Via Cristoforo Colombo, 30, 84017 Positano Salerno, Italy
Rating: 9.2
After a whirlwind visit to Vienna we continued onto the next leg of our trip – Positano. I had been wanting to go to Positano for as long as I can remember so was incredibly excited to finally make my dream a reality. Hours of semi-painful post wedding travel later we arrived to Villa Rosa, our little bed and breakfast, in the heavenly town just as the sun was setting. We unpacked our bags (or those of us who had them, anyway, no thanks to Austrian Air) and got ready for dinner.
Villa Rosa is conveniently located directly above the famed Le Sirenuse hotel which made it very easy to visit (often) and take advantage of their restaurant and Oyster Bar. We walked across the street to dinner at La Sponda. The gorgeous restaurant is lit by over 400 candles to give an unbelievable glowing, romantic ambiance. The outdoor space where we were seated overlooks the picturesque landscape for which Positano is so famous. The opposite mountain is covered from top to bottom but little homes, hotels and restaurants and the entire slope illuminates in the evening.
Once seated, we were greeted by a friendly gentleman wheeling a massive silver bowl full of bottles of champagne and prosecco towards us. A wave of relaxation washed all of the stresses of travel away. We were given some much needed chilled raw vegetables to nibble on as we examined the menu.
Our first bites were a savory cream cheese crème brûlée and a mini caprese salad in the form of a mini layered trifle with pesto.
My friend who organized most of the trip also happens to have an eye for good wines. She selected two delicious accompaniments, one white and one light red, for our meal and both went well with all of the dishes.
I shared two appetizers to start. One was a seafood casserole in a cast iron pot filled with all the local fruits of the sea – lobster, octopus, squid, etc. The second was the crab tart which was almost like a mini crab quiche.
My main course was the lobster tagliatelle in a red sauce. The lobster was cooked perfectly and still tender, the sauce had a rich flavor that was deeper than most tomato based sauces. The combination was surprising for a seafood dish but delicious.
We were accidentally given an extra order of the risotto which was lucky for us because it turned out to be one of the best dishes. The rice was perfectly cooked and the creamy tomato sauce and topped with halved cherry tomatoes with more ripe tomato flavor than any tomato found in the US.
We were given a little palate cleansing sorbet and then moved on to dessert.
The desserts were works of art. The chocolate dessert with coffee gelato was a ball that melted when warm chocolate sauce was poured on top. Inside was chocolate cake and some other surprise layers.
Another beautiful one was the meringue filled with raspberry that cracked to reveal the fruit.
As if that weren’t enough we were also given plates of petit fours to taste as we paid our check. A truly decadent meal.
On several of the nights we also had a pre- or post- dinner cocktail at the Oyster Bar, which also has a beautiful, warm, candlelit ambiance and definitely worth a visit.
Le Sirenuse should definitely be on your to-do list for your visit to Positano whether you are staying at the Hotel or just visiting for a drink.
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