President

Top choice in Pompeii


At the helm of this Michelin-starred standout is charming owner-chef Paolo Gramaglia, whose passion for local produce, history and culinary whimsy translates into bread made to ancient Roman recipes, yellowtail carpaccio with bitter orange and citrus zest, lemon emulsion and buffalo mozzarella, or impeccably glazed duck breast lifted by vinegar cherries, orange sauce and nasturtium.

The menu's creative and visual brilliance is matched by sommelier Laila Buondonno's swoon-inducing wine list, which features around 600 drops from esteemed and lesser-known Italian winemakers; best of all, the staff are happy to serve any bottle to the value of €100 by the glass.

A word of warning: if you plan on catching a treno regionale (regional train) back to Naples from nearby Pompei station (a closer, more convenient option than the Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri station on the Circumvesuviana train line), check train times first as the last service from Pompei can depart as early as 9.53pm.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Pompeii attractions

2. Anfiteatro

0.35 MILES

Gladiatorial battles thrilled up to 20,000 spectators at the grassy anfiteatro. Built in 70 BC, it's the oldest known Roman amphitheatre in existence. In…

3. Palestra Grande

0.37 MILES

Lithe ancients kept fit at the Palestra Grande, an athletics field with an impressive portico dating from the Augustan period. Used both as a training…

4. Casa della Venere in Conchiglia

0.46 MILES

Casa della Venere in Conchiglia harbours a lovely peristyle looking onto a small, manicured garden. It's here in the garden that you'll find the large,…

5. Casa del Menandro

0.53 MILES

Better preserved than the larger Casa del Fauno, luxurious Casa del Menandro has an outstanding, elegant peristyle (a colonnade-framed courtyard) beyond…

6. Via dell'Abbondanza

0.53 MILES

The Via dell'Abbondanza was one of ancient Pompeii's main streets. The elevated stepping stones allowed people to cross the street without stepping into…

7. Quadriportico dei Teatri

0.55 MILES

Behind the Teatro Grande's stage, the porticoed Quadriportico dei Teatri was initially used as a place for the audience to stroll between acts and later…

8. Teatro Piccolo

0.55 MILES

The Teatro Piccolo was once an indoor theatre renowned for its acoustics.