Cart Curator #16 Euro Special - When In Rome (or Italy in general)
The best beach clubs, our must-buy pharmacy recommendations (including probiotics...), where to eat and swim, and much (much, much) more.
Hi CC friends,
It’s hereeeeee! The first of our special edition Euro series.
We have broken these special editions up into shop, eat and do, in an attempt to cover off all of our favourites and answer all of the questions we have received so far.
Up first is Italy where we hit a total of 5 regions collectively: Rome, Sicily (Palermo and Cefalù), Puglia, and Positano.
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We could send about 20 newsletters with everything we did, but we’ve (tried to) include only our absolute highlights - the best of the best. If there is anything you think we missed, or want to hear more about, let us know!
Enjoy,
Stay
For our time in Puglia we decided to stay around 15 minutes out of Ostuni which is quite a central location if you have a car to get around, which is really the only way to see most of Puglia. Ostuni itself ended up being one of our favourite locations due to the shopping, restaurants, and nightlife.
The property we stayed at was an Italian dream. Surrounded by lush fig trees (of which we picked and ate with honey and stracciatella), and lavender and rosemary bushes, this property was perfect for relaxing and just enjoying our surroundings.
If this wasn’t already gorgeous enough the private pool was an incredible added bonus which was perfect for a morning/afternoon swim in between adventures. Something to note is that you definitely need a SUV to get here if you are considering booking as the surrounding area is seriously lacking in proper roads.
Our Positano accommodation was a rustic treat. Aside from the many, many stairs, you need to trek up and down daily (which is really unavoidable in Positano), this was a good size for 5 people, with a fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms, and a balcony with an outdoor seating area.
We would definitely recommend this one to anyone heading to Positano and would look to rebook when we next head back (emphasis on when not if).
Shop
Nicole
LEOCREMA Body Lotion with Argan oil
I’m usually a body oil kinda-girl, but the bottle that I packed ran out pretty quick, so I picked up this cheap-as-chips body lotion. It wasn’t entirely a blind purchase, I came across the lotion in an Italian Pharmacy finds TikTok, but regardless of the fact that the original creator waxed lyric about how good this was, it still exceeded my expectations. It’s suuuuuuper thick, and smells divine, so much so that I found myself looking forward to putting this on after a shower.
Yovis Probiotics
This was a fluke find, first purchased a premeditated purchase before we inhaled every carb on offer. It turned out to be not only an excellent probiotic but perhaps the best I’ve ever taken, and has since kickstarted a hunt to find something similar here in AUS (unsuccessful to date). Genuinely considering having our Italian friend export these, or if you’re yet to head on your trip please buy me some.
We did a day trip to Capri, and felt it was our duty to investigate the Venroy pop up. If you're an Aussie this is worth skipping as the prices were almost double to that in AUD. I did however pick up a Capri exclusive item, the below burgundy cap as a souvenir for my partner (and me).
Market Jewellery Finds
This is a combined recommendation, but between the two of us, we purchased a lot of jewellery pieces during our time in Italy. These came from a mix of small boutique stores and market stalls, both equally great in terms of price and offering. There is a strip of stalls as you head down to the main beach in Positano called ‘The Wall’ that had the best offering, including a pair of starfish earrings that will forever haunt Jess for not buying.
Jess
Fotoprotector ISDIN HydroLotion SPF 50
We picked up this product at a pharmacy in Puglia and it quickly became a staple throughout the entire trip. The Fotoprotector ISDIN HydroLotion SPF 50 comes in a spray bottle and is an incredible formula that applies nearly like an oil but quickly absorbs into the skin without leaving a greasy finish.
One thing I will say is avoid wearing this with white at all costs - some of us learned this the hard way with a huge amount of green stains on a white linen shirt. Otherwise, a fantastic product.
During this trip I developed a full blown ceramics obsession and I would hate to think how many stores I dragged anyone into who would join me into. My favourite by far was Nicola Fasano Ceramiche in Puglia and had everything you could possibly think of including kitchen and homewares.
The thing you will find in common with most of these ceramics shops is The Pumo, a flower bud and young leaves which is specific to the Puglia region and supposed to be good luck. So yes a ridiculous amount of these made it home with us, alongside espresso cups and saucers, platters and other various plates.
