The Ristorante Geranio is a green oasis in a sea of history. This historic Capri restaurant, with a view of the Faraglioni, was named after the passion for flowers, particularly geraniums, of its former owner, Natalina Guarracino.
The energetic Capri woman, who worked as a cook in the most luxurious villas of Marina Piccola, lovingly tended to her colorful geraniums, creating a lush and vibrant wave along the path leading to the Marble Lions of Alfred Krupp and Villa Blaesus. In this villa, now Villa Krupp, writer Maksim Gor’kij and his beautiful Russian actress wife, Maria Andreeva, stayed for a long time. Together, they organized a chess tournament that changed the course of history. In the kitchens of this historic villa, two Capri chefs, Angelino Settanni and Cataldo Aprea (known as Cataldiello), delighted Maria with Caprese dishes that miraculously eased her homesickness for distant Russia. Many believe that it was in these magical rooms with a view of the Faraglioni that Cataldiello created the famous almond cake (torta caprese), attempting to replicate a cake beloved by the famous actress.
Natalina’s husband, Costanzo Lembo, was a wine producer and cultivated the vineyards that stretched from the Augustus Park to the slopes of Castiglione, producing fine white and red wines of Greek and Augustan origin, which Costanzo bottled with loving care.
In the 1950s, the industrious couple decided to create a bocce field in this sun-kissed location. After long games, they would offer the numerous players typical dishes from the ancient and flavorful Caprese cuisine, accompanied by a glass of genuine wine from Costanzo’s cellars. In the 1970s, the management of the restaurant passed to their son Peppino, who modernized it and expanded the menu with many Caprese culinary delights, where the gifts of the land and sea magically come together. The ancient flavors that remind us of our youth continue to be the hallmark of Ristorante Geranio, which, since 2006, has been expertly managed by Lucio Gaeta, assisted by his father Antonio.
“My journey into the restaurant business was gradual, but it became a great passion that involves me year-round,” says Lucio. “The search for and innovation of traditional cuisine are the philosophy behind what we do,” he adds. “My chef Antonio Langella and I develop or perfect classic dishes from the island’s century-old cuisine with small variations. Paccheri with seafood and Caprese ravioli are among the most appreciated by our loyal clientele.”
But it is the genuine hospitality that can be felt in the dining rooms and on the flower-filled terraces that is the rarest quality of this restaurant, where the focus is more on flavors than on the aesthetics of the plate.
Lucio and his partner Cristina, granddaughter of the famous chef Leonardo Gargiulo, known as Leone, aim to give their guests the joy of sitting at the table, talking, smiling, and being happy.
And if the rays of the Capri moon illuminate the rocks of the Faraglioni as you sip a glass of wine, everything will turn into magic.
By Renato Esposito
