Posides — Restaurant in Positano

I've never written a review for a restaurant but TLDR: go to Posides. Hailing from NYC and having visited Italy many times, I’ve had my fair share of amazing Italian food, but Chef Antonio offered an incomparable culinary and communal affair here at Posides. My experience here was nothing short of magical, and it is safe to say that Posides sets the golden standard for coastal dining. I left Positano five hours ago, and I’m already excited to come back and see what new dishes Chef Antonio will have concocted the next time I come around.

As a solo traveler in Positano, it often felt awkward when I visited other restaurants by myself, but the Cinque family made me feel so welcome from the moment I poked my head into the door, being greeted by the energetic exclamations of Chef Antonio and his brother Ilario. The duo, along with their gracious mother, bring a unique familial energy to the restaurant.

My experience at Posides began with the Shrimp Crudo “Caprese Style.” OMG. I can’t even make this up; it was the most exquisite thing I have EVER put in my mouth. No joke. The savoriness and saltiness of the shrimp, combined with the vibrant flavors of the locally-sourced ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella is simply divine. It’s dishes like these that epitomize Antonio’s talent for cooking – being able to combine these fresh, simple ingredients into a cohesive dish that captures the essence of Positano in every bite. Nothing overly fancy or pretentious. It is just fresh ingredients put together by a passionate chef. That is what makes it magical.

Another standout is the Stuffed Gnocchi “Alla Sorrentina.” First and foremost, it is a beautiful dish visually. The gnocchi, perfectly stuffed with a velvety cheese filling, is covered in a homemade tomato sauce. I overheard another customer next to me saying how she normally isn’t a huge fan of red sauce but that this gnocchi completely changed her mind on tomatoes. Jokes aside, that is precisely the effect Chef Antonio’s food has on us diners.

While I was enjoying my food, I got to know a couple sitting next to me (Trina & Tiffany I love you guys), and we collectively made an “American promise” to Chef Antonio to return the next day, as we had enjoyed our time so much (the food, the cocktails, the family working here, the atmosphere – EVERYTHING).

The next day, in addition to the Shrimp Crudo, the Tagliolini allo Scoglio was another pleasant surprise. This mixed seafood pasta dish is a symphony of flavors, and I’ve never had pasta that was cooked so perfectly al dente. As Antonio was cooking the pasta, the group that just came into the restaurant was raving about how it “smelled so good in here.” I couldn’t have agreed more.

I also tried two of their desserts – the tiramisu and panna cotta – both of which offered their own unique yet equally delicious sweet endings to a fulfilling meal. Ilario recommended a fabulous dessert wine as a digestivo to go with the panna cotta and though I am not usually a fan of sweet alcohol, this was a pleasant surprise (ho bevuto 3 bicchieri!).

Of course, no visit to Posides would be complete without sampling their refreshing cocktails. To the amusement of Chef Antonio and Ilario, I ordered nearly the entire menu of spritzes, each more delightful than the last and are the perfect aperitivo or accompaniment to the meal. My personal favorite was the Posides Spritz, which is surprising because, again, I’m not usually a huge fan of sweet cocktails. But this was just perfectly balanced with a cherry liqueur base.

In summary, and to reiterate, Posides is not just a restaurant; it is an experience. With Chef Antonio’s culinary mastery, Ilario’s witty personality, and the warm presence of their mother, Posides offers an authentic, intimate taste of the Amalfi Coast. Do come by, and you'll leave not only with a satisfied palate but with cherished memories and a desire to return again and again.

To the Cinque family at Posides, I will make another American promise to visit you all again very soon.

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My wife and I recently travelled to Positano to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Since we were traveling in August during peak season I did a lot of research beforehand to make sure we had reservations for dinners as I knew they would become scarce if we tried to do anything last minute. After a soul-crushing amount of looking through various options/guides/reviews, I had planned out most of our itinerary, but there was one evening left with no plans.

That was when I came across Posides, and the overwhelmingly positive reviews (almost unbelievably so). Even the Michelin star restaurants inevitably had some negative feedback, but not this place, so I was intrigued. Then I saw that the owner, Chef Antonio, would also occasionally host cooking classes and you could DM him for availability. I tracked down the Instagram account, found the number, and decided to reach out to him via Whatsapp as a shot in the dark.

I let him know we were celebrating our anniversary and were very interested in joining him for a cooking class (either private or as a group, whatever might be available), but we were only free on one specific night. I didn't think there was much chance of it working out, but Chef Antonio got back to me, and said he'd love to host us. He gave us some options about what to cook (we went with traditional Italian) and made sure there were no food allergies, and then let us know when we could drop by.

Let me just say that even though this was a last minute addition to our plan, it turned out to be our favorite night of the entire trip. It ended up being a private cooking class, just the 3 of us, and Chef Antonio shared his love for food and cooking, some amazing wines, and the knowledge he's gained from years of perfecting his craft. He cooks with a deep love for his ingredients and heritage, and you can feel it when you cook with him and taste it in the food he prepares.

There are many wonderful ways to spend your time in the Amalfi Coast, and you will enjoy almost all of them. But I can honestly tell you that if you spend an evening with Chef Antonio, you will never forget it. Grazie mille,...

TLDR: The food saved my butt.

In preparation for my trip to Positano, I looked for good restaurants and saw the positive reviews for Posides. On our last day in Amalfi Coast, we were deciding on a place to eat and I remembered about Posides. Since we were already at the village center, I thought it wouldn’t be too far of a walk.

My wife was hesitant because we had done a lot of walking the past few days. The first set of steps was long and steep, and she was not happy. We turned the corner and there were more steps. And more steps. And lots more steps. By this time, it started raining and we were huffing and puffing.

I told my wife we can stop and eat at any of the nearby restaurants. She replied that we should keep going since I was so set on trying Posides. By now, it began to rain hard and her facial expressions turned even unhappier.

When we reached Posides, the restaurant was full and we were second in line. An estimated 25 minute wait turned into 40. People took their sweet time, dilly dallying on their phones despite being done with their meals. Inconsiderate bastards.

We had wine while waiting. We also reviewed the menu and ordered food shortly before getting seated. We didn’t have to wait long for the food.

First course: seared scallops with lemon caper sauce. My wife took a bite and her eyes lit up. Despite not being a fan of bread, she soaked up and ate all the sauce.

Second course: meatballs. Tender and flavorful. Also soaked the sauce with bread. Yummy!

Third course: seafood stew. My wife isn’t fond of stewed fish, but we both enjoyed this dish too.

The food saved my ass. Everything was delicious. After 3 days of disappointing meals in Amalfi Coast (meh at best), we finally enjoyed a great meal. After hiking up many steps in the rain.

Had the food been like the other places in town, I would have ended up in the doghouse.

PS. According to neighboring guest, the seabass was delicious but we were too full to eat more. Blame it on the...