Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
at
125, and the drawbacks are worth overlooking for the ambience. A nice dou-
ble room will cost considerably more if you want a view, but that's not necessary
because the view is almost always accessible from the terraces. It's certainly not
worth the extra money if all you'll be doing in your room is sleeping.
€
€
If you're planning to spend the day at the beach or touring the coast by boat,
pick up your lunch before you head out at
Pizzatteria Mediterranea
(Via Lorenzo
d'Amalfi, 9),
which has excellent spinach-filled pastries and fresh pizzas.
555
(Largo S.
Maria Maggiore, 1-3;
%
089-8736385; www.maccusamalfi.it),
which may well
offer the tastiest food in the region. It's also a festive place as its young owners host
wine and food tastings in conjunction with Slow Food (p. 592). They also have
jazz nights, literary dinners, and other events that cater to trendy residents more
than to tourists. Most plates hover around
Relatively new, but headed for great acclaim, is
Maccus
€€
9, but you'll want to have more than
one, just to enjoy the atmosphere. It's a great place to meet locals and people-
watch. Dinner is late on Saturday nights because the outdoor seating is in the
piazza at the entrances of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Chiesa
dell'Addolorata: The tables can't go up until Mass has ended and the churchgoers
have dispersed.
€
55
(Salita Marino
Sebaste, 8;
%
089-8304549),
a little gem tucked inside an old monastery. The
atmosphere is deliciously medieval, and the food is delightful. There are wine tast-
ings on Tuesday and Thursday nights in the dining room, and the menu changes
according to the season (with the exception of Grandma Margherita's meatloaf,
which is a great choice year-round at just
€
12).
Not far across the main street is the
Cantina San Nicola
€€
€€€
The favorite restaurant for locals and visitors alike for the last 100 years
or so has been
Da Gemma
(Via Fra' Gerardo Sasso, 10;
%
089-871345).
But as it
gains in popularity, it has become increasingly expensive. The rooftop terrace
overlooking the main square is the payoff, but still it's pricey. Gemma was the cur-
rent owner's mother, and her recipe for
zuppa di pesce
is memorable, but costs
14.
There are Middle Eastern desserts like eggplant dipped in chocolate, and wonder-
ful local wines. The drawback here, other than the unnecessarily high prices, is
that everyone knows about this restaurant, so advance booking is mandatory.
RAVELLO
Ravello is a sophisticated, cultured, and exquisite village of just 2,500 permanent
residents, perched high above the cluttered coast. You'll sense the aristocratic air
the minute you step off the local bus or pull into the main parking lot, and it's
almost never crowded, and always serene. There's also no noise from traffic, and
somehow the air just seems better up here. But all this comes with a price. Ravello
is a very expensive place to stay. Still, for just
€
1, and without staying over, you
can take the 15-minute bus from the bus terminal on the waterfront in Amalfi to
the heart of this paradise.
Start with the
Villa Cimbrone,
which is about a 20-minute walk from the last
bus stop through some of the quaint neighborhoods that cling to the cliffs. As you
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