Culinary Challange:$100.or less a day in Sorrento
 

Knowing we have breakfast covered daily in our hotel(Bellvue Syrene)can we manage to stay under $100.US dollars for the 2 of us for our lunch & supper while in Sorrento? I've seen so many good restaurant suggestions on the Amalfi coast, I'm hoping we can stay within our budget and still eat pretty well. What do you think?

How long are you there? My usual would be to splurge one day, maybe a light lunch but a $200 dinner. But the next day do two more inexpensive meals and maybe spend $ 60 total. And yes you can get really good food and wine for a lot less than $100 for the two of you for two meals.

Thanks, Patrick-since neither of us drink I guess we'll be in good shape.I've seen so many good restaurant reviews-can't wait for Nov. Thanks!

Wow, no drinking -- no wine?? You just cut my suggested budget way down. I know many people always say drink the house wine, but I seldom like those in Italy and spend far tooooo much money on the wine.

Here's the way to do it... Eat gelato for lunch, then splurge on dinner! If that won't do, you could eat very well and cheaply for lunch or dinner at Lanterna in the old town. We nearly ate lunch there every day because it was so good. The pizza and minestrone in particular were out of this world! There are also a zillion other pizzerias available in the old town. We just didn't bother to try them once we found Lanterna.

Good luck, and have a great time!

I ate at Lanterna, which was good and cheap for both dinner and lunch. However, for cheap lunches, especially pizza, you can't beat Franco's. It's at the other end of Sorrento from old town, just past the train station. It's an old fashioned pizza place with a handful of tables filled with locals, so it must be good! If I recall, pizza and a drink for 2 was under 10 euro.

Not far from the Bellevue Syrene, my favorite hotel in Sorrento, btw, is a little place called da Gigino, which serves delicious, moderately priced food. I love the linguine frutti di mare.

Frantically writing all these down-as usual, just what I was looking for! Eccomi, we are really excited about the Bellevue Syrene-'got a balcony room-can't wait!

There's no price you can put on all the wonderful advice everyone gives-I love it!

The Bellevue Syrene is our home when we are in Sorrento also. Their breakfast is substantial, including eggs, meats, cheeses, yogurt, cereal, etc., etc. It is filling and we often don't need lunch (perhaps a snack) and don't eat again until dinner. It's a beautiful breakfast room as well, with wall to wall windows facing the Bay of Naples and Vesuvio overlooking it all. Great view and good food are a great combination to start the day.

There are lots of economical places to eat nearby, offering pizza, a good variety of pasta, salads, etc. Most post menus so you have an idea of price before you sit down. Be sure to try Gnocchi Sorrentino, it's wonderful!

We always have one meal at L'Antica Trattoria(Via P.R. Giuliani 33) and try to get the same table. Another place we like to eat is the Sorrento Inn (Via Fuoro, 19/21). Both are more expensive but good value.

Haven't been to Sorrento for a couple of years and I'm missing it just telling you about places to eat! We went to Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan last year, and Prague, Vienna and Budapest this year. We're thinking about Sicily next year, so maybe we can start in Naples, visit Sorrento and then go on to Sicily.

Have a great trip.

Giovanna-your post was wonderful.My husband loves the high-end hotel pampering, so glad we won't be disappointed.

I'm working with my Italian tapes daily!We have Hawaii(Kauai) in our sights for next year, but I've been reading some exciting posts here lately on Iceland, of all places...I would have never thought of Iceland, but it sounds heavenly.

Can't speak for Iceland, but Kauai is wonderful. We get the itch to go to Hawaii every couple of years, and if things work out we will be going next July. We have recently renewed acquaintances with some great people (my husband lived across the street from Bob when they were kids). Bob was born in Hawaii and they are planning a family reunion to which we have been graciously invited. Hope it all works out. One of Bob's brothers still lives on the windward side of Oahu, so it should be quite a celebration.

Hope you can make it to Kauai as it is absolutely beautiful.

Glad I could help with Sorrento, one of our favorite places.

Shooting for Thanksgiving at the Princeville-need I say more? I keep my South Pacific CD nearby...........Bali Hai always running thru my head.

Thanks once again for your kind advice.

We also stayed at the Bellevue Syrene (Oct. 2002) and enjoyed it very much. Please send our greetings to the hotel's mascot, Poppea, a calico kitty that hangs around on the terraces (Bay of Naples view in the day time, outside the piano bar at night).

As Giovanna mentioned, the hotel's breakfast buffet is excellent. My only disappointment was the coffee -- weak as an American diner... Oh, well, an excuse for a mid-morning espresso stop.

We also ate at Da Gigino and enjoyed it very much. Our favorite restaurant, however, was L'Osteria del Buonconvento on via Donnorso. Not fancy and no real menu. The owner/chef will tell you what he has fresh, and you tell him what you want (his recommendations were excellent). We ate there twice because of the food, atmosphere (mix of locals and tourists, singer/guitarist) and cost. Another place we liked was Il Pazzo on via Tasso at via dell'Accademia.

I would say, with careful ordering, you can stay within your dining budget.

Oops. Meant to mention a website I recently found while helping a friend plan a trip to Sorrento.

www.sorrentomap.com

The site includes all transportation schedules (Circumvesuviana, bus, ferry, hydrofoil, etc.), an inter-active town map, an on-line edition of the town monthly magazine for visitors and lots of other tourist info. Very, very helpful.

If you have a largish breakfast and/or a small appetite perhaps just an ice-cream for lunch will suffice cutting down the need for lunch whether for weight or financial reasons. That way you can easily have an adequate dinner within your budget. Also you may wish to vary where you eat - perhaps $50 per couple one night and $300 another night so overall you will easily be within you limits.

When on holiday I find that I never have room for a proper lunch after breakfast and always have a drink, icecream or perhaps a coffee and a biscuit. After all one does not wish to go swimming in the afternoon on a full stomach.

Dear Bryarsmom,

You are going to love the Bellevue Syrene. Make sure to get up at sunrise one morning it was breath taking.

Our "fancy" night out was at Caruso's. But we absolutely loved walking down the little lane to "Fish Village" - the last restaurant at the end (forget the name) eat out on the pier - fabulous seafood risotto and seafood with pasta with the tiniest little clams !!!

Tam

Oh Tam, you brought back memories. I had completely forgotten about the fish restaurant (I don't know the name either). I think we had frito misto (spelling?) and enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous sunset. We met a lovely young couple from Sweden and conversed with them during dinner. The walk to and from the hotel was fun too. So glad you suggested it to bryarsmom, and thanks for reminding me of a very pleasant evening we had in Sorrento.

Your welcome Giovanna ... and can you believe on our walk back the lane was lit by candle light? Oh sigh .... I'm envious of Bryarsmom.

Tam

Hmmmm-I just can't wait to get there! All your posts make me wish Nov was already here! I do hope most of the suggested restaurants will still be open early Nov.
Oh,and catching the sunrise shouldn't be a problem for us-we get up at 5 AM anyway-for our jobs here in Atlanta(you need all the time you can get with our traffic!). You've all been so kind and helpful...like dear friends!