A large Family of Chefs opens a seafood trattoria in an old fisherman's house

Since the Taverna del Capitano moved to its new rooftop location overlooking the sea, the old restaurant hall has found a new use, more down-to-earth, you might say. The "earth" in question is the wonderful land of the Sorrento Peninsula, with the crystal-clear sea just a few meters away. While upstairs, the work of reinterpreting regional cuisine continues under the guidance of Alfonso Caputo and his heirs, downstairs, the focus is on traditional home cooking, inspired by Mamma Grazia, wife of patriarch Salvatore – the Captain. Together, they opened the Taverna in 1967, later passed on to their children Alfonso and Mariella, respectively in the kitchen and the cellar, assisted by Claudio, Mariella's husband and an excellent maître d'. For over 50 years, they have woven the fabric of this inn, housed in a renovated old fisherman's house, now one of the must-visit spots in this area rich in culinary landmarks. The new generation is already at work, with Matteo in the kitchen and Federica in the dining room.

We are in the Campania Felix of high cuisine, which, even in the past, managed to build an offering that satisfies the high-end international tourism that has frequented the area since the economic boom years. An elite of vacationers from around the world, attracted by refined hospitality and elegant, flavorful cuisine, always deeply connected to the territory, always distinctly Mediterranean. With a recognisable savoir-faire, made of musical accents, refined by the habit of the high life, warm and exquisitely refined hospitality, pure flavours that the Caputo family now celebrates in a new way at their new establishment.

Casa Caputo and home cooking

Called Casa Capbuto, this new space – part bistro, part trattoria – presents an anthology of dishes closer to tradition. Home-style dishes, crafted from top-quality ingredients with a disarming simplicity found only here. The most delicious tomatoes, fior di latte, vegetables that sing. It’s no coincidence: we are in the land that created a beloved dish from a humble vegetable. Pasta alla Nerano, made with zucchini, was born here, just a stone's throw away. It had to be included in this new area of the inn where the flavours of the territory, raw materials, and their preparations are paraded in procession: Crapolla shrimp with salt and pepper, tomato and fior di latte, fried eggplant, mussels in a spicy broth.

Then there are Mamma Grazia’s spaghetti, very simple, with San Marzano tomato fillet and basil, paccheri with scorpion fish sauce, genovese as tradition dictates, and boned fish soup, fried fish, and fish all'acqua pazza. The Palamito on the Stone of the Sea is now an iconic dish of the house, as is the Pignatiello of squid and potatoes. There's also some meat, in a sequence of dishes to be enjoyed day after day without ever getting tired. The rest is made up of traditional desserts, with babà in the lead, and a wine list primarily of local selections chosen for their affinity with the dishes, but which can be easily integrated with what the main restaurant’s cellar on the top floor offers.

Casa Caputo - Massalubrense (Na) - Località Marina del Cantone - piazza delle Sirene 10/11 - +39 081 808 10 28 - https://www.tavernadelcapitano.com