Forget postcards. At the Grand Hotel La Favorita’s restaurant, the quintessential symbol of the Sorrento Peninsula becomes a culinary language, a narrative of identity, and a technical tool.
“Ma’am, the lemons!”. The association is inevitable when you arrive at Zest, the fine-dining restaurant at the Grand Hotel La Favorita. Here, however, the famous meme ceases to be social media irony and becomes something to be taken very seriously: identity, landscape, and gastronomic culture. Because in Sorrento, the lemon isn’t simply an ingredient. It’s the scent in the air that wafts through the hotel’s gardens, the light that glints off the Gulf of Naples, the aromatic memory that accompanies every step along the terraces of the Amalfi Coast. And at Zest, all of this is transformed into cuisine as well.
With his twelve tables seating a maximum of 30 guests, Domenico Iavarone has created an elegant yet never stuffy fine-dining experience, where colors, technique, and flavor strive to coexist in harmony. No excessive embellishments, no stylistic flourishes for their own sake—at Zest, everything revolves around balance, precision, and above all, the ability to bring the Campania tradition of flavor into the contemporary era. With the Sorrento lemon, of course, taking center stage.
The Secrets of the Sorrento Lemon
But what makes these lemons superior in quality to others?“The primary factor is the favorable microclimate, which allows the fruit to ripen slowly,” Iavarone explains. “This gives the lemon a higher concentration of essential oils, a firm and fragrant peel, and a greater amount of juice.”
The most interesting point for us, however, is something else entirely: in his cuisine, the lemon is not used merely as a flavoring or decorative element, but rather becomes a key ingredient, utilized in its entirety and capable of influencing the very structure of the dish. “The Sorrento lemon is an indispensable ingredient: from sweet to savory dishes, we use its peel, juice, and albedo,” the chef continues.
What to Eat at Zest
The name “Zest” immediately brings to mind the lemons of Sorrento and the large garden that surrounds the Grand Hotel La Favorita. The dining room, adorned with majolica tiles and large windows overlooking Sorrento’s historic center, flows seamlessly into the garden, from which it draws inspiration for a second area dedicated to welcoming guests. The Manniello family’s restaurant (which has always been linked to the iconic ‘O Parrucchiano) offers three tasting menus: “Essenza Sorrentina,” a five-course menu that pays homage to the region with a modern twist; “Dall’orto di Enzo,” a vegetable-focused menu built around seasonal ingredients; and “Le Stagioni di Sorrento,” a seven-course tasting menu curated at the chef’s discretion.
Any examples? Let’s start with the smoked yellowtail in a pea sauce with Sichuan pepper and almonds, an appetizer in which the fish retains its delicacy and sweetness, to which the pepper adds an almost citrusy note that lingers on the palate.
However, the restaurant’s signature dish is a first course: the lemon, scampi, and licorice risotto, a dish that has been a staple of Iavarone’s repertoire for over ten years and which today finds its most complete expression right here in Sorrento. “The risotto was created about eleven years ago and continues to evolve over time,” its creator continues. “It’s a dish that fully embodies my philosophy on the simplicity of three ingredients that tell the story of a region, and at Zest, it has now further strengthened its essence.”
The lemon comes through gradually; it’s not at all overpowering: first the aroma, then the balsamic note, and finally a balanced freshness that highlights the scampi and is rounded off by licorice. The acidity isn’t meant to shock, but to keep the dish constantly lively, clean, and dynamic. The lamb loin with asparagus, white chocolate, and lime is also spot-on, with the vegetable and citrus elements successfully adding rhythm to the succulence of the meat.
The dessert is crafted with the same sense of elegant comfort that is typical of Iavarone. The apple cake with cinnamon ice cream and sour cream—which should be ordered at the start of the meal since it’s made to order—arrives at the table still warm, with a soft, almost homemade texture that pairs perfectly with the freshness of the sour cream and the spicy notes of the ice cream. As an alternative, or as an addition, there’s the spectacle of crêpes Suzette prepared right in front of the guests.
The Career of Domenico Iavarone
A native of Casavatore, in the province of Naples, Iavarone—born in 1982—has forged his career alongside renowned figures such as Gennaro Esposito and Oliver Glowig, earning two Michelin stars over time at different establishments: first at Maxi in Vico Equense and later at Josè Restaurant in Torre del Greco. This significant training is clearly evident today in Zest’s cuisine, yet it never devolves into technical rigidity.
His dishes are, in fact, designed with a certain clarity, eschewing unnecessary embellishments and letting acidity, seasonality, and the ingredients themselves take center stage. “Capturing simplicity is a complex challenge,” the chef concludes. Come to think of it, this is precisely the most interesting aspect of his Zest, because he manages to take one of the most iconic and overused ingredients in the Italian culinary imagination—the Sorrento lemon—and transform it into something far more complex than a mere gastronomic postcard. Here, the lemon ceases to be mere decoration and becomes a culinary concept.
Zest Restaurant Sorrento
Via Torquato Tasso, 61, 80067 Sorrento NA
Phone: 081 878 2031
