Traveling end of August/beginning of September and will spend about a week in each place. I’d like to know if you have favorite restaurants/dishes in either place and what you like about them. I am more drawn to the excellent family run place than something Michelin starred and fancy, but will try the latter with enough nudging.
Just starting to read and plan, so help much appreciated.
On Ischia, near Forio, we absolutely loved the restaurant, DA PEPINA DI RENATO. A pretty steep walk uphill from the road, but of course you can drive or take a taxi. Very warm service from the owner, wonderful rabbit dishes…one of my best memories from a week on Ischia a few years ago.
Thanks very much Erica!
For lunch near the archaeology museum, La Cantina di via Sapienza serves Neapolitan dishes in an unassuming setting. We ate there twice as our hotel was close by. Simple cooking, nice people. Note that it’s very small and (at least pre-pandemic) only open for lunch.
we loved this place for lunch, get there early. Many, many good vegetable selections.
I have still not been to Ischia, but have wanted to go to Il Focolare there for many years - they raise their own rabbits and their own wines, among other things. A longterm slowfood place in a rural part, I think it can be gotten to by bus, @Erica1 did you ever go there?
Jen: Il Focolare was at the top of my list but we never got there. It is in the hills above Casamicciola and taxis on Ischia are crazy expensive. It is off the main bus route but there may well be a way to get there by (probably infrequent) bus. We even flirted with the idea of renting a car to get there but in the end, were so happy with Renato’s that we never made it to Il Focolare. Surprisingly, it was not as easy to find great restaurants on the island as you might expect (lots of hotels seemed to offer/demand dinner included in the room rate), but with good research and talking to locals, they ARE around.
I was in Ischia and Naples in 2021. While in Ischia, we took a taxi across to Procida, which is a very pretty island. We ate at Da Girone right on the beach there. It was wonderful. Lots of good food, lots of cheap Campanian wines. We loved it.
That vacation wasn’t really about food, but we did do the pizza thing in Naples. 50 Kalo was outstanding.
Thanks for all! Just starting research. I think my hotel does some kind of shuttle down to town, but actually Il Focolare is further up the hill, about a ten minute drive from my hotel, so I will check with them about how I can get around the island. Guessing I can find a taxi or pay someone at my hotel for this service…Can be expensive, I know, but for the little time I am there, and the few meals I won’t be able to reach by bus, etc., it’s worth it to me.
There’s another restaurant on the road from my hotel called Antica Fornache that also looks interesting/appealing to me. Also CantiNando (currently closed due to damage from the mud slides) that would be within walking distance of my hotel, if they can open again by September.
Vegetables when traveling in Italy much appreciated!
@PenelopeWitherspoon, guessing that is a water taxi you took to Procida? Island looks lovely!
Inspired by this post, I randomly booked a flight into Naples for this May. A revisit for me, but first time solo in the city.
there are ferries in this area
Wow, great! I look forward to your experiences. Please do let me know what you find, where you go.
@JenKalb thanks! I did see that, but hadn’t really looked closely, but it seems eminently possible to do a day trip (about a half hour trip). I do have my ferry tickets booked in and out of Ischia from Naples. Thanks for the link!
