Ristorante
Capo d' Orso
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Capo d'Orso
Luigi 'e Balilla was a familiar sight to all along the Amalfi coastline, not because he had worn the fascist black shirt as a youth, but rather because of the car with which he used to take his tourists on day-trips.
At the beginning of the thirties, after a long exile in New York (where he had done a bit of everything), Luigi Ferrara returned to Maiori with a fair few dollars in his pocket, and made two purchases. The first of these was the Balilla.

The second was a magnificent, broad tract of prime mediterranean heathland, rich with junipers and carob trees.

It is a peculiar terrain, with steep terraced slopes, which stretches out towards the sea like an appendix.
Capo d'Orso is the domain of squid, of bream and pezzogna, of moray eels and giltheads. There is also a military lighthouse which is still in use, and a path which leads to the tip of the cape, where the sea crashes and foams below.

Opposite, the coastline, the 'li Galli' Island and the Faraglioni of Capri can be viewed silhouetted against the sultry colours of the breathtaking sunset.
The only building is an octagonal military tower with narrow embrasures, probably a toll-house.

Here, fifty years ago, Luigi 'e Balilla's son Bonaventura decided to open an inn.
It served simple dishes, cooked to order by his wife Pasqualina, who prepared magnificent homemade pasta.
Of these early beginnings only the tower remains
Today Capo d'Orso is a famous restaurant, where the picturesque scenery and a series of shady patios, stretched along the terraces of the cape, form a panorama of extraordinary beauty.

Mamma Pasqualina is still there, vigilant and irreplaceable in the preparation of the homemade pasta; ravioli with various fillings, scialatielli, laccetti, fusilli and many others.
Everything else is run by her three sons: Gigino , the eldest, an incomparable host, is a great storyteller and knows all the legends of the coast; to call him a public relations specialist would be to belittle his prodigious gifts. Pierfranco , on the other hand, is lord of the kitchen, and his fried fish courses and mixed grills are masterpieces of the culinary art; Pio, one of the few qualified sommeliers in the Campania region, expertly oversees the organisation of a cellar containing over 150 wines. It is a place to take a really special companion; a discreetly positioned table in the shade of the junipers, overlooking the sea which so enchanted Odysseus, is not a place to invite just anybody.

We are especially suited to catering for working meetings, banquets, theme evenings and special occasions. The restaurant employs a staff of experts and organizers for all types of celebrations and religious ceremonies.

The restaurant lies 11km from the A3 motorway exit at Vietri sul Mare, 12 km from Amalfi and Ravello and 20 km from Positano. There is a supervised private car park, and tourist information is available.