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. Read more here.
