While in Itay in early July, we were fortunate enough to learn about the small town of Montepertuso. This town is about a 10-minute ride up into the hills from Positano. 

Some Montepertuso restaurants provide a free round-trip shuttle, but we also saw some adventurous people walking down a winding path after dinner back towards Positano. Rumor has it this is not difficult and takes 15 minutes. 
We had dinner on two successive nights at one of these restaurants: Il Ritrovo. It is in the center of the town, which is hard not to be as it’s a very small town! The restaurant has two seating areas that are both served from a single kitchen. 

One section is large, located partially outdoors and is not utilized part of the year. During the summer months, the main outdoor area is filled every night because the food is outstanding, as is the overall experience. We had very different but wonderful experiences the two nights we dined at Il Ritrovo. 

The first night, we were served a sampling of free appetizers, which were excellent. The bruschetta was outstanding, and the other appetizers were equally delicious. The menu was quite long, offering different types of pasta, fish, meat and poultry.

One main course was ravioli in a rose sauce – light and delicious. The other dish was grilled red snapper, which tasted very good if you don’t mind a few bones. The fish was cooked whole and was filleted at the table. 

The total bill including half a bottle of wine was 48 euros. The finishing touch was a plate of delicious cookies, also complimentary. After dinner, we were escorted to a taxi down below the restaurant and taken back to our hotel in Positano.

The experience on the second night was vastly different because there was a festival going on celebrating the Virgin Mary’s victory over the devil. There was a long explanation for this festival, half in English and half in Italian. It was easier to understand once we saw the display high above us on a unique mountain with a hole in it. The display is a source of great pride for the town of Montepertuso.

Part of the story and celebration was a full hour of spectacular fireworks followed by a procession down from the mountain into the little town square. The local people involved in the festival were equipped with loud speakers, so their singing could be heard from quite a distance. 

When we arrived at 9:30 p.m., the restaurant was full and the service seemed frenetic. We were seated after one busboy single-handedly cleared five tables at lightning speed. After our experience the night before, we were anxious to enjoy the complimentary appetizers again.

There were only three servers, and although they were clearly stressed, they were still smiling and charming. It was clear that this experience was going to be very different than the night before. 

Our waiter came to take our order and did not mention the appetizers. He did, however, mention that the menu was smaller due to the festival. A request for bruschetta, which is a staple there, prompted the waiter to answer, “Do we have – I don’t know – yes, not today, maybe no.”  We actually did get it!

I ordered the ravioli in rose sauce again; I do not eat meat, and truthfully that was the most appealing offering on the menu.  On this festival night, the rose ravioli dish came covered in a meat sauce—they must have run out of the rose sauce by the time they plated it. Pushing aside the meat, I was still able to enjoy the ravioli. 

By the time we were finished with the main course, it was almost midnight — time for the big event. When I requested the bill before the fireworks, the busboy said, “No, no. Go outside and watch, then come back in. We have cookies and then the bill.” 

What restaurant in the U.S. would do that?  He even brought chairs out for us to sit on so we would be comfortable! He than added one more chair for himself. 

About 40 minutes later, there was a lull in the activity, so I inquired if it was time to go in for cookies and the bill.  The answer was a firm, “No – more to come!” 

By the time we got the bill, it was after 1 a.m.  We waited for out taxi assignment with two young women for what seemed like a long time.  All of a sudden, the busboy, Francesco, drove up in his own car and drove us home because they ran out of taxis! Both nights were a lot of fun. I highly recommend Il Ritrovo and Montepertuso.