Il Buco
Il Buco Photos
Il Buco Popular Desserts
IL BUCO ATMOSPHERE
Recommended Reviews - Il Buco
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
We came here a few weeks ago because they are Michelin rated. The exterior looked nice, all stone and castle like. We were seated outdoors which was perfect and we were able to witness a sudden thunderstorm. I'm glad we were seated outdoors as it seemed a cooler experience versus indoors. The service was excellent! They first gave amuse-bouche which was great. My friend had the 5 course tasting menu and I ordered a lobster pasta. The tasting comprised of an appetizer assortment, which was okay, a taco like dish, pasta, beef cheek and dessert. Let me say that the dessert was the best part. Nothing really blew our tastebuds to say wow. My lobster pasta dish sauce was too salty, I had to squeeze lemon to balance it out to become palatable. The pasta that came with the tasting menu was underwhelming and salty too! What a waste. The beef cheek was good-tender and savory. Nothing special. But the desserts-limoncello mouse and the complimentary single dessert were both amazing! I would rate this a 3.5 but could not. Could not understand how they were Michelin rated when the tasting menu they provided did not blow your mind.
This wasn't quite the experience I was expecting. Slightly disappointed in the food overall and the restaurant. Food was solid (5 course tasting, chefs choice) but not amazing. Sauces did not seem to add much. The seafood dishes were overall better than the meat dishes. Disappointed in both the beef cheek and the beef taco. Dessert was amazing and what one would expect from a Michelin star. Having tried another starred restaurant in the same area region, would say this one is a skip.
Amazing food, incredible atmosphere, and out of this wild phenomenon service. They deserve more than 5 stars from the bottom of my heart. 1) octopus appetizer was incredibly delicious 2) lobster appetizer was incredibly delicious 3) lobster pasta was cooked to perfection 3) wine & lemon gin was phenomenal My wife and I have made this our go-to spot moving forwards. Their customer service is on another level not seen in the USA.
Our dining experience was off to a rocky start as soon as we arrived. We were shown to a table buried in a dark stairwell filled with an endless parade of pedestrians exiting the local marina. The space was dark, noisy, echoed loudly of the road traffic below, and really unpleasant. Thankfully, they were kind enough to move us to another table that was also outside along a pedestrian walkway. The setting was much nicer though. The only problem was that we were in the middle of a heatwave. Within a couple minutes, we were sweating like crazy. It was pretty unpleasant to eat in a sauna. By the middle of the meal, our bodies were coated in a thin sheen of sweat. The bar around the corner was also pumping loud techno music with heavy bass. The music was great for a club, but not befitting a white tablecloth dinner. The service was very mixed. A few of the servers were very diffident and had zero politeness. Many of the waiters didn't even look at us as they were speaking to us when explaining the dishes. It felt borderline rude. Our head waiter was nice though. We paired our meal with a bottle of the Pietradolce Archineri 2018. The complete menu was: 1) Brioche with eggplant mousse 2) Zucchini muffin 3) Bread with tomato sauce and sausage meat 4) 7 different types of homemade bread and breadsticks 5) Steamed lobster on crispy waffle with fennel and paprika cream served with puntarelle salad and confit tomato. The dish was topped with freshly shaved black truffle, a lovely touch. However, This dish should have been much better. It was strange to serve cold sauce over warm lobster. Also, parts of the fennel was tough and the waffle was underwhelming 6) Seared octopus on Luciana sauc, served with black olive soft bread, broccoli, and mandarin mayonnaise. This dish was ok. Good but not really a standout 7) Risotto with sea plankton, mussels and almonds. Another ok dish 8) Linguine with lemon scented scorpion fish roe fish and sundried tomato. The pasta was cooked *way too* al dente (too undercooked for my liking) and the sauce was just a tad too briney. Not delicious at all. Barely edible. 9) Because we couldn't really eat the previous dish, they were kind enough to serve us an alternative pasta: Homemade tagliolini pasta flavoured with red pepper, clams, river chillies and ginger mayonnaise. This dish was quite good 10) Seabass fillet flavored with lemon potato nocerino onion and crunchy vegetables. The fish was super fresh. This just was solid and my favorite of the whole lineup. 11) Apricot cake with caramel topping and vanilla cream 12) Creamy lemon dessert with a froth of limoncello 13) 3 different petit fours
My husband and I ate here yesterday night (on a Monday). I literally made the reservation the day before and was lucky enough to get it. In the comment I said we were on our honeymoon and would love to eat there. I also asked if they can call me through WhatsApp since I was from the US. They actually did texted me through WhatsApp to confirm The overall experience was positive. The food was all delicious. We spent about $250. We ordered two appetizers, two pasta dishes, one second course, which is the lamb, wine, and two bottles of water, and dessert. The chef also gave us a complementary pre-dinner snack, pre-dessert, post dessert, and lemon cello. The servers were extremely nice and polite. And everyone there seem to be celebrating either their anniversary or honeymoon as well. They have outdoor and indoor seating. I really enjoy the pastas here. I would come again for a special occasion.
