Original post date: April 13, 2016
The food in Positano is any carb lovers dream. In the days we were there, we ate pizza, pasta, bread, more pasta, and caprese salads like it was going out of style. But hey, can you blame us? We were walking upwards of 20,000 steps a day and climbing 80 flights of stairs from all those Positano steps (not even joking, my phone one day said we climbed 80 flights of stairs!), so we lived a little. Not to mention we were in ITALY, hello, who doesn't overload on Italian carbs when there? If you don't then you are vacationing wrong!
With our limited options of restaurants open due to off season, we frequented the same restaurants a few times, which worked well as the staff recognized us and ultimately the food was exceptional so eating at the same place more than once was certainly not a problem. My only hinderance in eating in Positano was the seafood. I am allergic to shellfish so I had to be careful on what items I ordered as most of the plates have shellfish and that's one of the things Positano is known for and loved by many- rightfully so! My husband is not a huge shellfish eater so we mostly opted to order dishes that we could split because we wanted to take advantage and try everything!
Our go-to lunch spot was Ristorante La Pergola, which is located by the Spiaggia Grande and overlooks the beach. This was the perfect place to take in the views while sipping wine with no care in the world. So perfect that we went every single day, except for the day we traveled to Amalfi. I can image during the summer months this place is a zoo with its close proximity to the beach, but for off season it was the perfect place to be. The pizzas here were my favorite and their table wine was very good and inexpensive! One day we tried a different restaurant for lunch (see below) and we still went to La Pergola after just for the wine and views! In addition to their seated area, they have a snack bar with quick bites and gelato. I caved for the gelato one afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the beach with gelato in one hand, my camera in the other, staring out onto the blue waters.
La Pergola gallery:
The other restaurant we had lunch is called Wine-Dark House. We just happened to be walking by and saw there was someone inside preparing tables so we walked in and asked if they were open. "Si, Si!" the gentleman exclaimed and seated us promptly in the very small dining room. There were about 15 seats in there max and we seriously lucked out in walking in when we did. Since Wine-Dark House is not right on the beach I'm not sure the other tourists knew about it, so it was filled with locals. It was the most local-vibe we got in terms of restaurants, which we thoroughly enjoyed. There was a family of 8 sitting next to us who were boisterous and entertaining and I still remember their happy expressions vividly. The wine list was extensive and we enjoyed a bottle of red since the weather was very cool that day. We both had pasta dishes that were exceptional. The service was great and we were treated just as the locals were. It was a great experience and I hope to visit Wine-Dark House on our next trip to Positano.
Wine-Dark House gallery:
Since we normally walked back up the 480 steps and numerous hills (no really, we counted the stairs one time!) to our hotel before dinner, we didn't want to make the trek back down the 480 steps and hills and back again to eat by the Spiaggia Grande/town center, so we stayed closer to our hotel for dinners. The first night, the only open restaurant close by was Il Fornillo, so with limited options we went there. The ambiance was great- they have a great seated area that overlooks the ocean from the cliff. The staff was very friendly and remembered us upon each return. The food was delicious- I still think about their amazing pasta dishes and pizza! The last night here, David decided to order the seafood pasta, after I urged him to try it. As you can see from the picture below, they aren't kidding around when it comes to their seafood pasta! We ate here three times during our stay, and I'd go back in a heartbeat!
Il Fornillo gallery:
The other dinner restaurant close to our hotel was Ristorante Mediterraneo and we ate here twice. I loved the decor and feel of this restaurant, which is also an art gallery! There were great pieces of artwork around the restaurant to admire from the tables. The food here was very good, but very seafood heavy so my hands were tied with what I could order. If you love seafood, then this is definitely the place to go! While my hands were tied, I still had some great pasta dishes and loved the restaurant. I also really liked the staff here- they spent lots of time talking to us and getting to know us and where we were from, and urged us to return to Positano again in either April or September, as they said those are the best months to visit.
Ristorante Mediterraneo gallery:
While there was not much going on in terms of nightlife with the off season, we still managed to find a bar inside the Hotel Villa Gabrisa, which happened to be right next door to our hotel, Positano Art Hotel Pasitea (entry about our hotel stay is coming soon!). The bar setting is very relaxed and they also offer outdoor seating overlooking the water. On one of the nicer evenings, we sat outside admiring the stars and clouds over the ocean and light trails along the cliffs- such a beautiful memory. The beer and wine list here is hands down amazing- who knew the Italians had such great breweries? I for one, had no idea! We quickly made friends with the wine sommelier, Leyla, who walked us through their wine and beer list giving us detailed information about the wine and beer makers. Leyla's recommendations for us were exceptional and she introduced us to beers and wines we would have not otherwise tried. We returned each night to try more Italian wines and beer and really enjoyed our bar evenings. Leyla became a friend and we are still in communication on Facebook til this day. I cannot wait to go back to Positano- saying hi to Leyla and visiting the Hotel Villa Gabrisa bar will be first on my list of things to do!
Bar at the Hotel Villa Gabrisa gallery:
The Positano Diaries will continue with Entry 3:The Amalfi Coast, Entry 4: The Cats, and Entry 5: The Accomodations. Stay tuned!
XOXO
Blonde in the District