Open to any and all recommendations for places to go, restaurants, hotels, etc. in Rome and southern Italy (Ravello, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, etc.).
Thanks.
Definitely have a drink in front of the Pantheon in Rome. Everytime I come I just enjoy an aperol spritz with one of the best views in the world. Have a caffè at Sant’Eustachio and hang around in Trastevere during the evening.
For Napoli, you want to have pizza at Sorbillo and Da Michele. If you can spare the time, Pompeii is a great visit for a half day or more.
Hotel Eden or the Sofitel (cheaper) on the hill above the Spanish steps in Rome. Even if you do not stay at one of them, eat dinner on the top floor for an incredible view of Rome. Get a guide to take you around the forum/colosseum and St. Peter’s. The hotel can arrange and it’s well worth it.
Caruso in Ravello is absolutely beautiful and worth every penny. They do lovely boat trips along the coast and to Capri.
Have the catch of the day and a bottle of the local white here in Positano.
Hike Path of the Gods and Valley of the Mills in Amalfi.
Go up to Ravello and enjoy the view. If you are lucky, there may be a concert that night too.
On the way up stop for lunch at the only restaurant in Pontone. They make a great local red. No label on the bottle, just the “house red”
Rome and Amalfi are some of my favorite parts of Italy. Enjoy!
On the high end Rossellinis in Ravello was really good. The view was absolutely phenomenal. A bit of a hike from the coast but well worth it. La Pergola in Rome was amazing, high a top the Waldorf Astoria outside of the city, fabulous food and fabulous wines. For a 3*** price was “reasonable”. Book well in advance. We actually stayed at the Waldorf and being 10 min outside the city was really nice. Rome is very hectic, fast paced and crowded. It was very nice to come back and relax on the balcony or around the pool. You feel like you are in the country. Getting in to the city was very easy via cab or shuttle. Roscioli’s is a board favorite in Rome. Make sure to go there. He does a wine tasting dinner that is worth the time and money. Lunch was mainly eaten at the cafés in Rome. They are touristy but can cook some good food. It seemed to me that when you wanted something other than burgers and fries or Pizza they had some really authentic dishes. Waiters were very helpful once they figured this out. Nothing better than an Aperol Spritz on a hot day. We enjoyed eating in Piazza Navona the most.
Outside of the high end places we really enjoyed eating at some of the smaller family owned restaurants on the Amalfi coast. We had our first meal in Italy here. http://www.ristoranteilpirata.net Couldn’t have been better. Many places like this up and down the coast. I think you would have to look really hard to find a bad meal. Lunch at the beach bars in Salerno is also a good time. Pompeii is definitely worth the trip.
Probably the best thing we did, and most expensive. Was to charter a boar for the day to Capri. Spent about 1/2 a day on the island and then cruised around the Med amongst the mega yachts. Snorkeled a couple of places and ate at this amazing restaurant only accessible by boat. We used Barbara http://www.barbarapositano.it and she was amazing. Can not recommend her enough. Enjoy!
George
Thanks very much George. Great suggestions.
Thanks Dan. Nice suggestions. Was looking at Caruso’s last night, but probably more than I want to spend. Looks gorgeous though. Like the guide idea very much.
Keep the advice flowing please.
Definitely interested in Pompei. Appreciate the Naples pizza suggestions.
Or, if it is warm and you aren’t feeling the need for a drink, go to Tre Scalini, on the right hand side of the Piazza facing the Pantheon, and get a Tartufo. I can taste it now
Don’t stay in Naples, it’s a dump.
Don’t worry, the pizza is amazing all over the place in that area.
Serrento or Amalfi coast is a better base camp.
Not sure I can agree with Brig. Naples is definitely not gorgeous like Florence (although the topography and the bay are); it is a lot grittier than the rest of the cities I have visited there. But the archaeology museum is enough reason to go for me, and walking the old city is a real experience.
+1
Sure the Amalfi coast and Sorrento are gorgeous, but a few days in Naples are an “experience” to not miss. The museum alone is worth a good part of a day. The underground tour is kind of cool as well.
Plenty of comments on other threads if you search for Amalfi, Ravello, or Naples.
