Terrazza Bosquet at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento was one of the most memorable dining experiences I've had in at least the last 10 years.
This is a one Michelin star restaurant led by Executive Chef Antonino Montefusco. Walking through the gardens of the Excelsior Vittoria already feels cinematic, less "we are going to dinner" and more "apparently we have been admitted into a secret society with excellent landscaping."
The beginning, however, was unexpectedly awkward.
When we entered through the hotel, I said we were there for dinner at Terrazza Bosquet. The staff member at the entrance seemed genuinely surprised and emphasized several times that it was a Michelin restaurant with a fixed tasting menu price. The same thing happened again at the hostess stand, with repeated clarification of the €150 menu before we were seated.
For context, we were not exactly wandering in wearing beach sandals and a souvenir tank top. I was in a long-sleeved dress shirt and dress shoes, so the repeated "are you sure?" energy felt unusual. I have traveled extensively and dined at many fine dining restaurants, and I had never quite experienced that level of verification before.
That said, once we got past the "do you know where you are?" portion of the evening, everything changed completely.
The service was polished without feeling robotic. Every member of the staff was impeccably dressed, attentive, warm, and deeply knowledgeable. The restaurant runs with the kind of precision that makes you wonder if someone backstage is conducting the entire room with a baton.
The food was stunning. Not just delicious, but artistic without feeling precious. Each plate looked almost too beautiful to touch, though fortunately I recovered quickly.
We chose the "Greatest Eats" tasting menu with wine pairing. Courses included Inicipit, red shrimp carpaccio with burrata and raspberry; Tribute to Pollock, mixed pasta with smoked potatoes, chives, and caviar; gurnard fish "acqua pazza" style with vegetables and garlic bruschetta; and Sorrento Lemon Fantastique 3.0 with lemon and lemon balm.
The opening bites alone were incredible. The tomato presentations were among the most memorable things we ate in Italy, which sounds ridiculous until you taste them and realize tomatoes have apparently been underachieving everywhere else.
Dessert was extraordinary. Chef Montefusco personally came to the table with an assistant to finish it in front of us, using dry ice and a theatrical limoncello-inspired presentation. Dramatic, beautiful, and somehow still elegant, which is not easy when fog is involved.
This is not just dinner. It is culinary performance, art installation, and high-level hospitality in one experience.
All in, for two people, with the tasting menu, wine pairing, and gratuity, we spent approximately €450 for the evening. For the quality of the food, service, setting, and overall experience, it felt absolutely worth it.
Despite the strange beginning, Terrazza Bosquet delivered one of the finest and most memorable meals we had in Italy. Absolutely worth experiencing. read more