Anyone who knows me (even a little) knows my love for cooking and dining. And although I can recognize well executed dishes, I am by no means an expert. I am just your standard American girl who needs every meal to be delicious (and gets unreasonably disappointed when it’s not). Enter Positano, Italy into my life. Whoa. Yes that’s my professional assessment. Whoa.
This stunning region in the Amalfi Coast will make your taste buds dance, sing and sigh – while your stomach groans as it expands to fit it all. And although there have been quite a few exceptional meals during our 4 day stay, here were our three favorites:
Casa Mele ($$$): You come to Casa Mele for one thing and one thing only – to dine really really well. There’s no view, no outside seating. No ambience to distract from the task at hand (although the restaurant is gorgeous – the bright modern open kitchen reinforces the focus on the food). Try everything. Seriously. But if you need some recommendations, get the lobster risotto with sweet yellow peppers and lime, the beef bolognase, the whipped zucchini with a poached organic egg, and the raw fish crudo. That’s where it’s at.
Da Adolfo ($): Accessible only by boat, this no frills seafood joint is all the rage. Apparently reservations are required but we unknowingly just showed up on our boat and they fit us in. They provide a free shuttle boat to and from Positano for anyone with reservations and you can even rent sun chairs and umbrellas while you wait to be called up to eat. The food is KILLER and reasonably priced. We only took one picture because we just demolished the food before even thinking to capture the moment. I strongly recommend the mozzerella grilled in lemon leaves, the pesto pasta and the grilled prawns (pictured below). This place is the real deal so if you’re in Positano make sure this is on your list.
La Sponda at Hotel La Sirenuse ($$$$): This Michelin starred restaurant ranks high on both ambience and food. It’s just so beautiful. Online pictures don’t even do it just justice (although I’ll share some anyway) and the food is well executed. Although less creative than Casa Mele (as far as flavor design), La Sponda’s dishes do take a slightly modern approach to both traditional Italian and French cuisine. They have two different tasting menus (120 Euro for 6 courses and 90 Euro for 4 courses) but we opted for a la carte so we could each choose what we wanted. The highlights were the beef tartar, heirloom tomato amuse bouche, the seafood linguine, and the lamb.
Food. - by Sigalle Barness 