Heard a lot about this restaurant, stateside and amongst friends in Rome, had to give it a try, glad I did, from the very start we were made to feel at home, several different bites of food, all presented with perfection before even the menu came, we chose the seafood tasting menu, and it was perfect, all six courses were perfect in both presentation and on the pallet, we chose not to do the wine pairing, but instead asked for their advice on local wines, we chose two different white wines locally produced, one of which is included in my photographs, get this wine, it's hard to come by locally, and probably impossible in the US, of last note, stop by the bathrooms for a Quick Look, probably one of the most beautiful bathrooms of restaurants in Italy
This was by far the best restaurant on our family trip to Italy. We sat outside in an attractive setting that somewhat followed inside setting. The service was perfect in being both attentive while not being over involved with our meal. The chef/restaurant sent us delicious appetizers for free to sample. The bread basket was by far the best we had in Italy. I had the special which was Sicilian prawns with a pasta and cherry tomatoes was amazing. My youngest had the lobster appetizer as a main meal and treated to a wonderful presentation. We had the soufflé and a few other deserts, but the pastry chef wouldn't let the evening end without a few more treats on the house. It isn't the least expensive meal in Italy, but worth every euro.
While visiting Sorrento, we decided to look into Michelin Star restaurants and found this Michelin Guide recommendation! It was absolutely fantastic. We got a last minute reservation, the hosts were super friendly and the vibe was so cute! After looking at the menus, we decided to try the various tasting menus. My boyfriend got an 11 course chef's choice tasting menu and I got 6 course land tasting menu - let me tell you.. both are HUGE!! And absolutely delicious. I can't remember every single dish, but our favorites were their take on the fish and chips (taco) and the lamb. They were also extremely generous with the truffle shavings. Everything was so good, we spent over 3 hours there and essentially rolled out of the restaurant and were still so full on the morning. It was a pricey meal, but we expected that with it being Michelin Guide. But since it was vacation, we were happy to splurge and were pleasantly surprised and not even remotely disappointed. Sorrento is a very cute and walkable town, it was near a bunch of shops, other restaurants and bars, and it was tucked away at the end of a small alley. Very safe area and lively. Definitely give this a try if you're there and willing to celebrate!
Il Buco has earned its Michelin star in not only my palate but my heart for its excellent service in rolling with the punches and making the best out of a situation. My 5 year anniversary dinner here was a journey with hiccups but the staff couldn't have been more accommodating. Firstly, the notoriously confusing bus schedule meant that we missed the first bus down the hill from our Airbnb, and the next one took another hour to show. That meant me standing in the freezing November rain at 20:00 waiting to flag down the next bus barreling its way down the hill while my bf called the restaurant to inform them that we'll be late for our reservation. And we were late, by almost an hour. But after we walked in, the staff of Il Buco graciously welcomed us, took my soggy raincoat, and seated us without any issues. I've already heard about the "I Trust You" menu and ordered that. The menu is tailored to your preferences between sea and land. I liked both so I ended up with basically a surf and turf type variation which was perfect for me. Five courses was also a perfect amount of food and I chose a wine pairing to go with that, which didn't appear on the menu but the server said was doable. We then got an interesting stacked box of various breads to start things off, with subtle texture, shape, and flavor differences, and a nice pouring of olive oil for dipping. Here's where the next big hiccup happened: I have 3 highly specific allergies, learned the hard way through experiences with bad reactions. I did tell the waiter about the eggplant one, and one of the amuse bouches was substituted out because of it. However I failed to mention the others because in my mind there was just so little chance they would happen. Imagine my surprise and horror when my first course was a beautiful plate of raw prawns... which last time I tried (in the form of amaebi) and it caused me to break out in hives and an itchy throat all night. I was too mortified to send the dish back, so I ate it anyway and could immediately feel the telltale tingle in my mouth and throat suggesting a reaction was already starting to happen. I quietly freaked out for five minutes before my bf flagged the server down and explained the situation. They leapt into action immediately, convening with all the floor staff before presenting me with an antihistamine pill on a spoon doused in a tablespoon of bottled water. I was instructed to wait two minutes as the pill