by Tonia Credendino and Ornella Buzzone
We under the lemon trees, looking at Capri, satisfied with an unexpected journey full of imagination, technique and personality.
Passing on the promontory overlooking the seafront of Pozzuoli, you cannot fail to notice Mar Limone, the bar-bistro by Marianna Vitale and Pino Esposito opened in the summer of 2022, built in a spectacular historic residence that houses refined and comfortable apartments recently restored.
Villa Avellino was built in 1540 by the Colonna di Stigliano princes and enjoys a unique view of the gulf and the islands of Capri, Ischia, Nisida and Procida, while at the same time being in close proximity to the city centre.
The ancient core of Pozzuoli, resurrected in 2021, is all to be known, we are in love with Rione Terra, walking through the streets of the village is very relaxing and Mar Limone is right there, 500 meters away, proven, confirmed and promoted.
An original and citrusy bar-bistro, a fresh, appetizing, original place, where the scent of land and sea mingle, because at Mar Limone a dish is not just food but also colour, scent, essences that make it unique, to be remembered for Always.
You will be amazed by the never-to-be-expected contaminations that will lead you on an unexpected journey full of imagination, technique and personality.
In the Bar Bistrot on Via Carlo Maria Rosini, it seems like several places coexist in one: it is neither a bar nor a diner but a place to enjoy a quality break at any time.
Better than that… a simple place, where the genuinely hospitable atmosphere is felt as soon as you cross the threshold. Welcoming us were Marianna Vitale’s mother, a sunny and reserved woman, and the sober, punctual and smiling staff.
We sit down overlooking the sea, and try the Piattini menu:
There cod cheesecake scented with fennel, with chickpea cream, confit tomato and lemon peel; the ‘split’ arancino of rice with butter and lemon, with prawn, courgette and cashew tartare and the sea bass zeppola with sautéed potatoes, lime mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, aioli sauce.
Light, fresh and quality dishes, bold and irresistible ingredients, with a fiery and vibrant character, create a perfect balance between acidity and softness, an enveloping and aromatic explosion, the citrus fruit helps to unite the ingredients with its light acidity.
Even the sandwich with Iberian jamòn, truffle cream and buffalo mozzarella confirms the excellence in the selection of ingredients, the creativity in the preparation and the passion for what tastes good.
To perfectly accompany the dishes, a careful selection of native and international vines, ranging from the haute couture of bubbles, to cocktails and spirits, to sour beers divided by intensity:
1 Lemons ideal for approaching this type of beers
2 Lemons stronger acidity, greater aromatic complexity
3 lemons Marianna vital
Must try ‘Marialga’, the name refers to the element that most characterizes it, that is, sea algae, which is added during maceration in a sour beer, fermented and aged in barrels for about two years.
Therefore, always new recipes in line with the “fresh and simple” philosophy, based on local products, very fresh and seasonal raw materials, translated into healthy, tasty dishes with an irresistible flavour.
And if “A good morning can be seen from the lemon”, the lemon meringue tart was a symphony.
For dessert we moved to the internal courtyard, which overlooks the garden of Villa Avellino, a magical place for events and ceremonies, where we promised ourselves an overnight stay with breakfast for an escape from the frenzy of the city.
At the Bar Bistrot Mar Limone you always feel at ease, at home, it is a refined, welcoming and fascinating oasis, where the pleasures of the palate are combined with a retro atmosphere.
“Do not underestimate the consequences of lemon” signed by Mar Limone and we add, a full stomach and a happy heart.
Via Carlo Maria Rosini 21, Pozzuoli
tel. 081 0900182
Tuesday-Sunday: 7:00-1:00
Monday: 7am-11am / 5pm-1am
Card dated January 10, 2024
by Laura Guerra
Cocktail bar with cuisine and acidity. Mar Limone, Marianna Vitale’s bistro, overlooking the Pozzuoli seafront, weaves these threads together in a pleasant and glamorous concept.
Gastronomically, the chef from the South enjoys combining good drinking with good cuisine, the wine and cocktail lists designed by Pino Esposito are very extensive, with attention to local labels and natural wines; the citric chapter is entrusted to ciders and sour beers among which Marialga beer with barrel-fermented sea lettuce stands out.
Accompanied by small plates, a proposal of Mediterranean delicacies that reflect the name of the restaurant by drawing on the tartness of citrus juices, peels and leaves.
The cod cheesecake, his signature dish, is delicious and persuasive and pairs well with the Negroni.
Appetizing and perfect for a well-made gin and tonic, gratin razor clams.
A great Neapolitan classic is the potato crocchè stuffed with marinated mussels and the decidedly Phlegrean hummus of chickpea cream and grass peas from Campi Flegrei, lime and sesame.
The greater consistency is entrusted to a selection of spaghetti dishes, seasoned with different consistencies of tomato – a vegetable much loved by the chef – or with seafood flavours.
The venue which develops between the rooms and courtyards of the refined Villa Avellino, offers an all day proposal which starts from breakfast with the breakfast and breakcalm formats and enriches the whole day, overlooking the Phlegraean sea.
Via Carlo Rosini, 21, 80078 Pozzuoli NA
