Together with owner Luigi, let’s find out what’s new in the restaurant and the attention paid to the authenticity of its products

Life on an island such as Capri is undeniably conditioned by the changing seasons. In the summer, the frenzy and bustle of tourists who animate the narrow streets of the historic center and the beaches make it a meeting place for people of various cultures and nationalities; in the winter everything calms down, and it is perhaps in these moments, when time seems suspended, that the atmosphere of Capri can really be captured in all its essence.

If, during these months, many of the island’s restaurants prefer to close their doors, others instead choose to remain open, aware that even those who live on the island all year round are entitled to moments of light-heartedness and conviviality. We interviewed Luigi, owner of La Piazzetta, one of those restaurateurs who has decided to offer his services on Capri even in winter.

Can you tell us how your business was born and how it has been transformed over time?

“Our restaurant was born 21 years ago, in 2000, when my father took it over from the previous management. It is a family business, my father and I work there and sometimes my mother also helps us out. Before opening this business, my father always worked in the restaurant business, managing the establishment La Canzone del Mare.

One of our peculiarities is to have decided to stay open all year round: this is because we address not only tourists, but also those who live on the island. Finally, the last year has been particularly important for us, as we decided to make an important restyling“.

What is it like working every day in such a unique location as Marina Piccola, right in front of the famous Faraglioni rocks?

“It’s definitely a privilege for us. Even on rainy days, the view is beautiful and fills the eyes of those who dine at our tables with wonder. You can breathe clean air, and the clientele really appreciates it. In addition, since the restaurant is located in the Marina Piccola area, to the south, cold winds do not beat here, you can swim almost all year round and when it is sunny you can stay even in December in short sleeves.“

As you anticipated, 2021 was an important year, an opportunity to redesign your venue. What were the changes made? What were the new strengths?

“We took advantage of the fact that a costume store adjacent to us decided to close and last year we bought the place to join it to ours. Currently, therefore, the restaurant has 3 floors, divided into the bar area, a small room for the winter and the terrace. Moreover, the restyling is not finished: this winter we will carry out some works on the terrace.

After these important upgrades there is practically nothing left of the old: we have enlarged the hall to have more seats; moreover, we have had access to the public land adjacent to the purchased premises, so we could increase the number of outdoor seats and get 30 new seats. The details of the interiors are now much more accurate, we have also created a wine cellar with 300 labels, including sparkling wines such as champagne and Franciacorta, French wines, reds and much more. In summary, I think the strong points of this restyling are the fact of having acquired a great brightness and more space, as well as having opted for very summery and fresh colors in the interiors, from white to mauve and light blue“.

Tell us about your menu. What are your strong points?

“Addressing a local clientele, even in winter we focus our menu on simple and genuine dishes: they are workers or people who come to us even 3 or 4 days a week, and who have the desire to eat like at home. In addition, having mainly a public of loyal customers, we are very careful to always offer different dishes.

Our best dishes, needless to say, are those made with products of our sea: several local fishermen, if the weather permits, supply us with fresh fish that we use in our kitchen. Another highlight are the fresh pastas, home-made by our chef, such as scialatielli, tagliolini and ravioli. It is worth mentioning our seafood ravioli with buffalo ricotta, shrimp, yellow and red date sauce; squash flowers with clams, asparagus and shrimp; homemade gnocchi with pesto and shrimp; spaghettone with squid, sun-dried tomatoes and stale bread; spaghettone with mussels and green chilies. And this is just a part of our rich menu…there is something for everyone!”.

Can you introduce us to your chef?

“Actually, there are two chefs working in our kitchen, and we don’t make a distinction between first and second chef; simply, one takes care of the first courses, the other of second courses and appetizers. They are Antonio Improta, who has been working with us for about ten years now, and Carlo Esposito, who took over 4 years ago“.

How important is the seasonality and genuineness of the product in your cooking and in your menu?

“For us they are fundamental aspects: we prefer to say that the product is not available, rather than propose it not fresh, also because having a clientele more Capri is certainly very demanding and knows how to recognize a genuine ingredient.”

What is the link between your cuisine and the territory?

“I believe that our cuisine can be recognized in the traditional cuisine of Capri, especially in the freshness of the product. One of these is the oil we use, which comes from farmers we know personally and who we are sure make a genuine product. As for the rest, we and our chefs like to range widely: we go from seafood to meat, basing ourselves a bit on the customers’ requests“.

Why the decision to stay open all year round? And what does favoring local customers over tourists entail?

“We decided to stay open because we don’t like the idea of seeing Capri standing still for 6 months, nor of having a sudden change from too much work to nothing. We also want to give the Capri resident the chance to eat well throughout the year. Personally, I think it’s much more satisfying to deal with a local client: I prefer the relationship you establish with an islander, because unlike the tourist who comes back the following year, you can meet him on the street, exchange a conversation or even just smile”.