began to dissolve, then take the spoonful. And honestly I was also very surprised at how miraculously quick and effective the pill was. The server showed me the box and concentration and while I didn't understand it, it worked for me! All the servers who came to our table after that checked in to make sure I was still okay, which felt amazing. Finally the last little hiccup of the night was the second course. While the server repeated several times that our upcoming dish would be calamari and octopus, there must have been a mixup because I ended up with charred octopus and my bf got bluefin tuna. But that was the least disappointing mixup ever because we preferred these! Thus began the real start of the night's amazing menu. After two courses came the meat dishes, and these really stood out. The chef made sure that my bf and I got completely different things each course so that we ended up tasting each other's. Our pasta dish came with a generous shaving of black truffle on top and for meat I got an elegant presentation of the tenderest lamb, and he got the juiciest hunk of short rib I've ever tried. And finally our desserts came plated with a Happy Anniversary message scrawled in chocolate. I much preferred my dessert, which was a deconstructed tiramisu with Bailey's flavored ice cream. As for the wine pairings, they were all delicious but the last one was so fragrant I imagine that's what ambrosia would have been. It was like amber honey going down and I'm so glad it was the last thing I tasted before going to bed. Fortunately after we were done, a local we had arranged a ride with picked us up at 22:45 and took us back home. As a side note, cell reception inside was virtually nonexistent but wifi it turns out was free and easily accessible, which helped immensely in timing our ride home just right. It was a night of some epic anniversary stories and I have Il Buco to thank deeply for taking care of us and making this an unforgettable night.
Il Buco was an great experience and a lovely way to spend my last way day in Sorrento! The first thing you notice when you enter is the unique dome shape with the nice pops of color (or tv mounted wall art) on the wall or end of the restaurant depending on the table. My husband and I got the "I trust you" seafood tasting menu. The Chef selects 5 items for our meal depending on the ingredients of the day. It consisted of two appetizers, then your first course, second course, and dessert. Bread and amuse bouchée was also included! Everything we had was plated so nicely and was the perfect quantity! My favorite was the shrimp appetizer and the dessert. But honestly, the every dish was cohesive and delicious from start to finish! I highly recommend Il Buco if you're in Sorrento! The staff is really attentive and the food is fresh and made perfectly!
Il Buco Ristorante is a gourmet Italian restaurant that opened in Sorrento, Italy in 1997. It was founded by Chef Giuseppe 'Peppe' Aversa. The restaurant is located in the former wine cellar of a 15th century monastery. At Il Buco (Italian for "The Hole"), Chef Peppe brings the cuisine of Campania and Naples to life with meticulous attention to detail, innovative cuisine, fresh ingredients, and a love for the grand culinary traditions of southern Italy. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2004. My wife and I visited Il Buco in July 2018, at the tail-end of our 3 week honeymoon in Italy. As soon as we were seated, we were given a complimentary cheese plate. We looked over the menu and decided to order "I Trust You": five courses with wine pairings that Chef Peppe personally bases on your dining preferences. Our server just asked us if we had any dietary or food allergy restrictions. It was as if Chef Peppe read our minds, because for the rest of the evening he served us courses that seemed to be custom made for us. For the first course, we were given a selection of raw fish. For the second course, I was served an octopus dish while my wife was served a lobster and burrata dish. Out of this world!! How did he know that we liked those things?!! For the pasta course, I was served Gragnano spaghetti with anchovies and my wife was served linguine with lemon scented scorpion fish. For the meat course, I was given black pork stew with polenta and my wife was given fillet of beef with pizzaiola sauce. Our server then brought us delicious desserts. Everything was spectacular, and the wine pairings were phenomenal as well. We capped off the evening with glasses of limoncello. This was the single greatest dining experience we've ever had in our lives!
It was quite an experience to be able to dine at a Michelin star restaurant while visiting Sorrento as a family. We each did a different tasting menu and several of our party did a wine pairing with their menu. All the food was beautifully presented and each dish was thoroughly described by the wait staff. The weight staff were very well trained, very professional, attentive and friendly. The food was all very fresh and excellently prepared. We sat in one of the outdoor tables(for Covid safety) But I understand the indoor dining room is amazing.
