Amalfi is home to a truly remarkable culinary experience: perched on the same rocky ridge for seventy years, the Miramalfi is now in its fourth generation. Founded in 1956 by the Mansi family, this 5-star hotel now boasts Antonino D’Alessio in the kitchen, who previously worked at Don Alfonso 1890, Enrico Crippa’s Piazza Duomo, and Anne-Sophie Pic’s Maison Pic.
There are hotels located on the Amalfi Coast and hotels that are part of the Amalfi Coast. The Miramalfi belongs to the latter category. Founded in 1956 by Francesco Mansi, the hotel is now run by the fourth generation of the family: Alessandro Mansi and his mother, Ferida Fava, who serves as the hotel’s general manager.
Seventy years of history on the same rock, 800 meters from the historic center of Amalfi (a five-minute walk, or by private shuttle if you prefer), thanks to a family legacy that, on this stretch of coast, means resilience. Resistance to the policies of overdevelopment that have transformed the Amalfi Coast into a chaotic playground that’s gradually losing its charm; resistance to investments disconnected from local reality; resistance in staking a claim to this territory through hospitality.
The hotel rises vertically up the cliff face, almost defying gravity, with an elevator that cuts through the heart of the rock and staircases winding down through lemon groves, terraces, and views of the blue sea. Everything converges downward, where the beach club—built in 1970 and nestled into the rock along the Mediterranean coastline—features an infinity pool filled with saltwater and direct access to the sea. I love the idea that the sea is the final destination.
The Rooms: The Sea from Every Window
Thirty-six rooms and fourteen suites, all overlooking the sea and each with its own character and design. The common thread is color: the turquoise and sage green of the interiors harmonize with the blue of the Amalfi Coast through private balconies and terraces, which every room features. The color palette—off-white, light blue, and purple in the Romantic Junior Suites; turquoise in the higher-category rooms—is not mere decoration but a design system: each space captures a different nuance of the same landscape.
The Superior rooms start at 25 square meters and feature a balcony and a walk-in shower. The Deluxe rooms add a terrace with lounge chairs. The Junior Suites measure up to 35 square meters. The Romantic Junior Suites, with an in-room bathtub and a terrace, are the most popular choice for couples. The Suites measure up to 45 square meters and feature a terrace and a combination shower-bathtub. The 60-square-meter Executive Suites feature two bathrooms and an additional sleeper sofa. All accommodations include a Smeg coffee machine, Ortigia amenities, a Dyson hair dryer, and evening turndown service.
Donna Emma: Cuisine as a Form of Expression
The hotel’s fine-dining restaurant is named after one of its founders, Emma Mansi. The dining room, redesigned by architect Antonio Girardi during a recent renovation with gradually darker tones, is intended to serve as a counterpoint to the brightness of the panoramic terrace. A black-and-white checkerboard floor, a grand piano in the corner, and large windows overlooking the Gulf of Amalfi define the space where dining becomes part of the overall experience. Reservations are required.
In the kitchen is Antonino D’Alessio, a 30-year-old from Piano di Sorrento; his career path speaks volumes about the technical mastery that brought him to Miramalfi. At age sixteen, he began working at Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi—a two-Michelin-starred restaurant—where his exposure to the great cuisine of Campania served as his first training ground. Next came Gualtiero Marchesi’s cooking school—ALMA—from which he graduated with top honors. Then came his journey around the world: working under Chef Giancarlo Morelli in Brianza, at Antonio Mellino’s Quattro Passi in Mayfair, and his pivotal encounter with Enrico Crippa in 2016. Four years at Piazza Duomo in Alba, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant that is one of the most meticulous in Italy, honed his technical skills. Finally, before arriving on the Amalfi Coast, he spent a year and a half with Anne-Sophie Pic at Maison Pic in Valence, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in France.
It is a background that, in a different context, might result in a cuisine that is overly elaborate and obsessed with technique. Instead, D'Alessio offers a contemporary and measured interpretation of Mediterranean identity, which he interprets and expresses with skilled hands. In recent years, this kilometer of coastline has garnered more accolades than any other in Italy, and they have all been well-deserved.
Many young chefs have revolutionized the local restaurant scene thanks to investments from hotels—though it must be said, the La Caravella, led by the ever-great chef Antonio Dipino, stands as a remarkable exception. That said, Antonino’s cuisine surprises with its complete break from the conventions that standardize the haute cuisine of the Amalfi Coast; the dishes demonstrate absolute mastery of technique and flavor profiles that deliver quick, edgy tastes characterized by a long finish. The menu is fresh—it’s the first edition at this seasonal restaurant—but it already possesses a strong personal character.
The red mullet with zucchini alla scapece, caviar, and saffron was excellent; the octopus with crusco peppers, friggitello peppers, and kumquat-infused Bernese sauce was good. The yellowtail in Corbarino sauce was surprising—it almost resembled a well-balanced and flavorful pizzaiola. These are dishes where the finest ingredients always shine through, where lemon isn’t always the ever-present “brigadier general” (the use of charred lemon on the cod was excellent), but where the flavors of the sea arrive on cue in a pleasant, lingering aftertaste.
Other Venues: From Mario’s Bar to the Azur Lounge
The property also features Mario’s Bar, which is located on a small terrace overlooking the port of Amalfi and the entire city. The Azur Lounge Bar is the newest addition, a seaside terrace offering light Mediterranean cuisine, cocktails, champagne, and white sofas nestled among the plants.
It’s open from aperitif time through after-dinner hours, with a more casual atmosphere than Donna Emma, designed for those who want to experience Miramalfi without necessarily dining in the main restaurant. The hotel is a member of Fine Hotels + Resorts, Mr & Mrs Smith, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and Serandipians. It is included in the 2025 Michelin Guide. General Manager Ferida Fava and Director of Sales Alessandro Mansi manage a property that has navigated seventy years of the Amalfi Coast’s history not only without losing its family-run identity, but by forging a new one.
Hotel Miramalfi
Via Salvatore Quasimodo 3, 84011 Amalfi (SA).
Tel. +39 089 871588.
info@miramalfi.it
