The Mediterranean diet is favored for its vibrant flavor and endless health benefits, yet these days capturing the essence of this storied cuisine at home is proving harder than ever. Those in the know will tell you that Mediterranean cooking is all about the quality of the ingredients. Exceptional produce, cooked well, will always result in a tasty meal. Using trusted producers close to home is often the best bet, but what if you don’t live in prime olive-growing territory? Perhaps your local climate is not best suited to growing the tomatoes necessary for cooking down into a sweet pasta sauce. One solution is to up sticks for a week or two and head to the source of this fabled diet, and while there are plenty of options to choose from, Italy’s Amalfi Coast proves a strong choice. When it comes to gastronomic prowess, this region brings far more than its noteworthy lemons.
Atop these historic limestone clifftops in the resort town of Ravello, visitors will discover Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, a palatial Italian mansion turned luxury hotel, that has embraced La Dieta Mediterranea, with gusto. While today, Caruso can be viewed as nothing other than a triumph, its story begins with tragedy.
Supposedly, the building that now comprises the bulk of Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, was originally constructed in the 11th century by a wealthy family who were shipwrecked as they journeyed east to Constantinople. Initially called Palazzo d’Afflitto (the Palace of the Afflicted), Caruso’s beginnings – however afflicted they may have been – bear no effect on its present situation.
A thousand years later, and still standing, Caruso’s vaulted ceilings and marble hallways lavishly accent a 50-room hotel that’s brimming with character. Leaning into its Neapolitan origins, antiques and paintings can be found around every corner, bookmarking key moments that shaped this landscape, the cataclysmic 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius on full display. If the artwork doesn’t catch your eye, the tiles and ceramics certainly will, bursting with orange and blue hues everyone associates with the Mediterranean, their production in the region charts back to the 1700s.
Far from the approach of some luxury hotels – plonking themselves down in a picturesque spot, taking no notice of local tradition and ultimately becoming an eyesore – Caruso leans into the past and culture of the region with tremendous effect. And nowhere is that more present than its food.
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Dining at Caruso
At the helm of Caruso’s dining scene is executive chef Armando Aristarco whose touch and influence are visible in every element of this hotel’s gastronomy. Born less than an hour’s drive from Caruso under the looming shadow of Mount Vesuvius, after cookery school, Aristarco cut his teeth in various local restaurants before arriving at Caruso for the first time as a commis chef. Working in a fine dining setting for the first time, this style of cooking would prove to be a major inspiration for the young chef.
What followed were years spent working in Michelin-star kitchens across Rome and Milan, followed by a stint in Bahrain and later Singapore as chef de cuisine at the St. Regis. Having traveled and learned from other food cultures, Aristarco returned not only home but back to Caruso, this time in the top job.
Caruso, A Belmond Hotel has two restaurants, Ristorante Belvedere and Caruso Grill. Ristorante Belvedere represents the elevated option, here Aristarco utilizes high-level technique with simple local ingredients to create elegant dishes that hum to the rhythm of Amalfi. Dishes like lamb from the Lattari Mountains, eggplant and buffalo provola cheese from Cilento, reveal the chef’s commitment to local produce.
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Plates arrive at the table in immaculate fashion, with the occasional hint of theatrics as waiters finish dishes with sauces at the table. Equally local is the wine, the restaurant’s sommelier choosing to highlight some of the region’s superb vineyards. Looking for Michelin recognition in 2025, Ristorante Belvedere certainly ticks all the boxes expected from a guide-worthy establishment.
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Caruso Grill represents the more relaxed option, expounding la dolce vita, this spot delivers classic alfresco dining, Caprese salad, cuttlefish and rabbit with sauteed wild mushrooms, tomatoes and olives. Its hearty Mediterranean food that tastes delicious, eaten at tables on a cliff side, as you gaze down into the bay below.
Breakfast, well worth a mention in its own right, can be as fancy or casual as you like. The buffet presents a veritable bounty, although not strictly Italian, the pain au chocolat – baked fresh on-site – is one of the best I have had. If Aristarco arrives holding a tray of delicious pastries straight from the kitchen, you would be a fool not to take one, it’s sure to be the highlight of your morning.
The magic of Cliento
During my time at Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, the region of Cliento – about 30 miles south of Amalfi – came up more than once. At a dinner shared with some of the area’s local producers, I listened to Marco Rizzo, the olive oil producer who supplies Caruso, discuss the virtues of the region’s terroir. Revealing the connection between chef and producer chef Aristarco says, “I don’t use the olive oil of Azienda Agricola Rizzo but the oil of Marco.”
Close to the Ancient Greek city of Paestum – home to some of the finest Greek ruins that can be found anywhere in the world – Vincenzo Barlotti is a true master of his craft. As owner of Barlotti, a local buffalo cheese business, Vincenzo overlooks every element of the operation, from the growing of corn to feed the buffalo all the way through to the production of mozzarella, ricotta and a number of smoked varieties. His wife Daniela Senatore, an entrepreneur in her own right, utilizes the valuable buffalo milk in her range of skincare products. While Barlotti’s cheeses play an integral role in the kitchens of Caruso, Senatore’s skincare products feature throughout the treatments of the hotel’s spa.
Cliento is a true Eden on the Italian coast, where everything appears to grow to its fullest, most flavorsome extent. Caruso, A Belmond Hotel understands this, taking the steps the utilize the products of the region wherever possible. For those looking to experience the true virtues of the Mediterranean diet, Caruso, A Belmond Hotel has curated a paradise atop the cliffs where the bounty of this corner of Italy is displayed in all its glory.
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