pay with 2-3Euros (for exemple) more than what you consume. It’s like a tourist tax: coperto, found in the most touristed cities and areas of Italy. Expect to pay an additional 10-20% to your total bill and it’s better to check the menu before seating to avoid unpleasant nickeling and diming.

On the Amalfi Coast, expect to find some of the finest Mediterranean specialties you'll ever eat. It is a triumph of delicacies: sfogliatelle, torta caprese (the most famous almond cake), genuine ice-creams, delizia al limone (lemon cake), and many tasty digestive liqueurs locally produced: lemon liqueur (the famous “limoncello”), nut liqueur (“nocillo” or “nocito”), liquorice liqueur, sweet fennel liqueur, etc. Whether you decide to treat yourself, you’ll enjoy astonishing coastal views, nice atmosphere and traditional tempting dishes. It's always a good idea to reserve your table first if you want to dine in one of the most beautiful restaurants of Sorrento Peninsula. We are looking forward to your company!

Buon appetito!

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