The Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast. You’ve seen the images; whether it’s on the BBC through Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, ‘The Trip’ featuring Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon, or through highlight reels on Tik Tok. It’s one of the most picturesque locations on earth.
We landed in Naples, the 3rd largest city in Italy - and a chaotic city at that, amplified by their football team winning the Scudetto for the first time in 30-years. There are blue & white banners, flags, and cardboard cut outs of players as far as the eye can see.
A bus (Curreri Viaggi - €10 a ticket) transported us along the coast, deeper into the Campania region, and we eventually made it to our cottage for the week. Nestled amongst the winding hills & cliffs, wedged between Sorrento & Positano.
The view from the our decking was truly beautiful, overlooking the Bay of Naples in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius.
Now, our trip didn’t quite go as we planned. We were expecting to be bouncing between the infamous towns of Sorrento, Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, Nerano, and the island of Capri. The amount of tourists made travelling without your own transport a task, public buses often zip past you without stopping due to being at maximum capacity. The towns are so far apart that taxis would come at the price of a mortgage. The weather also wasn’t too kind, meaning boats were out of the question.
We would have been disappointed, naturally. But as luck would have it (I like to think that everything happens for a reason), a 10-minute walk downhill from our cottage, we found the village of Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, which from now on in this piece I will refer to as Sant Agata. A village which sits atop the crest of the Sorrento Peninsula, away from that beaten track which is packed with tourists.
This tiny village is uniquely positioned exactly between Naples (60km) & Salerno (61km). From this vantage point you can see the most stunning views of the coastline. Walking trails lead in all directions and it doesn’t take long for you to reach a coast.
One of the whole countries most famous restaurants, Don Alfonso 1890, overseen by the great chef Alfonso Iaccarino is located here (was temporarily closed whilst we were in town).
The rest of this article will explore the restaurants ventured to in this region throughout the 7-day period (mainly consisting of, but not limited to Sant Agata).
Ristorante Quattro Venti (Sant Agata)
It feels fitting to begin with a restaurant we visited for both our first and last meal (we also squeezed a third trip in between through the week). Our Airbnb host recommended it, as she stated that they do the best pizza in the village. She wasn’t wrong.
On our first evening we dived straight into pizzas, which turned out to be the 2nd best pizza of the whole trip: a margherita (€6) & a parma ham, parmesan & rocket (€9) - can you believe those prices?!
Followed up with tiramisu (€5), panna cotta (€5), and limon cello (€2.50 a pop).
The caramel panna cotta was too firm for my liking, the caramel too much like syrup - worth noting that Millie disagreed & enjoyed. The tiramisu, on the other hand, was the finest we had all week. Spectacular.
Our 2nd visit came during mid-point of the week, 3-days into our adventure.
This time I plucked for the catch of the day; sea bass (€20). The fish, caught freshly that day (not like some UK restaurants which have the same ‘soup of the day’ for 3-weeks running) was cooked whole and served table side.
A dose of olive oil & lemon completed the serving.
This was accompanied by grilled vegetables, in the form of: sweet potato, mushrooms, courgettes, and artichokes.
Millie ordered a homemade mozzarella & tomato ravioli (€9), which was simplistic, yet delicious.
‘Dessert of the day’ was a typical cake from Napoli filled with lemon & currants.
Our final meal here, came on our last evening, when we decided to order take away pizzas freshly made in a wood-fired oven, and eat them at our cottage. A once in a lifetime experience. I don’t think the images below need much of a description:
Lo Stuzzichino (Sant Agata)
Despite the village being so small, it possesses a restaurant which has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, which for those aren’t familiar is described by Michelin as: “Since 1997, our best value for money restaurants – offering a three course meal at a reasonable price – have been pointed out using a special award: the Bib Gourmand”. Read more on that award here.
The restaurant is family run, by a gentleman with bags of charisma by the name of Mimmo, who has been passed the mantle by generations before him - his parents were actually in the kitchen cooking when we were there.
On our first visit, I delved into their 5-course tasting menu (€60).
I began with a glass of prosecco and a “Stuzzichino welcome”: sun-dried tomato bruschetta, a cheese parcel, potato croquette, and arancini.
“Mom Filomena’s Meatball” came next, a dainty course that I could have eaten an entire bowl of. The meatball was light & moist, and thankfully we’d been provided with bread so I could get to work with mopping up the tomato sauce.