2 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
You cannot get a bad meal in Sorrento in August because everything is so fresh. If you want to turn it up three or four notches and possibly have the best dinner experience ever, come to Il Buco. Order what's known as "I trust you" - their five or eight course tasting menu where the chef surprises you each time around. Each course is something you have never had before and wish you could have again. Beautiful ambiance, wonderful friendly staff. I recommend the 62 San Marzano if you like red wine. 10/10 recommend when coming to Sorrento. read more
4 years ago
8 years ago
8 years ago
We came across Il Buco, in September 2018, after going for a long walk around Sorrento and I'm glad we did. I had heard of Il Buco on Rick Steves, but I didn't put two and two together until after I sat down and really studied the place. The food was fantastic. Though the portions were small, but every bite was flavorful and delicious. This place is all about presentation, ambiance, and showcasing local food. I would definitely go there again as long as we can sit outside and enjoy the salty air along with the good food and wine. read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
We came on a recommendation from the hotel and the prices were not at all what we have not already paid traveling from Venice through to Sorrento. We were seated outside and immediately brought a light appetizer to sample. I informed them I was gluten free and they immediately returned the plate to the kitchen. The chef made me a gluten free version, different but delicious. The wine is pricey, worth it. You can get a 350L bottle that equals a half bottle. This worked well for us, my friend wanted white and I preferred red. We shared the grilled seasonal vegetables with black lentil and ricotta cheese, amazing. I ordered the Lamb which was a sampling of lamb cooked in three different ways. Equally amazing! We ended with a delicious plate of chocolate. The evening was wonderful! Grateful this was our last dinner in Italy. A great way to end the trip! read more
4 years ago
What can I say about this place. Chef Peppe took care of us personally after a reservation snafu and it was amazing. We had the lobster appetizer and the lobster entree over pasta. There were intermediary complimentary small courses that were out of this world and the desert photo I post here says it all. Thank you Chef Peppe. read more
15 years ago
Summary: Fantastic service and ambiance. Great food. Good value. Highly recommended! Details: We are six friends, used to eating at top class restaurants around the world. From the moment we entered Il Buco we loved it. The staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming and attentive throughout the evening, despite the restaurant being busy. They struct the perfect balance of classy yet unpretentious. Out table of six couldn't agree on a degustation we all wanted, but it wasn't an issue because at Il Buco your whole party doesn't need to have the same degustation. We chose several between us, and though they had different numbers of courses, it worked very well, with everyone still in sync by dessert. They even tailored dishes for two of our party with allergies. The food was consistently excellent. The flavors weren't as fancy as some other Michelin starred places. Rather they were simple, fresh, perfectly cooked and tasty. I cannot rate this experience highly enough. Go to Il Buco. You won't regret it! read more
13 years ago
WOW! This is the upscale classiest restaurant in Sorrento. We purposely chose a Saturday night to go here to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary and it was worth the splurge. This was the first menu that I read the entire story...it was like a book and so cool. Yes, it is expensive and yes the portions are super small, but the service, quality and experience are worth the money. It isn't traditional Italian food, which was a nice switch after 2 weeks of Italian everyday. We closed the place and met the chef who loves pizza BTW. We had a beautiful table inside in he "basement" of the old monastery. Very romantic. It was worth the splurge. My husband loved the candy bar at the end. read more
11 years ago
This place changed my life. Amazing. We showed up around 7:30 with no reservations and were able to get seated outside, which is not your typical European outdoor seating.... It was actually quite private, rather than crammed in on top of the others around you. Very nice. My husband and I did the "I trust you" 8 course option with wine paring. The server asked if there is anything that we would not eat so that the chef could take that into consideration. My husband ordered a dirty martini and asked if they had stuffed olives, which they did not. However, he was thrilled that they specially made six stuffed olives just for him and the Martini he was prepared table-side. A nice touch. The server did a great job all night. Each of the eight courses were incredible. The chef totally nailed it. Beautiful presentation. Unique dishes. Wonderful taste. Delicious wines. We loved it so much that we went back again two nights later. We had a different server this time that we did not enjoy as much, but to give him the benefit of the doubt, he was running around like mad man the whole night and appeared to be stretched thin. read more
13 years ago