Are you driving? If so, do not drive in Naples. If you visit Naples, however, start there. Use public transportation. Then take a train or bus to Sorrento or Salerno (bookends of the Amalfi Coast). Rent a car in either city. Driving the Costa Amalfitano, however, is still going to be a white-knuckle experience at first.
If you want a unique experience in Naples, there is a monastery you can stay in the overlooks the city. The rooms are spacious, and the Sisters of Saint Bridget of Sweden who run the place are very friendly. The wine made from grapes grown on the property is palatable and plentiful. My wife and i finished a bottle and they brought us a second one. Meals and wine are included. Have pizza in town for lunch, but dinner at the monastery.
I would base out of Ravello or Amalfi. Both are centrally located. Roseelini’s (suggest by George) is worth the extra cost. Villa Maria is also good in Ravello. Il Teatro is an incredible pizza plus hidden gem in Amalfi. Dona Rosa is an excellent family-run joint in Montepertusso (above Positano). If the sea is calm enough, you can take a ferry to Capri. If not, drive west, then south of Salerno to Paestum to view Greek ruins there. And definitely visit Pompeii.
Their outdoor dining area for lunch is one of the most beautiful places to eat a meal in the world (the food is not quite to that level, but is fine)
Driving the Amalfi coast was “fun” It is crazy and I actually enjoyed after I got used to it. That being said, it is frustrating as it can be VERY slow a few KM could take you 30min.
George
Peter
I recently wrote some notes up for the greengrocer at the local market, who was thinking about going to Ravello. Hopefully these are of use, but feel free to ask questions.
Amalfi Coast
If wanting to book apartments, then http://www.laltracostiera.it do a sideline as a local holiday rental agency (they’re a good travel agency in Amalfi – handy if you want to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum.
Walking book – Julian Tippett’s ‘Landscapes of the Amalfi Coast’ (Sunflower books) A wonderful resource and I heard it was now also ‘online’. The directions aren’t always detailed, but generally good enough to navigate, but really get you out into this utterly under-used network of paths.
SITA (Blue) buses serve Ravello-Scala-Amalfi and the Amalfi Coast. The usual ‘buy tickets at the tabaccheria & stamp them in the on-board machine’ arrangement. However as the Ravello bus is often busy, rather than pushing past to get the machine – just ask someone near it to stamp it for you – the locals do it all the time.
Ravello:
Cumpa Cosimo on via Roma, is a simple trattoria done really well. The mixed plate of pasta is well worth trying.
Villa Cimbrone Gardens are sprawling and a little unkempt, but peaceful and cool. Villa Rufulo gardens are formal and pristine. I definitely prefer Cimbrone, but it’s just a matter of preference.
Villa Rufulo concerts might appeal – details online
Find time to relax in the square at the end of the day. It’s got a lovely relaxed feel.
The ceramics shop has some good designs, though if this really appeals, think about a trip to Vietri Sul Mare on the way to Salerno
There are walks down to Amalfi and Minori (the latter slightly less steep). Plus a lovely walk up into the interior through cool woodland.
Amalfi:
Andrea Pansa – cakes – brilliant cakes – strongly recommended
Valley of the Mills walk. Moderately long, but my favourite of the walks. Start up the hill (in Pontone I think) and walk down through the woodland, cross the stream and then pass the historic paper mills before emerging into Amalfi. A lovely flow to the walk.
Amalfi to Atrani. Short (15-20 mins) but surprisingly taxing due to steep steps. Gives a great view of the remarkable way Atrani has been built into the viaduct.
Lido Azurro: on the promenade by the harbour looks a bit touristy from the outside, but the food was really very good & nice to sit outside on the floating decking.
Cantina San Nicola. Hidden away up some steps on the left, halfway up the main street in Amalfi. Was a great wine bar serving great little plates of food, now apparently stronger on the food than the wine. Lovely setting in an old monastery, and a rare mix of locals & tourists.
Atrani
Apart from the unusual architecture mentioned above, Atrani is small but has two highlights:
• Coolest place on the coast on a stinking hot day, as it’s sheltered from the sun
• A’Paranza seafood restaurant. You have to like seafood to appreciate this, but if you do, then it’s a veritable ‘what’s what’ and the degustazione menu is amazing, finished off with a delicate lemon dessert that you swear you’ll not be able to eat, but slips down easily.
