Imagine yourself to be in a picture perfect kind of
place. A tiny village, massive mountains in the background, full of little
lanes with colourful buildings, Fiat 500s parked at the roadside, and a
fantastic view of the Mediterranean. There is the smell of lemons and freshly
baked bread everywhere. Cats strolling aimlessly, people are browsing small
stores …. Get it? I bet you are.
There is one tiny problem, the place is packed with
tourists, but understandably so. Positano on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy
is beautiful indeed and that is why thousands of people love to visit this
place. If you are a hard-core off the beaten track traveller this place is most
certainly not the place for you. If you love all of the aforementioned and can
handle big crowds, if you don’t mind to share the place with a few others you
better visit now.
It is packed with visitors from all over the world, but I love that the people living here managed to keep its charm and not turn it into Disneyworld. How can you keep away the crowds from a place as picturesque as this one? If I wouldn’t have known this is real I would have thought it is a staged film set.
It is packed with visitors from all over the world, but I love that the people living here managed to keep its charm and not turn it into Disneyworld. How can you keep away the crowds from a place as picturesque as this one? If I wouldn’t have known this is real I would have thought it is a staged film set.
When I visit I am astounded and for the first time in my
life I realise how strong the power of social media and especially Instagram is, I had seen so many pics of Positano, and to stand there on that beach felt
so unreal, this never happened before. Also a clear sign that pretty much
anyone in this world must have visited before me ... and took a few photographs.
This time I didn’t drive here to visit museums or to go
hiking or snorkelling, not at all. My main aim was to eat. Let me show you some of the restaurants I visited while in Positano. When I visit restaurants I look for a
good time, my life doesn’t depend on one evening, I wouldn’t get upset by mishaps,
we are all human, remember?
Some people might call the places I went to tourist traps,
but come on, aren’t we all tourists, don’t we all have to eat at one point on
our vacation? Positano is so packed with visitors that one might say the whole
town is a tourist trap, since tourists are literally just about everywhere. I
visited and kept calm, no matter how busy it was. Every visitor in this
place makes it this busy, and no one is better than the next.
And oh boy, how did I eat. Eating great vegetarian food has its
downsides too, once you tasted the real deal, it is so very hard to go back to
mediocre after that. Like reading that perfect book and trying to read a lukewarm
after. Right? From that perspective I wish I would have never visited Positano.
I am spoiled for life ...
Le Tre Sorelle
This restaurant is right on the beach and was packed
every night I walked by. I ended up here by lack of other opportunities on the
day I arrived in town, but I was pleasantly surprised. It felt a bit awkward at
times, since it was crazy busy.
The staff was a mix of super friendly to a bit dreamy but overall it was great. Everything I ate was delicious. I especially liked the Conchiglie with peas, flava beans and artichoke which were cooked al dente. They were just this little bit hard. Perfection really. The bitter sweet taste made up for the admittedly bland colour of the dish. The atmosphere is relaxed, and rather cheerful. What really won me over is the fact that the waitress greeted me the next morning in town, how cute is that?
The staff was a mix of super friendly to a bit dreamy but overall it was great. Everything I ate was delicious. I especially liked the Conchiglie with peas, flava beans and artichoke which were cooked al dente. They were just this little bit hard. Perfection really. The bitter sweet taste made up for the admittedly bland colour of the dish. The atmosphere is relaxed, and rather cheerful. What really won me over is the fact that the waitress greeted me the next morning in town, how cute is that?
Starter: Ruccola salad with tomatoes, parmesan and olive
oil.
Main: Conchiglie with peas, flava beans and artichoke.
Dessert: Panna cotta with wild berries, and an Espresso.
Le Tre Sorelle Del Brigantino, 27 – 31, Positano.
L'Incanto
While on a little beach stroll I got surprised by a heavy
downpour. I decided to stop at this place for lunch simply to take shelter from
the rain. What a stroke of luck. Everybody was welcoming and warm. The restaurant
was packed, there wasn’t a free table but the waiter quickly set one up. The
service was prompt, and the dishes were served with a smile and the tongue in
cheek humour of the waiter. I liked this place so much that I went here for
lunch twice.
On my first visit, I had the Ravioli with spinach and
ricotta in white sauce. They must have taken out the Ravioli from the boiling
water at exactly the right time (need to improve this at home). They tasted
heavenly fresh and had the right bite. On my second visit, I was lucky again when I had the Ravioli with eggplant and fresh tomato sauce.
L'Incanto Via Marina 4, Positano.
Ristorante Max
The restaurant is in the centre of town and down a flight of stairs. Whereas we had a booking, our table wasn’t ready. But we were placed in a cosy sitting area sort of in the middle of the restaurant and had Prosecco while we waited. The waiter stayed in contact and asked a few times whether everything is still great for us. This is like that place you think of when dreaming of a romantic dinner, the interior is all old furniture and the whole place is dimly lit. It doesn’t get better than this, simple and honest food, no-frills but heavenly and all served with a smile. What is not to like?
Starter: Eggplant parmiggiano.
Main: Green Tagliarini with tomatoes and ricotta.
Dessert: Lemon Cake, and an Espresso.
Ristorante Max Piazza
dei Mulini, 22, 84017 Positano.
Al Palazzo
Have you ever dined in a baroque style Palazzo? It is
everything one can wish for. If you are into candlelight, and pretty, fresh
food, presented perfectly on the plate this is the place for you. The garden is
a delight too, but on the night we were there it was too cold to sit outside, and
after a Prosecco, we moved inside to sit at a cosy table in one fo the elegant
dining rooms. I love it when I go somewhere and see the passion of the people,
everybody was friendly and warm.
This restaurant is Michelin-rated and you might expect them to be pretentious but they aren’t at all. Talk to them, I asked them everything about their vegetable garden, Positano and the wines on the menu. It was a deliciously fun night.
This restaurant is Michelin-rated and you might expect them to be pretentious but they aren’t at all. Talk to them, I asked them everything about their vegetable garden, Positano and the wines on the menu. It was a deliciously fun night.
Starter: Slightly cooked veg with three sauces (chickpea,
garlic, avocado/lemon).
Main: Paccheri Pasta in cream of Provolone del Monaco
cheese garnished with black truffle slivers.
Dessert: Dark Chocolate ball stuffed with zabaione cream,
almond crunchy and caramel sauce, and an Espresso.
Al Palazzo Via dei Mulini, 23, 84017 Positano.
Have you been to Positano? Where did you eat? What is
important to you when you visit a restaurant? Can’t wait to hear from you.
From Berlin with love