This was our "last supper" in Sorrento on our Capri/Amalfi Coast honeymoon and this place did not disappoint! If you are looking for fine dining (Michelin Star restaurant), superb service with a romantic ambience, look no more! Yes, this place may not be the most typical, home cooked type of Italian restaurant (I.e. la tagliata in Positano) but don't discount this place. Their creative dishes are unique, fresh, full of flavor and their recommendations are on point. Go with their prix fixed wine pairings ($85+++) or the waiter's recommendations. We opted for the chateaubriand for two and it was more like for 4 people! Also the amuse-bouche and the antipasti were so delectable and fresh! I was a fan even before they brought out our main dish. Don't forget to save room for their to-die-for desserts! Tip, make reservations and opt to sit outside the "cave". Found it so romantic! This place is not for the frugal! $$$$$ Oh did I mention they concocted our martinis shaken table side---and the chef carved the chateaubriand table side as well! Beware, they have a heavy hand with the vodka! My kind of place! One word--EPIC read more
4 years ago
7 years ago
9 years ago
Amazing meal, the location is tucked into an alley and outdoor seating is romantic! The menu is not typical Italian, so it hits the spot when you are "pasta'd out" and need a simply delicious meal! The deserts are artful and tasty. Save room, there are surprises after the desert as well! read more
13 years ago
As a result of self debating which of the menus I should go with; "I trust you" menu 5 course $75 wine pairing $35, or "Discovery" menu 3 course $60 coupled with wines, I took latter. Started with a cheese fritter. Quite interesting. First wine was Paladino. It was very fresh and very heavily fruity. 7 kinds of bread selection were nice. You'll find your favorite. I liked the olive oil and it was so mild. First course was a pasta with anchovy. Smelled wonderful. In the end, walnut gives a body to this pasta. Second wine was Aglianico 2009. Very fruity, but has bold tannin. A hint of cilantro. Second dish was sea bass. Cooked perfectly moist, but seasoning was a bit weak so I felt a ordinal fishy smell within it. However, I liked the cheesy potato mash, it went with the unseasoned fish very well. Lovely. Third wine was Pantelleria. Aromas of pear, peach, apricot and honey. Third dish was white chocolate and rum mousse. Fruits on side bring freshness, and mousse especially the colder rum mousse provides freshness mutuality. With Pantelleria, mousse got lightened sweetness each other or erased sugar attacks off. Had a cup of macchiato. It came with limoncello. Wow! I can feel my veins beating. And, I am totally full and boozed. As you may figure out, I needed to order another bottle of water. In total, I'd like to give Il Buco more than 2 stars on Michelin guide. In case Il Buco stops hiring very casual youngsters as servers, it may increase chances to gain 3 stars. As per Yelp!, I would rather mark this Il Buco as 6 stars! read more
7 years ago
9 years ago
12 years ago
This was our splurge night for a fine dining experience while we were in Sorrento and I was not disappointed. We sat outside on one of the terraces and the weather was perfect. Each course was beautifully plated and delicious. The food combined with the setting made for a magical evening. read more
10 years ago
A wonderful dining experience from start to finish. Outstanding flavours and creative dishes underlined by an exceptional wine list and generous yet easygoing service. A fantastic restaurant and a highlight of Sorrento. read more
9 years ago
12 years ago
7 years ago
10 years ago
7 years ago
8 years ago
Wifey and I wanted to treat our self in Sorrento. This was listed as the top restaurant on many sites including Rick Steves. If you show his book you get a 10 percent discount. The servers were so attentive they saw the book upside down and offered the discount to us. For a Michelin starred restaurant I would consider €100 tasting menu "affordable". It did not disappoint. Each course was fantastic, as was the service and ambience. It's still Italian food but a nice break from the typical stuff you see at the other restaurants. We were pleased to get a reservation a day before and would come back to try the chefs tasting if we are in the area. A must for foodies. Can't say enough about the wonderful servers, deftly switching between Italian, English and Spanish without missing a beat. read more
11 years ago
Prior to dining at this resturant my favorite dinning experience had been at Halls Chop House located downtown Charleston, SC. After dinning here tonight however, there is a new #1 for me = II Buco, Sorrento, Italy (my apologies Mr. Hall). The flavors of the dishes in the 5 course meal were each memorable and had their own signature presentation. But as with any 5 star fine dinning experience the service has to be equally matched; and even here Il Buco didn't not disappoint. Our server, Ivan, offered the best service I have EVER received, and when he offered me and my family a tour of the ancient building the resturant was built from I honestly don't remember which I enjoyed most between it and the wonderful food. He even treated me to a glass of Grapa at the end of my meal (probably a $100+ serving by itself). Simply amazing is how I would describe this place and experience from beginning to end! read more
5 years ago
8 years ago
9 years ago
Outstanding! We were greeted by the head chef himself at our table in an arched stone passageway, asking if we had any allergies or dislikes. As the courses (seven in total) started rolling out one after the other, we realized that we hadn't ordered a thing. He was serving us an amazing series of dishes of his design, each more wonderful and beautifully plated than the last. The service was exceptional, both friendly and cordial as well as professional. I would return again and again if given the chance. read more
7 years ago
More info about Il Buco
Il Buco Reviews in Other Languages
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
2 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
11 years ago
11 years ago
