We recently returned from a short trip to the Amalfi Coast where I indulged, a little too much, in pizza, pasta and gelato. Let’s ignore the pounds I piled on for now and focus on those glorious views – pastel hues, turqouise sea and steep cliffside restaurants on delightful cobbled streets filled with exclusive boutiques selling the obligatory white kaftan.
I highly recommend an afternoon at Da Adolfo, an utterly charming restaurant reached by boat. Book beforehand as you won’t be offered a place on the boat if you haven’t got a reservation and head for the dock in Positano. There you will find a little fishing boat with a huge red fish on the mast with the word’s “Da Adolfo” scrawled across it every half hour from 10.30 – 2.30pm. We made a reservation for 1pm and took the 12.30pm boat, although you can go earlier and reserve a sun lounger (they’re as rustic as the restaurant so taking your own beach blanket is just as good). Please also note that the first boat back to the dock in Positano is likely to be 4pm so be prepared to make an afternoon of it – it’s not hard to really considering the water is clear, the food is amazing and the setting is pretty special.
Da Adolfo doesn’t have a set menu, there is simply a chalk board with a list of dishes from fresh seafood to pasta and salads. We both went for the lemon leaves and grilled mozzarella, tomato salad, calamari and swordfish – all lovingly prepared, simple yet full of flavour. Also try the sangria, essentially white wine made fancy with peaches!
You’ll see so many lemon sorbet stands dotted around made using the largest lemons I have ever seen!
The stairs in Positano are no joke, seriously I am still in pain 3 days later from the hundreds, and I mean hundreds, of stairs! You definitely won’t be tottering around in heels here.
Another restaurant we went to in Positano is Chez Black. It’s located right on the beach so you would expect it to be a tourist trap, which don’t get me wrong it really is, but it’s also slightly exclusive and wholly endearing; the finest Italian cusisine served since 1949. Jon had the lasagne and I went for such a huge plate of meatballs (the photo doesn’t show it justice) that the older couple to my right looked in amazement and the younger couple to my left kept laughing and checking for updates on how far I got. Needless to say, Jon finished it for me. But the food was so wondeful and the best spaghetti meatballs I have ever had the pleasure of eating.
We also ate at LO Guarracino in Positano for my birthday meal. It is less expensive than the restaurants in central Positano but commands romantic views from its cliffside position. I ordered a pizza shaped in a heart and Jon had spaghetti meatballs but they also have a good seafood selection too. Service was good, the views spectacular and the food wonderful.
The beaches in Positano are picture perfect but not particularly comfortable as they’re pebble beaches rather than sand. Also, hotels are seriously expensive so book at least 6 months in advance for a good price!
If you want to splash the cash, Le Sirenuse is a beautiful exclusive hotel that would be perfect for a honeymoon and the rooftop Franco’s bar has truly gorgeous views over Positano.
Positano is only one of the towns we visited on the Amalfi Coast so keep an eye out on my other reports of Agerola and Amalfi but also Pompeii and Naples. Positano was a dream come true, another item ticked off my bucket list, and I am so grateful that I got to spend my birthday there. I highly recommend Positano for a short break or a combined holiday with Amalfi, Capri or Sorrento – the ferries go across the coast, are inexpensive and provide fantastic views. I can’t wait to return as there is so much to see, do, taste and drink 🙂