Later this week, we’re taking a little trip and would love to hear your travel recs… especially those that involve food (of course)! If you have favorite restaurants, markets, or gelato shops please let me know!
Jack and I are heading to Rome, and the Amalfi coast so we’d love suggestions for Positano, Amalfi, Capri, and Sorrento. We’ve been to Rome (and Capri, pictured) before, so we’ll probably skip some of the main tourist attractions but would love other ideas – cool neighborhoods to check out – that sort of thing.
Grazie!!
Ooooh, lucky you! The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world! I strongly recommend you have dinner at Il Palazzo Murat in Positano. You dine in the courtyard amidst lush greenery and the food is delicious. The three times I’ve gone they had squash blossoms with a simple but lovely marinara sauce. Absolutely divine! You should also walk the 1700 stone step up from Positano to the little town of Monterpertuso. They views are unparalleled as you wander up through olive groves, and we had a lovely, incredibly fresh fish dish with a view of 100 miles. (The fish was like a bass with a mild puttanesca-like sauce.) Be sure to visit Ravello, too. I forget the name of the villa perched on the edge of the cliff, but the grounds are gorgeous, and you can take postcard perfect photos without trying.
Have a wonderful trip!
COOKING AND CONVERSATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYt54ZVSO4w
I found something different on a Youtube channel called cooking and conversation. It’s this Ivy league educated guy who teaches you how to make common food items but blends it with conversation about subject matter that we ALL can identify with, and he’s pretty funny too. He’s not politically correct , which is kind of refreshing. Check it out.
The Ristorante La Sponda at the Le Sirenuse hotel is a must-do. We had made reservations for dinner, and sat by the ledge and had the most fabulous view of all of Positano. We’re vegetarians, and they were super accommodative about it. So much so, that we went a second time the very next day – that’s two visits to the same restaurant on a two day stop in Positano!
I’ve stayed at the Parco dei Principi in Sorrento a handful of times and I highly recommend stopping by for at least a drink just to check out the hotel. It’s decorated in blue and white majolica tiles – has a very 1950’s vibe going on and a fantastic view of Vesuvius from the hotel. I love the place. Sorrento is a great spot for dinner after visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Oplontis. If you take the Circumvesuviana commuter train, which is fantastic to do just in itself, Sorrento will be an easy fit into your schedule and connects you to several ancient sites. You’re visiting our favorite part of Italy – have a wonderful time!
We just returned from our trip to Rome and Positano. There were so many amazing meals I still need to write them all down. There is a neighborhood right outside of the Colosseum area called Monti and a wonderful local spot called Flavio al Velavevodetto that had fantastic cacio e pepe and a local cat strolling the outdoor seating. Best pizza hands down was at Dar Poeta in Trastevere….the crust is perfect and the neighborhood is a funkier alternative to traditional Rome. Chez Black in Positano was so much fun for dinner and the food was fantastic as were fresh smoothies and a homemade zucchini frittata at Casa Bottega. A quiet afternoon on the beach at Spiaggia di Fornillo with the great family running the Bar Bagni Da Ferdinando was a memorable day as well. Can’t wait to hear about your journey – have a wonderful trip!!
I literally just came back from Costiera Amalfitana and have a few places to recommend:
– definitely go to Ravello and the villas Ruffolo and Cimbrone – beautiful Roman villas, so green and well maintained
– explore Amalfi itself and neighbouring Atrani on foot and following the little windy streets there. Atrani also has a lovely clean beach and the pizzeria at the beach does wonderful food (freshly baked in minutes)
– go to the Duomo in Amalfi, take your time to have a look at the wall paintings and sculptures; just wander up and down the streets (often comprised of stairs) to reach the higher points in the town and take in the view
– as places to eat go – Trattoria di Duca, Silver moon and Il Smeraldino and are worth a visit, there are many gelato places but there is one as you go past the Duomo (it being on your right) and into the main street there on the right, it has the largest selection of gelato. There is another one right in the opposite direction facing the marina
– if you have time, you can do a day trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum, and/or to Pestum
Have fun and enjoy!
My wife and I went to Rome last summer. Our best meal was at Trattoria Cavalier Gino (may also be called Da Gino). Make sure you make reservations ahead of time. My wife had the pasta amitricana and I had the potato gnocchi which both were excellent and the service was fantastic as well. Potato gnocchi is only served on Thursdays, as is the tradition, other days you’ll find semolina gnocchi which I thought tasted similar to corn meal pancakes. Best gelato we had was at Gelateria del Teatro, the hazelnut was ridiculously good. Grab a bellini at Soletta 42, they use fresh peach puree. We had a good time at Roscioli too, they threw in some complimentary food with dinner. Always drink and buy caffe at the bar, unless you want to pay extra to sit (try Rosati caffe or Sciascia caffe). If you go to the vatican on Wednesday, you can get tickets to see the Pope. Most breakfast pastries we had in Italy were terrible, but maybe we didn’t go to the right places. And Pizzarium did have awesome pizza.
