La Grotta da Fiore Restaurant, Monte Epomeo

After enjoying the stunning views from the top of Monte Epomeo, I headed down the familiar path, which is a chute with steps in a white mass of soft volcanic rock.

Next to the summit is the restaurant "Grotta", owned by the Fiore family (La Grotta da Fiore). A small trattoria was built in 1965 by Orlando Fiore and his wife Maria, cutting tuff blocks from the lava formations of the volcano's summit.

Their daughters Teresa and Fiorella, whose husbands now also work in the restaurant, made a great contribution to creating comfort and image.

Here you can enjoy traditional Ischia dishes: bruschetta, pork ham, goat cheese, bacon, fried potatoes, delicious rabbit Fossa, delicious vegetable salads, and, of course, excellent local wine.

Below the restaurant is a small plantation where the family grows potatoes, vegetables, herbs and grapes. The soil on the slopes of the extinct volcano is incredibly fertile and rich in trace elements.

The outdoor terrace of the restaurant offers a wonderful panorama of the northern slopes of the island, which are not visible from the top of Monte Epomeo.