Casa e Bottega
Total Rating: 7.6/10
I’m the first one to go on and on about how much I love Italian food, however, the savory breakfast and I have a soul bond. Every once in a while I’ll enjoy the classic cornetto (pistachio is my favorite) with a cappuccino for breakfast, but only if I know lunch is right around the corner. I simply need a more filling breakfast to keep me powered up through the hot summer mornings and afternoons in Italy. In Positano, this is especially important with the (non-voluntary) stairs and ( very voluntary) swimming you’ll be doing. You’re essentially fueling up for a morning workout and Casa e Bottega has got your needs covered.
This half-cafe half-ceramics shop does not take reservations so be prepared to come a little early or wait a bit for your table. You can order from their breakfast menu from 9 am-12 pm and the lunch menu from 12:15 until they close at 3 pm. Truth be told they’ve always let me order off the breakfast menu, even when it’s later in the day.
Breakfast
On the breakfast side of things, they have a lovely variety of both sweet and savory. My friends have gotten the pancakes and said they were phenomenal while I prefer to keep it savory with the uova in purgatorio ( also known as eggs in purgatory or shakshuka in the States) or the ricotta and eggs. Their coffee is fantastic and they also have nut and oat milk substitutes! The breakfast dishes here are all around $15 a plate which is quite reasonable for the portion and quality you get.
Lunch
I’m more of a night owl so I unfortunately miss breakfast more than I would like to admit, but that’s not a problem here because the lunch also slaps.
I love a good raw fish and this one surprised me. This is the mixed fish carpaccio with soy and citrus sauce. It’s beautifully served on a slab of pink Himalayan salt along with a few vegetable toppings. Incredibly fresh and so tasteful. I would get this every time I come back.
They also have a couple of bowls to try. I’ve gotten both the Casa Bowl with seared tuna and the shrimp one. The seared tuna had so much more flavor and a variety of toppings which kept it interesting. The shrimp bowl was just too plain for me, especially at the $24 price point. I guess that’s the price you pay for Positano…
Dessert& Drinks
I don’t have a sweet tooth so I normally glance right over dessert but when I saw an apple-based item on the menu, my little American heart couldn’t contain itself. I don’t see this on the menu anymore but it may show up as a special sometimes, it’s their apple crumble with gelato and it was divine!! A special mention here as well for their cocktails as they were quite good. This is the pomegranate ginger cocktail, it was nice and refreshing without being too sweet.
The Ceramics
I needed to give a last shoutout to these beautiful ceramic pieces. The decor of this place is seriously unmatched if you’re looking for beautiful, serene, and peaceful.
Detailed Ranking: 7.6/10
- Restaurant Design/Location/Atmosphere (.9/1)
- Customer Service (1/1)
- Menu variety/offerings (.8/1)
- Food rating (1-6) ( 6 points total)
- Freshness/Quality of ingredients (1.5/2)
- Overall taste (2/3)
- Presentation (.8/1)
- Price point- as compared to value (.6/1)