Chalet Primavera on the Italian island of Ischia is a popular place with the beach-going public that serves authentic, tasty, well-prepared and moderately priced Italian food. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Chalet Primavera on the Italian island of Ischia is a popular place with the beach-going public that serves authentic, tasty, well-prepared and moderately priced Italian food. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
From the terrace seating at Chalet Primavera, diners can take in a spectacular and unobstructed view of the famed Castello Aragonese as they dine on traditional and savory dishes such as seafood bruschetta and marinated sardines. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Fresh mussels, clams, tomatoes, basil and garlic top lightly toasted bread for a mouth-watering appetizer at Chalet Primavera, on the Neapolitan island of Ischia. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Sun breaks through the clouds to shine on Castello Aragonese,which was built in 474 B.C. and has served as a fortress, church and now Ischia's most-visited monument. It can be seen from the dining area of the Chalet Primavera. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
The throngs of beach lovers have vanished, their noise replaced by a silence punctuated only by sea waves crashing onto the beach or the squawks of seagulls as diners sip dry white wine on the terrace of Chalet Primavera.
The crisp of autumn has settled on the Italian resort island of Ischia. One one hand, it is a gloomy foreshadowing of the impending shuttering of the island for the winter; on the other, it is that transition period when the island still is alive with business, but enveloped in a relaxing peace.
It’s a great time to go to where the eatin’ is good, while also avoiding the hordes of famished tourists who have left the volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
From the terrace seating at Chalet Primavera, on the waterfront of Fisherman’s Beach in the eastern Ischia Ponte area, diners can take in a spectacular and unobstructed view of the famed Castello Aragonese, which tops a rocky islet, as they dine on traditional and savory dishes. Built in 474 B.C. by Hiero of Syracuse, the structure has served as a fortress, church and now the island’s most-visited monument. It wasn’t until 1441 that the islet and its castle were connected to the main island of Ischia by bridge.
Though Chalet Primavera’s menu is written in Italian, English and German — a telltale sign that it caters to tourists — diners can be assured that the food is authentic, tasty, well-prepared and moderately priced.
Its variety, while vast, is typically Italian beach-resort fare, which means it is seafood based.
The antipasti, or starters, range from options such as boiled octopus with rucola, bruschetta, steamed mussels or clams, and Caprese salad, the mouthwatering combination of Neapolitan mozzarella di bufala and tomatoes (OK, so the last one isn’t seafood).
Just about all the restaurant’s pasta dishes are seafood-based, except for the lasagna, the gnocchi, plain tomato sauce over fettucine or macaroni, or macaroni with sautéed eggplant. Pizza is also a popular item.
Although attire is rather casual, given the numerous hungry beachgoers who eat here, don’t expect customers to dine in bathing suits only; it has some class to it.
The restaurant is open daily — for now. Come November, it will open for business on weekends only.
Location: Via Pontano 15, Ischia, Italy
Directions: From either Ischia Porto or Casamicciola (the two main ports of the island), head toward the Ischia Ponte area on the island’s eastern side. Via Pontano is off the main drag of Via Antonio Sogliuzzo, reachable by taking Via Mirabella toward the water.
Hours: Open daily from noon until the the last customer of the evening. However, starting in November the restaurant/pizzeria is open on weekends only until mid-April.
Food: Typical Italian fare, with heavy emphasis on seafood
Prices: Appetizers range from 4 euros to 12 euros, pasta dishes from 8 euros to 19 euros, and meat and fish dishes from 8 euros to roughly 20 euros.
Dress: Casual
Menu: Multilingual, including English
Phone: 081-992-809