My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Maiori and loved it. I would go to Deliziefollie for gelato. Torre Normanna had great wine, and delicious lamb chops (the view is beautiful). L’ Ancora had a delicious lemon ravioli and good pizza. Mamma Agata’s cooking class was a really great time, especially with the nice weather and view. The Amalfi Cathedral is a good place to walk around. Da Gemma Restaurant next door is pricey but really good as well.
When in Rome make sure to have a meal at Ristorante Arancia Blu – it is vegetarian and vegan food to die for. It is near the museum of modern art and the villa Borghese.
While you’re talking Borghese – book tickets to go to the Borghese gallery! You have to book in advance, not that expensive and it takes up maybe 1 1/2 plus a nice walk in a beautiful garden/park. We just got back from Rome and I just posted Day 1 on my blog, Day 3 includes Borghese and this restaurant, near Palazzo Navona, “Mimi e Coco” that we loved. Have fun! Charlie, http://www.lemonbutterlove.com
YES! I blogged about this a few months ago:
http://www.sprouting-up.com/?p=19
HAVE FUN! It’s such a lovely lovely place 🙂
Every experience on the Amalfi coast is a treasure. It is our favourite spot on earth. We continue to return, year after year, to a family run hotel called Onda Verde just south of Priano. The chef at the hotel, Nicola cooks fresh pasta and seafood meals for the guests each night, so it is hard to leave. Picture yourself dining on the side of a cliff watching the sun set with the water glimmering like jewels. Over the years we have tried lots of restaurants and I think my favourite experiences are as follows.
Positano
Caffe Postiano – Grilled Buffalo Mozzerella & Lemon Leaf. DELICIOUS!
The cafe is pearched on the side of the cliff high above the city. Sit on the terrace over looking the cliff. You can walk up straight up a 100 + steps from beach/shopping area.
La Tagliata is worth the evening. The views are spectacular and the food (while way too much) is delicious!
One Fire Beach in Priano. Walk down the side of the cliff following signs “to the beach”. Spend an afternoon on the orange beach lounges….swimming, relaxing, reading. Favourite lunch there is the Salad Noise but everything is delicious. Owner Picoletto has a water spray and if guests wants he will cool them down from head to toe. You can take a water taxi or local bus to Priano.
Cafe Maria for lunch in Ravello. We were sitting in the Piazza and ran into chef David Rocco. He told us that his friend owned a restaurant called Cafe Maria and to go for lunch. We did and we have been back numerous times. Sitting on the Terrace overlooking the valley you can see glimpses of the ocean. The lemon linguine is divine. After lunch visit the garden and then walk down the cliff to Amalfi.
Ciao, Have a great time in paradise!
K
Hei! I’ve been to Rome 3 years ago with my boyfriend and I’ll never forget that trip. 🙂 You must eat at Trattoria Vecchia Roma (the best pasta alla gricia and bucatini all’amatriciana flambe!). It’s a great, cozy place, where locals have their lunch and dinner – http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d1584357-Reviews-Trattoria_Vecchia_Roma-Rome_Lazio.html. You could also try RomAntica for local, italian food. For the best tiramisu, try Pompi: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d1025826-Reviews-Pompi-Rome_Lazio.html and for one great gelato, try Fassi: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d1023845-Reviews-Palazzo_del_Freddo_Giovanni_Fassi-Rome_Lazio.html. I hope this will be helpful. Enjoy the holiday! 😀
We spent two weeks on the Amalfi Coast in mid May. When you go, eat tomatoes everyday,and find as many ways as possible to enjoy the famous Amalfi lemons, neither of these gems will taste the same once you return home. Oh, and consume as much olive oil as you can (at one point I debated drinking olive oil instead of wine, the oil is that wonderful). If you have a chance try the orata, a wonderful white fish that is fantastic grilled or baked. And, I fell in love with the local white wine (Falanghina grape). Favorite ristorante — l’abside (Piazza dei Dogi) in Amalfi Town. The food was so amazing we ate there twice. We enjoyed a excellent meal at Il Tari as well. The ristorante is located near the duomo. For gelato and a great baked goods, visit Pasticceria Savoia. They have a wonderful selection of sweets. You won’t want to leave Amalfi Town before you savour their delizia al limone.
