Il Ritrovo

Montepertuso, IT

Our journey to Positano was a rough one. We missed our bus stop and although that doesn't sound like a big deal, on the Amalfi coast that means an extra hour on a cramp blue bus full of tourists.  So when we finally got off the bus and made it to our hotel, we were exhausted and took a nap. By the time we woke up, it was raining. Just lovely. We've heard all the restaurants in Positano are crappy tourists places that are overpriced (true fact) so didn't want to just walk to something nearby. I had heard about Il Ritrovo and although knew it was uphill about a quarter mile away, figured we could just walk it with an umbrella. Wrong, you don't walk uphill because its steep. But thankfully Il Ritrovo has a car service that picks you up from your hotel free of charge! In a Mercedes no less, pretty sweet.

When we arrived, the restaurant was mostly full. There are no menus, you basically get whatever is fresh. Interestingly enough, many of the tables get different dishes.

Prosciutto and Melon

We started off with prosciutto and melon, good, but nothing compared to the one with had a few nights before at Da Gianna.

Bruschetta and cheese souffle 

Next up was bruschetta and little cheese souffle squares. Both were tasty and satisfying. 

Shrimp

The next appetizer was our favorite, fresh sauteed shrimp. It was the simply tossed in oil and garnished with rosemary but the flavor amazing came from that it was freshly caught that day.

Clam, tomato rigatoni (front) and walnut cream rigatoni (back)

The pasta course was just so-so, the flavors of the clam didn't really go well with the tomato rigatoni. The other pasta was just way too heavy and rich, creamy, cheesy but I did liked the walnuts.

Local white fish with cherry tomatoes

I very rarely enjoy plain white fish mainly because I think the flavor is bland, but our entree, a local white fish with cherry tomatoes, was really great. Light, melt in your mouth tender, but still bursting with great flavor. The fresh tomatoes added a nice sweetness making this one of the best entrees of our time in Italy.

Cookies

The fresh homemade "cookies" were warm and tasty. I use quotes because I'm sure there's an actual name for these Italian treats, I just can't recall.

Panna Cotta with Stawberries and Cream

We both got different desserts, a panna cotta with strawberries and cream and a tiramisu. Both decent, but nothing memorable.

Tiramisu

Apple and Mint Sorbet

Cappuccino 

To finish we had an average cappuccino and a rocket fuel limonchello. 

Limonchello

All in all, we enjoyed our meal at Il Ritrovo. Fresh seafood (especially the excellent shrimp and fish), friendly home style food and good but not great service. If we return back to the Amalfi Coast, there are a handful of other options we would check out, but this is a place I would recommend if you're in Positano, especially because of the free pick up and drop off service. 

Treats for home

Overall 7/10

May 24, 2011