i_am_kane

This is my 4th trip to Sorrento, and I have yet to visit Massa Lubrense. I've compiled a list (over the years), but cannot determine which location matches my longing for a sunset dinner at a good, but not pricey restaurant with a fabulous view of Capri and the Faraglioni Rocks.

This small town appears to be difficult to get to, and I'm not sure a public bus is the way to go. Certainly, it will be early enough in the evening to take a bus from Sorrento out there, but on the return - what are my options?

Lo Stuzzichino Ristorante, via Deserto
Lo Scogio, Marina del Cantone
da Maria Grazia, Marina del Cantone
La Torre, Piazzetta Annunzita
Quattro Passi, via Vespucci
Ristorante Charlot, via Capo d'Arco
Tramonto Rosso, via Caprile

qwovadis

www.hoteldelfino.com for us last May perfect views over Capri
free shuttle every hour or so from town 10 minutes or so.
We paid $80 for a sea view to Capri was to die for.
www.otel.com site we booked on.

i_am_kane

We are already booked at the Magi House Suites in Sorrento, and are traveling with another couple. I'm sure your suggestion is a good one, but not for us.

Thanks.

ekscrunchy

PLEASE STOP SHILLING FOR THE HOTEL DELFINO!! The OP did NOT ask for a hotel!



Kane: I had an excellent lunch at La Torre a few months back and would return when in the area. The restaurant is on the piazza and the partial sea view from the exterior terrace is distant. There is, indeed, a (also distant) distant view of Capri from the shoreline bur not from the restaurant, as I recall.

Sorry I do not know about bus service and we had a rental car.

i_am_kane

ekscrunchy, La Torre gets wonderful reviews, so I am not surprised that you recommended it. Plus, you have been on this board for many, many years as have I. (Just wish my busy life would slow down so that I could contribute as I did in the past.) Actually, it is slowing down...

Hopefully, someone will have a good solution for me with transportation.

LoveItaly

Hello kane, I Googled bus service between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense and it doesn't seem that it would work for you.

We always loved Massa Lubrense (and yes the Hotel Delfino, lol) but we always had a car. From what I saw via the Google website a taxi from Massa Lubrense back to Sorrento will cost you somewhere between 50 to 70 euros. Perhaps it would be good to contact any of the restaurants in Massa Lubrense and inquire as to their recommendation how you could enjoy dinner at their restaurant and get back to Sorrento.

Best wishes and I hope that you can work something out!

i_am_kane

loveitaly,

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to research the transportation for me. Unless someone comes up with a bright idea, this may not happen.

I'm thrilled to be back in Italia for our 8th trip, so we have to take the good with the bad. I may end up saying "I tried."

kybourbon

Buses run through Massa Lubrense. Look at the bus going to Nerano from Sorrento.

kybourbon

Here are schedules for several SITA buses that stop in Massa Lubrense, but from 2010. I know in summer, some of the buses coming back from Amalfi stop in Massa Lubrense later. It was already dark when I came through there the first of September this past year.

http://www.sitabus.it/sitabus/campan.../QUADROXIV.pdf

kybourbon

The EAVbus also runs from Sorrento to Massa Lubrense (supposedly departs every 20 minutes).

Eavbus Line (linea A Meta-Sorrento - Massa Lubrense / Linee B-C Circolare Marina Piccola-Sant'Agnello-Piano di Sorrento- Marina Piccola / Linee D (Marina Grande)-E (Hilton) / Linea F Metrobus Piano di Sorrento / Linea G Metrobus Meta di Sorrento / Piano di Sorrento- Sant'Agata sui due Golfi )

SITA Line (Sorrento- Priora- Sant'Agata / Sant'Agata-Massa Lubrense-Sorrento / Amalfi- Positano- Sorrento / Amalfi - Maiori - Salerno / Amalfi- Ravello -Scala / Amalfi- Agerola / Amalfi-Pogerola )
Circumvesuviana (Sorrento/Meta - Meta/Sorrento )

txhomes

We took the double decker bus tour from Sorrento and it stopped in Massa Lubrense for a hop on-hop off. The last bus is most probably too early for dinner maybe you could do a late lunch. Just another idea - the ride is beautiful.

kybourbon

Here's a bus map. You can that the Sita bus, EVAbus line A and the City Sightseeing bus go from Sorrento to Massa Lubrense. I would think one would run late enough for a return from dinner in summer.
http://www.unicocampania.it/files/ma...i-sorrento.pdf

If not, I would offer a few bucks to one of the hotel shuttles. Several run regular shuttles to Sorrento.

