THE CUISINE OF IL MONASTERO starts with the island's traditional recipes. It will guide you through the flavours of the Mediterranean.
Open exclusively for dinner and by reservation only, our restaurant guarantees its guests the utmost care and tranquillity thanks to the choice of a single service shift with only 10 tables.
BOOK A TABLE
The spectacle of the island and the village of Ischia Ponte lit up after sunset: a unique privilege.
The same view that rewarded the nuns of the convent after a day of prayer five hundred years ago, now gives our guests a sense of serenity.
Welcome to our kitchen
The original idea was to reproduce our family recipes for hotel guests. Today our cuisine is another sign of the hospitality that enriches the experience of IL MONASTERO and Ischia.
THE HISTORY OF IL MONASTERO
Our recipe
IL MONASTERO Spaghetti
The dish our father used to make to welcome artist friends to dinner. Pine nuts, raisins, al dente spaghetti and mint: a recipe as simple as it is difficult to get right.
Our chef has perfected it and today it is the signature dish of LA CUCINA DEL MONASTERO
THE COMPLETE RECIPEOur chef
Michelangelo Iacono
It took us a long time to define our kitchen.
Michelangelo has been with us for over 10 years: he comes from the upper part of Ischia, a part that has remained authentic and whose cuisine is still linked to the traditions of a rural island. This allowed him to connect with the austerity of the place and with what he needed: to be himself, in all his simplicity.
The tasting menus of IL MONASTERO, a tribute to the traditions of Ischia
In ancient times Ischia was divided into Marecoppe (above the sea), the hilly areas of the island, mostly rural, and Marevascio (down to the sea), the coastal areas of the island.
The profound differences were also expressed at the table: the rustic and strong flavours of the land cuisine of Marecoppe, the more delicate and seaworthy cuisine of Marevascio. In Marecoppe people lived on the fruits of the land, raised rabbits and made wine, while in Marevascio almost all the people were fishermen or small traders.
From time to time, thanks to Cala Cala, these two worlds would meet: from the land, the peasants would lower a basket full of vegetables, wine and meat to the fishermen waiting on the boats; from the sea, the basket would come up full of fresh and shiny fish.
It is Michelangelo - "O' merecoppese" (the Merecoppe resident) - who deserves the credit for wanting to pay homage to both island traditions and for being the first on Ischia to adopt the concepts of Merecoppe, Merevascio, and Cala Cala (a skilful blend of the two cuisines) in the kitchen, creating the tasting menus that characterise our offer.
The wine list
CASTELLO, the wine of IL MONASTERO
Our Biancolella D.O.C. is born in the vineyard behind the vegetable garden, within the walls of the castle: together with Casa D'Ambra we produce about 600 bottles a year, exclusively for LA CUCINA DEL MONASTERO.
CASTELLO, OUR WINE
The vegetable garden: always a source of livelihood for IL MONASTERO
Many of the products are harvested directly from our kitchen garden: we suggest that you explore it on foot, among aromatic herbs, medicinal plants, flowers and touches of the Mediterranean.
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
The texts of the paragraphs "Welcome to our kitchen" and "Our chef: Michelangelo Iacono" are taken from the article/interview "Un castello in mezzo al mare" (A castle in the middle of the sea) published in the book "Dimore d'Italia. Recettes secrètes des palais italiens" (Residences in Italy. Secret Recipes from Italian Palaces) published by Hachette, edited by Alba Pezone.