Ciao.
Ooo, I can’t wait to see pictures from the trip once you go! The Amalfi Coast is where my husband and I are planning to go on our next big trip…
So so so awesome!!! My husband and I spent some time in Italy last fall, and were in Rome and Positano for part of the trip.
Rome: we loved walking around the Monti neighborhood (we stayed there in an awesome B&B). It’s right near the Colosseum but pretty calm even so. Little shops, great gelato at Gelateria dell’Angeletto (on the corner of Via Leonina), even a couple places you can get fresh pressed juice. Dinner at La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali on Via della Madonna dei Monti was also delightful. We ate there on our last night in Italy and I had a phenomenal pasta con cacio e pepe with black truffle. 🙂
Amalfi: We were in Positano in November, so lots of the top reviewed restaurants places were closed. But our favorite experience of our time there was hiking the “Path of the Gods” (Sentiero degli Dei) — you can take the bus up from Positano to Nocelle and start from there. Either hike out and back, or take it all the way to Arienzo (I think?) and take the bus back to Postiano. It’s magical — quiet, secluded (at least when we were there), and the most amazing views of EVERYTHING.
Have a wonderful time!!!
I returned a few weeks ago from studying abroad for 5 weeks in Rome (and made it to the Amalfi Coast as well). I lived in the Monti neighborhood, which boasts several amazing food places, one of them a raw chocolate bar called Grezzo (Via Urbana), but there are many other places to try in Monti. Definitely eat a meal in the Jewish Quarter and in Trastevere. Forno Campo de’Fiori and Forno Roscioli are good for quick lunches, as is Zucchero e Farina (a pizza al taglio place). An artisanal bakery can be found on Via Della Lucce, in Trastevere – Artigiano Biscottificio Innocenti. The gelato … where to begin? Fatamorgana, definitely, and Frigidarium, near the Pantheon / Piazza Navona, and San Crispin, near the Pantheon.
If you’re there on a Saturday or Sunday, definitely go to Campagna Amica on Via San Teodoro. It’s the local farmer’s market, and it has a 0km rule, so everything there comes from as close to Rome as possible.
One of my favorite little lunch spots was La Tavernetta 45, which is really close to the Pantheon.
Definitely spend some time in Trastevere. Great walking and great restaurants.
We did a walking food tour through Food Tours of Rome – https://www.foodtoursofrome.com/. Would highly recommend it.
Also, the bike tour was a great way to see a lot when we got there – http://www.topbikerental.com/nuovosito/eng/index.html
Ciao!
In Sorrento, our favorite was Ristorante Donna Sofia – it’s up in the hills and was delightful. In Rome, we loved Ristorante Alfredo alla Scrofa – I’m not sure if it’s actually touristy or not, but they invented fettuccine alfredo and it’s soooo much better than how we eat it here in the US (all cheese no cream!).
On our last night in Rome, my husband (this was his second trip, my first) took me to a gelateria that was hidden in a pedestrian-only area and basically in an alley. I wish I could remember the name, I’ll try to ask my husband if he does.
I am quite envious of you – we went for our honeymoon two years ago and I’ve been wanting so badly to go back!
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference of your article, I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo”, this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 “Il Vero Alfredo” (“Alfredo di Roma”), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See also the website of “Il Vero Alfredo”.(with news also about franchising).
I must clarify that other restaurants “Alfredo” in Rome (as Alfredo alla scrofa or Alfredo’s gallery) do not belong to my brand “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma”.
I inform you that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo –Alfredo di Roma” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio
I came back a week ago! Go for a drink (or an amazing seafood platter) at Luna Convento on the corner of Amalfi bay.
If you can make it over to Ischia, there are some lovely restaurants in the port and by the castle that are a lot less touristy than the mainland!
Have an absolute ball, I loved it! xo
If you are planning on going to the Vatican book a tour with Valeria Pugiotto- She is the best- And she gave us great advice on where to dine- Enjoy your holiday!
What fun! In Rome, we loved Pizzarium for street food and Hedera for gelato. In Positano, our best meal was at Ristorante da Vincenzo. For the Amalfi Coast in general, we recommend hiking between locales wherever possible (as long as you’re up for some elevation), the views and lack of crowds just can’t be beat.
thanks Alex! I have your post bookmarked, I was admiring it again as I was starting to plan this trip 🙂
Ristorante da Vincenzo was our groups favorite as well. Food, service, atmosphere and music was amazing. I still dream about going back to that place.