Baudolino

Be aware that Quattro Passi has the view but is very expensive.

EAVbus A runs until 10:50 pm even in winter and possibly later in summer, but it does *not* go to Massa Lubrense.
http://www.eavbus.it/export/sites/de..._INVERNALE.pdf

ekscrunchy

Just be aware that La Torre is not IN the center of Massa...it is in a tiny "fraccione" named Annunziata. I seem to recall that Lo Stuzzichino is closer to the center; I know we passed it when we drove through Massa to La Torre. Lo Stuzzichino will not have a Capri view.

Please check the closing days for the restaurants in question. That may help whittle down the list. For example, my notes say that Lo Stuzzichino is closed on Wednesday and La Torre is closed on Tuesdays.

This agriturismo restaurant listed in SlowFood is in Sant Agata, reachable by bus from Sorrento.
The bus stop is 1 km distant and they say on their site that they will pick you up. From the pics they have a sea view. We considered having lunch here but did not, so I have no first-hand account. But there are many online reviews.

http://www.fattoriaterranova.com/restaurant/

ekscrunchy

Kane: I want to amend my comments about La Torre, the excellent restaurant outside Massa. Looking at photos of the restaurant, I notice that Capri IS visible from the restaurant's terrace. The fact that I did not remember the view is a testament to the quality of the food on my plate.

kybourbon

>>>EAVbus A runs until 10:50 pm even in winter and possibly later in summer, but it does *not* go to Massa Lubrense.<<<

Supposedly, in summer, the route is extended to Massa Lubrense.

From the city of Massa Lubrense's website on "How to reach us":

By Train: At the station FS "Piazza Garibaldi" of Naples you can reach Sorrento with the Circumvesuviana railway. From Sorrento railway station, take bus "SITA" (blue bus) or "EAV Bus" (orange bus) towards Massa Lubrense, departures every 25 minutes.
http://www.comunemassalubrense.gov.i...g=en&page=m_20

i_am_kane

I've just sent an e-mail to La Torre asking for specific instructions on bus lines/schedules. Hopefully, they will respond.

I'm pondering a question: Why does food take up so much of my trip planning?

ekscrunchy

You are not alone in pondering this issue!

hamlet

For a great view of Capri during dinner I suggest Miracapri (the name says it) or Nastro D'Oro restaurants. These are local solid restaurants that have been around but are not big name destination restaurants like Don Alfonso or Quattro Passi. I have been to both of them, most recently Miracapri a few times this past fall. You can find photographs of their views on google maps or facebook pages.

To get to Miracapri you would need the bus that goes to the village of Termini. From there you may be able to walk from the piazza, or stay on for a closer stop. I'm not exactly sure where the bus stops after. So I'm not sure about the bus route further down for Nastro D'Oro either, which may be along another bus line also.

I have also been to all the restaurants you named. With the exception of La Torre, none have a view of Capri. Actually I don't remember seeing Capri at La Torre when there a few years back, but we ate inside. Ekscrunchy was there recently so I trust that if she says she saw Capri, then she must have.

Charlot was great but closed about 2-3 years ago. It was on the road to Marina del Cantone before hitting Quattro Passi, then Lo Scoglio and Maria Grazia where there is a nice view of Punta Campanella and the beach, but not of Capri. Pappone is another good option there.

Tramonto Rosso is in the village of Metrano and there are no views there. Lo Stuzzichino is along the main street in Sant'Agata and is probably the most accessible by bus or taxi of all the restaurants on your list, but no sea views there either.

If the bus doesn't work out for wherever you decide to go you may want to see if you can make a deal with someone at your hotel or the restaurant to get you back and forth (or to the bus stop). The taxi fares in the area are ridiculously overpriced. It may even be cheaper to rent a car for a day.

Hope this info helps. Buon appetito!

(note to ekscrunchy - I wondered where you ended up for your lunch that day. Glad you enjoyed it and hope the driver was OK getting there.)

ekscrunchy

Hello again, Hamlet! Yes, indeed, we ended up at La Torre and enjoyed it very much. We sat on the terrace and you can just make out Capri in the distance. So I guess you can say that you can see the island but I would not say that it was a great view of the island because as you know the restaurant is on the piazza.

After all my worries, the drive turned out to be just fine. In fact, I was the driver, from Praiano to La Torre. Yes, that's right, me, who had rarely driven in Italy before this trip and now was zipping all over the place along the Amalfi Drive and into the hills! I thought the driving was actually fun with all those curves.

I agree about the insane taxi fares in that area!

Anyway, we had a superb trip and perhaps we will get together one day over lunch on a future visit!