Followed by a ravioli in lemon butter, topped with clams. They don’t alter portion sizes here either: we saw another table order this same dish from the A La Carte menu, and they received the same as me.
Grilled cod with coppery sweet & sour onions rounded off the savory courses - the cod was cooked with skill, though I couldn’t get on board with the onions. A salty black olive salad garnish was served alongside which was pleasant to say the least.
I finished things off with a national dessert: “Delizie al limone” (lemon delight). A light cake which has been soaked in limon cello from the lemon groves, which are rich along the coast, doused in masses of cream, and topped with a pinch of lemon zest.
A type of lemon named “femminello ovale” is grown in this region, it has an aromatic peel and is used in several ways in the local cuisine.
We came back for lunch, the day before we left Italy.
A complimentary basket of warm, freshly baked bread with olive oil & balsamic vinegar was presented to us upon arrival. I do love European hospitality.
Note: Although I used the term ‘complimentary’, be aware that in Italy, most restaurants implement a ‘coperto’ (cover charge) which is applied to your bill. This is usually €2-3 per person, and takes care of basics such as bread, oil, vinegar, etc.
And if this wasn’t enough, we were also given some sun-dried tomato bruschetta (the same as the first course on the tasting menu).
For lunch, it was another catch of the day for me. This time around a ‘pezzogna’ (sea bream).
The fresh, delicate bream was cooked & served whole, with golden, buttery potatoes & slices of lemon.
This set me back €40, by far the most expensive meal of the trip. I honestly wasn’t phased by this, considering the fact I was eating a freshly caught fish in a small Italian village off the coast.
Millie managed to select the outstanding dish of the week: masses of beautifully cooked octopus, which is often so difficult to cook right and portion sizes usually scant, with a smooth & creamy potato purée, and juicy, bursting tomatoes. The balance of textures was perfect: meaty protein, smooth purée, acidic tomatoes, and a slight crunch to the lettuce. Everything tied together, forming a wonderfully constructed dish. Unbelievably, this only cost €19.50.
And now I understand where that Bib Gourmand award came from.
Da Cardillo (Sant Agatta)
On the penultimate day of our trip, we took a small walk beyond the villages only supermarket, and took in the spectacular coastal views.
We arrived at Da Cardillo, and sat down for a spontaneous lunch.
We were seated shortly after they opened at 12:30, the quirky restaurant completely empty.
Bread, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar arrived at our table (there’s that European hospitality again), meanwhile I ordered a burrata (€10) which was on the specials menu.
The burrata was special. The freshest, creamiest blob of cheese sourced from Campania that you could possibly imagine, with hunks of tomato dancing around the plate amongst rocket dressed with oil. Thankfully Millie helped me out with finishing it, as the dish was so rich I don’t think I could have managed on my own.
I had a seafood linguine (€13) as a main course, which was both light & superb. The homemade ribbons of pasta were tangled with an extremely subtle olive oil based sauce, tomatoes, herbs, and swimming with mussels and clams. The subtle nature of the sauce allowed the pasta & seafood to be the real hero of this bowl.
In the background you can spot Millie’s homemade gnocchi (€10), which was rich with tomato sauce & cheese.
There was an array of freshly made desserts in a cabinet, which we were able to choose from. We decided on a strawberry tart (€5).
And a babamisu (€5); soft chocolate mousse, sweet mascarpone cheese, and a sponge cake soaked in rum, dusted with cocoa powder.
And finally, some homemade limon cello.
Our bill totalled at €51, including a €4 cover charge.
That’s essentially £22 each for a 3-course meal consisting of freshly made bread, burrata, pastas, desserts, and limon cellos all in a restaurant overlooking the sea.
Racy Cocktail Bar (Sant Agata)
We came to this fantastic spot on our first evening, and returned most mornings & nights afterwards. A small cocktail bar with sheltered outdoor seating in a gorgeous setting.
The details here really matter: half of the outdoor seating is ceramic in the style of Amalfi, whereas the other half is in the style of Sorrento, 200-year old tiles adorn the bar, polaroid pictures are provided with each drink as placemats/keepsakes alongside olives, crisps & popcorn to snack on. The staff & owner, who we got to know throughout the week, were all an absolute joy to be in the company of.