San Carlo 1936 Patatine Buona Com'era con Pezzetti di Pomodoro
Super niche recommendation but these chips quickly became a trip staple especially when road tripping. They are a Pomodoro flavoured chip which may sound weird but they are divine and have the perfect balance of tomato and basil flavours with not a hint of tomato sauce flavour in sight which can’t be said for some of the other brands. I don’t want to know how many packets of these went through (probably in double digits).
The Sirenuse gift shop in Positano had a stunning mix of glassware, ceramics, clothes, accessories, and hotel merch which is actually when I purchased the CHIMI sunglasses I mentioned in a previous issue. They also had the Eau d’Italie fragrances and candles that nearly made their way home with me, however, they are actually stocked at Mecca so there still might be a purchase on the horizon.
This boutique is definitely worth a look especially as it’s only a slight detour if you are making your way back to your accomm up the hill, or popping into Franco’s.
Restaurant Merch
Have we come back looking like the biggest tourists? Potentially. Am I obsessed with every restaurant tee I acquired? Absolutely. A lot of the beach clubs and restaurants around Positano have all sorts of merch that they will give out, or you can buy, and once you’ve consumed a bottle of wine this seems like a logical purchase. All jokes aside, these make the best bed shirts and I love the memories attached to them.
Over the years I (Jess) have inherited/stolen many branded tees like this from my mum (hi mum) including a vintage Club Med number that recently met its fate after developing one too many holes during a decent stint (many, many years) as a bed shirt. I love the thought of also passing these on to my child one day.
Eat
This place is an institution for so many reasons. It is so much less polished than any of the other beach clubs along the Amalfi, but we found that this was the most charming part about it. Firstly, THE FOOD. Our captain told us that it is one of the only places in Positano that actually uses fresh produce and seafood (which was a shock) before he went on to call another place we had eaten on our trip “Shit Black” - we will let you work out that one (and we would have to agree).
The food was rustic, incredible, and simple in the best ways possible. Also, it is high key impossible to get a booking here (we had been calling for months on AUS and Italy phone numbers with no answer), so your best bet is to ask your hotel concierge to book it for you.
If you are staying at an Airbnb like us we asked (ok begged) one of our water taxi drivers to book for us. Whilst dining we were also joined by Emilia Clarke who got off her super yacht and joined the normies for the experience, which should say enough.
A luxe dining recommendation, but honestly one of our favourite moments from Puglia. Aside from the incredible venue, views, and golden sunset light (make sure you give yourself enough time pre dinner for an aperitivo), the food and wine were next level. Their dinner experience consists of seven courses, which are changed daily to reflect seasonality and produce. The head chef came over pre meal to talk us through the menu, which is always an appreciative touch and the bubbles we ordered at our host's recommendation was so good we snapped a photo to track down in Aus. Make sure you get in early, it books out very quickly.
Positano vini e panini (The wine shop) - Positano
After driving all day from Puglia to Positano, arriving in Positano with 35+ degree temps, and walking up and down the stairs (IYKYK) we needed food stat. We popped into this deli to suss out if it had good options for a breakfast food shop (it did) and we found that they also made fresh sandwiches (as a lot in Italy do). We ate a lot of sandwiches during our hols, but these were the best by far with freshly shaved prosciutto for each sandwich, juicy fresh mozzarella, and housemade pesto.
We stumbled on this restaurant walking back from Kalura Beach one day and it was so good we came back again the very next day. Aside from the exceptional views over the sea, the food here was the best we had in Sicily. Which is saying something, considering the food in Sicily was the best Italian food I’ve ever had - think fresh pasta, seafood and a next-level Pomodoro salad. Also, because this was outside of the main town, it had a very relaxed, and very authentic Sicilian feel to it.
We stumbled across this little beach restaurant during our Puglia road tripping and fell in love with the location, laid back vibe, and Fritto Misto Di Mare.
Big fan of anywhere you can order your food and a spritz, jump into the ocean for a dip, and then back to your table in a bikini. Would definitely also recommend the artichoke pasta which surprised me and I ended up devouring every last bit.
Gelato
Yes, gelato does in fact get its own section. Eating gelato every day in Italy just goes without saying, but we wanted to share our favourite spots.
If you’re generally looking for good gelato across the country, this TikTok sums up how to find authentic gelato, and is pretty much what I live by.
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First up in Palermo was Cappadonia Gelati, Antica gelateria Gentile in Bari and my (Nic’s) absolute favourite - Sapore di Sale Gelateria in Cefalù.