Positano
Not somewhere to my tastes, but really great to approach from the sea on the ferry from Amalfi. The sunlight catching the pastel shaded buildings is quite a sight.
Capri
Yes it’s a bit touristy, but if you have 4-6 of you, take one of the 1950s taxis (with barbershop sunroof) for half a day and they’ll give you a good tour at a remarkably fair price.
Minori / Maiori
Maiori is a bit flat dull seaside village (in my opinion), but Minori is more interesting with a great gelateria, and pasta shop, plus an old roman villa that was discovered and restored.
Food
Amalfi lemons are huge and sweeter than normal lemons (you may already know, but apparently they’re technically not lemons but a different fruit). Have them in Limoncello, cooling Granita, desserts etc.
Lots of other good local fruits including roadside fig trees etc.
There is Pizza and pasta, and they’re good enough, but the local specialities are fish/seafood and Melanzane (aubergine) and they are very good indeed.
Local wines from the Amalfi Coast and Ischia – try Marisa Cuomo (Gran Furor) if you see them, but most house wines and mid-priced whites are decent-good.
regards
Ian
p.s. on the Naples/Napoli debate, the opinions above may seem contradictory, but less than they may initially seem. It is vibrant / scary, lively / manic, intimate / invasive. Personally I feel very uncomfortable there, but can understand why others will say it is invigorating.
p.p.s. On driving: I wouldn’t, but it is possible with a little thought, good reversing / spatial skills and a gregarious outlook. Try to get out really early (e.g. take breakfast in a bar once you’ve arrived at your destination), plus visit places that aren’t easily accessible via public transport (e.g. Paestum, Agerola, Furore or small trattorie in the interior). Avoid turning up in some villages on market day, as for instance Ravello’s only car park of note houses that market. Take the bus/boat where practical, plus make use of the wonderful paths that even the locals seem to under-utilise. Back in 1990-2000 it was not unusual to bump into a donkey and owner lugging stuff up the endless steps.
p.p.s. The walk down from Montepertuso mentioned by Brad is wonderful, as if you are suspended above Positano. Take the bus up though (from outside Bar Nazionale in Positano where you can buy the tickets) - no point being a fool about it! We bumped into a US couple up there (and again in Minori), who had such a wonderfully easy-going yet inquisitive nature. After turning up to find their accommodation had been double booked, they were very relaxed about moving way down the coast to the alternative offered. Their attitude made a great impression on me.
Ian’s mention of the walk from Montepertuso to Positano also reminded me that you can walk form Ravello to Minori (I believe). There is a path/staircase all the way down. Take the bus back unless you are up for climbing your way back up.
And above Montepertuso is Nocelle. After the road ends there (and it’s a drive where the front seat passenger will want to close his/her eyes), you can walk even further to older settlements.
Another note on driving/parking. It depends on the time of year you plan to go. During the summer, if you want to visit Positano, you will probably need to park along the shoulder of the coast highway. In November, however, you should be able to drive into the town and find parking.
Yes indeed Brad, you remember it correctly. Despite being an equivalent drop in height (from Ravello to Minori) as Ravello to Amalfi, the walk is generally less steep, so is a much better prospect before the leg muscles get attuned to the walking (which really should be called ‘stepping’ here).
IIRC it’s a 30-45 min walk down from Ravello to Minori, depending mostly on how many times you stop to take in the view / take photos.
A small note for anyone who thinks this may be like Cinque Terre. It’s walking but a completely different experience. On the most frequented walk (from underneath the Duomo in Amalfi, to the square in Atrani) you’ll see a tiny fraction of the people on one of the 4 coastal CT walks. On some of the others, it’s feasible to go an hour or more without seeing another person. One factor in this is that it’s mostly a network of inter-connecting paths, linking small hamlets, with generally non-existant signposts (I recall a few on the paths out of Ravello, but they stopped within about 50 paces). That Tippett book is invaluable, but having in mind broadly where you want to get to does help. If walking downhill and your feet are wet, then you’ve gone too far ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
regards
Ian
Thanks a million Ian! I will digest your encyclopediac response and let you know if I have any questions.
Not sure about driving, but leaning towards public transport. I will definitely check out your other suggestions.