Dining on Ischia, A Gem of an Island off the Bay of Naples

It is quite a travel feat to be able to say that every single dining experience we have had in Ischia has been a memorable one. The sapori Ischitani, enchanting flavors of the island, enliven every dish, as does the pride and craft of the cooks serving perfectly composed meals. As part of our Grande custom travel itinerary packages, we include recommedations and reservations for unique local dining experiences like this.

Day to day we enjoyed simple dinners at our hotel, the Albergo da Maria, overlooking the cove and Aragonese castle from Cartaromana beach. The freshness of the vegetables and simplicity of the seafood were a hit with kids and parents.

Our friend Francesca Bonecchi of Palazzo Belfiore in Florence very kindly organized a lunch for us at Luigi a Mare, at the beach in San Pietro. About a 15-minute boat ride from our cove, we arrived straight upon the sandy shores of the charming beach clubs, where we were welcomed by chef Girolamo Mennella and enjoyed a unique dining experience, surrounded by herbs and tomato vines in the white and blue dining room on the sand. We enjoyed an antipasto of swordfish crudo wrapped around arugula and strawberries, marinated squid with fennel and citrus, salmon wrapped in anchovies, and calamari putanesca complemented by a prize-winning Ischian white wine, Tenuta Frasitelli, followed by an entrée of rombo baked with potatoes and lemon and orange rind.

Luigi a Mare

Spiaggia di San Pietro, Ischia Ponte

3936514007

luigiamareischia@gmail.com

While doing our shopping in town at Ischia Ponte, we happened upon Trattoria Da Ciccio, where each dish was perfection, ranging from the lasagna special, to a light and lemony fagioli salad, a salad of arugula, cherry tomatoes, and buffala mozzarella, and spaghetti carbonara for reasonable prices, overlooking the castello.

Trattoria Da Ciccio

Via Luigi Mazzella, 32, Ischia Ponte 081 991686

Officially only open for lunch, the gracious owners of Ristorante dei Pirati agreed to stay open for us to arrive for an early dinner at their restaurant perched amid the rocks at the edge of the Cartaromana cove, overlooking the castello, reachable by boat. Our fresh seafood antipasto, mixed grilled seafood second plate, grilled local vegetables, and cherry tomato bruschetta all went down a little too easily accompanied by the restaurant’s own white wine with fresh peaches enhancing the delicate dry bouquet.

Ristorante dei Pirati

Via Nuova Cartaromana 1, Ischia

081 983480

Please contact us if you are planning a trip to Italy and considering visiting the beautiful island of Ischia or the surrounding Amalfi Coast area.

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