I wish I could give you specific flavour recommendations, but I literally just order Pistachio everytime (which gives me a good barometer of quality, because it's a proper like-for-like comparison).
Next was Giolitti in Rome, which is quite a famous spot. This gelato is hands down the best I have ever tasted and we ended up going back at least once a day. This is just such an authentic spot and the flavour range was just incredible including every fruit flavour you could imagine as well as all of the classics like Stracciatella and pistachio (would recommend both).
This isn’t technically a gelato location, but a prime spot for an afternoon treat (especially during a 40+ degree heat wave).
This may be the least aesthetic photo ever taken (exposing myself with the Zara bag in the background) but this combination was jaw-dropping. Tè Freddo Con Granita Di Limone which is essentially iced tea with a scoop of lemon granita is the perfect way to finish an afternoon of shopping in the Rome heat. Ciampini’s gelato also looked incredible but sadly didn’t get to try it this time.
Do
Road trip around Puglia
We had a car with us in Puglia, which is necessary to get around, and carved out two full days to explore the various towns and swim spots.
We hit all the hot spots, including Polignano a Mare (as touristy as you’d expect, you only need a quick dip and picture), Otranto, Monopoli, Alberobello, and Locorotondo.
Swimming-wise, favourites were Grotta della Poesia, which is excellent if you like jumping off rocks (so a big winner with the boys lol), Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea for crystal clear water, and Porto Ghiacciolo for a general vibe and lunch (as mentioned above - yes it was that good it has been mentioned twice).
Princess Positano for Water Taxis
Not too much to share here, other than Marco at Positano Princess was our Positano Prince. The crew was always so quickly available on WhatsApp to come collect us, no matter where we were along the coast, how many drinks we’d had, and regardless of the fact that we spent each journey begging him to book Da Adolfo for us he continued to show up - and get us the booking in the end.
Franco’s Bar at Le Sirenuse - Positano
Perfect if you like lining up for 20 minutes and paying AUD $40+ for a cocktail. But in all seriousness, if you get lucky with a short queue, this is a fun spot to catch a pre-dinner drink and watch the sunset over Positano. Sometimes a place is hyped because it is just that good, and that's that.
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Path of the Gods - Positano
If you also enjoy getting up at 6AM on holidays to workout like Nic (this isn’t humour sadly), then make time to do the Path of the Gods walk. It’s a long one, but worth it both for the views and to sweat out Spritz. We made the mistake of taking the hard option of 1800+ stairs to start the walk in Nocelle (yes, it was as horrendous as it sounds), so I’d recommended starting on the other way in Bomerano. Treat yourself to a Lemon Granita at the end.
This was by far our favourite beach club of the holiday (yes, better than the ones in Capri you’ve probably seen on Instagram). The vibes were high (but also relaxed at the same time), the drinks were strong and the chairs were nicely spread out, all facing the ocean (side eye @ Da Luigi Capri). We ended up with almost our little private area to the side, of which we could jump straight into the ocean (which kept the boys happy).
The in-house restaurant was also excellent, so make sure you book a table here to break up the day and it goes without saying, but get the seafood pasta.
If you want a laugh take a look at this post-beach club series as we try to convince the aforementioned Marco of Princess Positano to take us to Da Adolfo to secure a booking.
We wanted a day to just relax, swim and explore so hired a private boat from Blue Star to take us around the coast and it was such a fun day out.
We stopped at La Tonnarella for lunch, which was a vibey, homey, proper seaside Italian restaurant (similar to Da Adolfo). And, just like Da Adolfo, Jess picked up a t-shirt because, as above, merch > souvenirs.
We also had a quick stop in Amalfi and ended up finding possibly the best Cannoli ever at Pasticceria Savoia, so make that a must visit and order the Pistachio.
Kalura Beach - Cefalu
The main port beach in Cefalu (Spiaggetta del Porto on the south end, we don’t do the touristy sandy beaches) is pretty spectacular and clear anyway, but if you feel like venturing, it’s well worth the walk to Kalura Beach, just past Calette. This rocky beach was perfect for spending a whole day reading, swimming, and jumping. The only downside is that the bar is only open for hotel guests, so make sure you bring water and snacks with you.
That’s it for part 1 - stay tuned for part 2 of our Euro series coming next week!