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Sorrento: Il Buco

Rampa Marina Piccola, 5 , Phone: 081.878.2354
www.ilbucoristorante.it

Reviewed by: Opera Darren from TX, review #2878

When: 2007

Amazing food! Amazing service!

Great food, great wine and impeccable service makes this one of the best places in Sorrento. This is not the place for someone on a budget - it is perhaps the most expensive restaurant in Sorrento - but it is also one of the best (we preferred L'Antica Trattoria.)

It is located in a difficult place to find - under the arches of the Basilica on Piazza St. Giuseppe. The restaurant is in what was once a cellar and is warm and inviting. Everyone was warm and inviting.

After a complimentary glass of rose prosecco and an amuse bouche of warm ricotta wrapped in endive with a balsamic reduction we dived into the menu. There are a series of tasting menus, which we love. I ordered the Pepe's Menu (after the owner's name) paired with Sorrentine wines - OH GOD!

My eight courses consisted of:

1: Breaded and fried mozzerella with prawns served on a warm cherry tomato and olive sauce

2. Baby octopus braised with tomatoes and olives over pasta (not for the faint of heart)

3. Pasta in a sauce of seafood on a bed of local beans

4. Envelope of pasta with fresh fish, pumpkin sauce with peppers and oil

5. Slice of local fish in acqua pazza with tomatoes, capers and garlic

6. Palatte cleanser of red apple with calvados

7. Rack of lamb in basil with eggplant, potatoes, and aglianico wine sauce.

8. assortment of local desserts

With paired wines, this was 145 euro and the wines were amazing. There were three other menus ranging from 75 to 100 euro and one completely vegetarian menu. Excellent!

On the whole, while I love Sorrento, they do cater to the English and American cruise ship crowd. So, it is a little bit of heaven to find places like Il Buco and L'Antica Trattoria that are strictly Italian.

Reviewed by: MikeB from OH, review #1873

When: 2006

This pricy but excellent restaurant in Sorrento is a gem.

A group of 4 ate at Il Buco on April 20, 2006. The restaurant is a bit hard to find but it is quite a place. While the menu is very appealing, we ordered from the recommendations made by Giuseppe Aversa (Pepe), Il Buco's owner. The wine list is excellent and, more importantly, the wines are reasonably priced. Service was first class. Lastly, the restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, however, I definitely recommend indoor seating. The indoor room is in what used to be the cellar of a monastery. Dinner for 4 with 1 bottle of Castello di Fonterutoli (Chianti Classico - 2001), primi and seconti courses and dessert was approx. E55 per person. Yes, it's pricy -- but worth it.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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Sorrento: Il Buco

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