2023-08-07 08:13:55
Who arrives for the first time in Positano cannot fail to be amazed by the breathtaking beauty of the village overlooking the sea, which lights up in the evening with a thousand lights to frame the houses perched on the mountain. But if today it is a jewel appreciated all over the world, over seventy years ago, when it was a small town unknown to most, the first to understand that its wild charm would make travelers fall in love were the Marquises Sersale of Naples. Over the years, Aldo, Franco, Anna and Paolo (who was also mayor for 16 years from 1944) increasingly linked to Positano, decided to transform their house by the sea, Villa Giulietta, into a small charming hotel overlooking the bay; so in 1951 Le Sirenuse opened, which has become one of the most iconic hotels in our country. They chose the name by looking at the horizon: the islets in front of the villa, which are now called Li Galli (and were the refuge of the Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev) were named Le Sirenuse a long time ago due to their association with sirens, mythical creatures whose song lured sailors to their doom. Today, people come to the hotel, which has 58 rooms, to enjoy the peace and silence as well as the view: despite having the service of a large hotel, in fact, it continues to maintain the atmosphere and privacy of a private home.
Frank Sersale, a great connoisseur of art and culture, has defined the style of the hotel with his taste in recent years, and passed away in January 2015. Since 1992, Antonio, his son, has managed the hotel, and his wife Carla designs the fashion line sold in the Emporio Le Sirenuse boutique in Positano and in shops around the world. They are joined by their sons Aldo and Francesco: the first has been involved in the management of the hotel since he returned to Italy from the United States (he deals with the food & beverage sector), and the second in that of the Emporio. Marina, daughter of Paolo, has instead created with her husband Sebastián Alvarez Murena, the line of perfumes and beauty products Eau d’Italie. And Giulia, her sister, oversees the care of the plants and greenery that adorn the terraces and living rooms.
The Sirenuse is a dream handed down for three generations, and still today it combines elegance and artisan authenticity: in the nineties it underwent a major renovation, including the restyling of the pool terrace and the La Sponda restaurant, considered one of its flagships, together atAldo’s Bar. The restaurant proposal is entrusted to the executive chef Gennaro Russo, born in Somma Vesuviana, as Aldo Sersale explains to IlGusto: “He arrived in 2014 and worked at the restaurant for two seasons as sous-chef under the direction of Matthew Temperini, first he had spent three years in Paris in two multi-starred restaurants, Lasserre and L’Ambroisie, after having worked his way up in the kitchens of Don Alfonso 1890. And shortly before coming to us he worked for a period alongside Massimo Bottura at the Osteria Francescana. At just 29, in 2016, he became our executive chef ”. Aldo underlines, speaking of the restaurant, that “when we lost the star in 2020 we started a journey to return to our roots, aiming to enhance the Campania region and simplify the dishes, focusing on traditional Neapolitan recipes in a revisited and lightened version” .
“This year – continues Sersale – the menu is dedicated to Vesuvius, a source of minerals and the richness of the area where the best tomatoes in the world grow, apricots and many other products, also because we want most of the raw materials we use to be regional”. Two tasting itineraries are offered in the restaurant (varied three times per season, spring, summer and autumn): a larger one called ‘Viaggio’, and is the best expression of the chef, and then the ‘Tradition’ menu, with four courses , for customers who don’t want too long an experience. And finally an a la carte menu. The number of seats has increased, “from about 45 in the evening in 2016-2017, this year for the first time we managed to touch 80, and for our kitchen it is an excellent goal”, says Aldo. However, the waiting list remains very long: “We are sorry that it is very difficult to please everyone, but if there is one thing we are sure we do not want to do, it is to sacrifice the enormous attention we pay to the customer”.
Aldo’s Bar instead, arranged on two terraces overlooking the sea, it offers a curated selection of Champagne, cocktails, wines and spirits accompanied by simple but quality dishes, including oysters, raw fish, steamed or plancha crustaceans. Worth noting are the very delicate sea bass ceviche, the marinated scampi, but also the lobster burger with courgettes, rum and lemon. Furthermore, there are revisited and lightened versions of some classics of Neapolitan cuisine. Le Sirenuse also boasts a cocktail bar, considered among the most interesting Italian hotel bars, Franco’s. “It was the second car park of the hotel and was reconverted in 2015 thanks to the idea and vision of my father, who imagined a room without a roof, to enjoy a spectacular view and the infinite sky above us”, he continues Sersale, recalling how Franco’s Bar – which does not have a food menu – was his first project here. “At the age of 19 I worked on the opening of the Mandarin Oriental in Milan with Mattia Pastori, a friend as well as a great professional, and when I returned from the US he came in as a consultant for our drink list”, he continues. And now, the Sersales are working on a new project, which they hope to tell soon…
#food #art #breathtaking #views #Sirenuse #Positano