They serve breakfast pastries too, and it was here I found the most wonderful little sweet treat. A ‘snowflake’ almost like a doughnut stuffed with ricotta, which after consuming I could not track down for the rest of the week anywhere, to my despair!
I felt so content sitting here in the mornings, a coffee in my right hand & a pastry in my left, listening to the patter of the rain, or seeing the morning light streaming through the narrow streets, with acoustic music playing in the background.
To the team at Racy, I hope you get the chance to read this excerpt of the piece. You are all amazing.
Da Mimi (Sant Agata)
So I’ve talked all about the finest places in Sant Agata. Not all the places we ate at were of this standard.
We found Da Mimi thanks to a bit of Google researching, as it’s well hidden down one of the small alleys in the village. The reviews looked good, so we booked in for an evening meal on the Thursday.
There was a clean, modern feel to the restaurant. Plentiful seating available, including an upstairs & a ground floor terrace area.
Millie had a seafood linguine, which she was hoping would be similar to what I had eaten for lunch at Da Cardillo earlier in the day (apologies, didn’t note the prices of these dishes).
It was mediocre at best. We’ll go with unremarkable.
I had a fillet steak with rocket, cherry tomatoes & parmesan - beef with cheese is a common marriage in Italy.
This really was terrible: chewy, not rested, and a bitter taste to the steak, which even smelled slightly off.
Pizzeria Basilico (Sorrento)
We did venture outside of this quaint village from time-to-time, and thankfully we did, as Pizzeria Basilico in Sorrento is where I ate some of the finest pizza in all my years on this earth.
It’s located 10-minutes beyond the main square of Sorrento, Piazza Tasso. The square is brimming with tourists & it’s a real minefield when searching for good places to eat.
I did a lot of research prior to this trip, and this was the place I’d picked to get a good pizza. The entrance looked a little strange, as the venue is the ground floor of the Cinema Theater Armida.
We sat down at lunch time and the place was dead. I was concerned that I’d picked a dud.
The pizzas arrived: a Margherita (€7) and a special ‘Saporita’ - Campania buffalo mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, parma ham, parmesan, and extra virgin olive oil (€12) were clearly made with love & care by a master of the craft, using locally sourced ingredients.
The dough was sensational, blistered, a thick crust, thin base, soft, yet crispy. The portions were also tremendous.
This pizza oven which stood at the head of the restaurant can take some of the plaudits.
If you’re in Sorrento, please swing by here. I had a friend who travelled here a week after me, I recommended that he come here and when he arrived was deterred by the emptiness. Don’t make the same mistake!
Zi’ntonio (Sorrento)
This was another which I wouldn’t be heading back to in a hurry.
Zi’ntonio is located a 2-minute walk beyond the Piazza Tasso, we were drawn in here for lunch by the allure of plentiful Michelin stickers from years gone by decorating their front doors.
The restaurant is set over two-stories, and an intriguing mural of Diego Maradona attending the Last Supper with a pizza is painted on one of their walls. Maradona is hailed as a God in these parts of the world.
Our pizza bufalina (with buffalo cheese & cherry tomatoes - €10) & a scialatielli pasta with seafood (€18) were average at best.
The pizza seemed as though it was thrown together without any real care, thick & doughy, tomatoes mostly strewn to one side as though it had arrived at our table after being on the back of a Deliveroo drivers moped.
Scialatielli pasta is a short, thick pasta, which can be described as a shorter fettucine. It is typical of modern Campanian cuisine, and unfortunately this was uninspiring.
We also had a tiramisu each, we ate a lot of tiramisu, and I conclude that a bad version of this dessert does not exist in Italy.
Bar Nonna Emilia (Sorrento)
Located at the beautiful Marina Grande, this is a wonderful spot to have a drink whilst soaking in the sun, atmosphere, and views whilst the waves softly lick against the rocks below.
Their Sorrento Spritz costs €8, and is mixed with limon cello & prosecco.
Caffe 54 (Sorrento)
I’ll end things with another small bar, this one on one of the main streets in Sorrento.
The personalities of the staff were infectious, namely Anna who is pictured below, and it was here I got to try a ‘Maradona Spritz’ - a cocktail shaken with blue curacao, vodka, and God knows what else.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi is a beautiful village, in a fairytale region of an infamous country.
The Amalfi Coast is a bucket list destination for many, perhaps this article will aid with some of your decision making when you’re planning a trip.
Ciao, grazie!