Ristorante La Conca

Dine close to the sea at Meta di Spiaggia

To enjoy fresh fish and seafood, good wine, and great views, try lunching or dining overlooking the beach at La Conca Ristorante at Meta Spiaggia, just outside Sorrento.

The restaurant’s menu is based on the catch of the day, so customers are served dishes made from the freshest local ingredients.

You feel as though you are right at the water’s edge on the restaurant’s terrace and can enjoy your seafood and wine while seeing people swimming close by.

La Conca has a reputation for 
serving high-quality seafood

If you are very lucky, you might be able to watch the sun setting on the horizon while having a romantic evening meal.

Ristorante La Conca was opened in 2002 by its owner, Antonio Cafieri, who runs it with his family, helped by a friendly and efficient staff.

The menu is based on Antonio’s reinterpretation of classic Mediterranean dishes, such as antipasto del mare, impepata di cozze (peppered mussels), fritto misto, and polpo (octopus), as well as a good choice of fresh fish.

La Conca’s menu has attracted positive coverage from Gambero Rosso and Osterie d’Italia Slow Food, among others.

Many reviews by diners on line have praised the service, the quality of the food, and the wonderful sunsets they have experienced while enjoying their meals.

Ristorante La Conca is open every day from 12.00 until 15.00 and 19.30 until 23.30.

The beach next to La Conca's terrace

The long expanse of beach known as Meta Alimuri has made the town of Meta, near Sorrento, become a popular seaside resort in its own right.

A short drive, or bus ride, north east of Sorrento, Meta lies between Piano di Sorrento and Vico Equense on the main coastal road going in the direction of Naples.

Via del Mare leads down to the beach from the town, making it accessible by car or bus. There is a good stretch of sand with free access and from the beach there are lovely views across the Bay of Naples.

Meta has a long history of boat building and by the 19th century its shipyards were producing hundreds of boats, with the local women sewing the sails for them in the courtyards of their houses.

Although steamships eventually replaced sailing boats, the shipyards continued to produce the Sorrentine Gozzo, a small sailing and rowing boat that enables the occupant to fish and row at the same time.

It is fascinating to wander through the narrow streets in the historic centre of Meta and see the old houses, with their large courtyards, where boat builders and seafarers lived centuries ago.

Meta has a magnificent church, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Lauro, which is right in the centre of the town, just off the main road. The town celebrates the Festa of Santa Maria del Lauro every year on 12 September.

The Line A bus from Sorrento to Meta Alimuri will take you close to the beach, or you can travel on the Circumvesuviana train to Meta and walk down to the beach from the station. If you arrive by car there is a parking area near the beach.

Ristorante La Conca is to be found at 111 Traversa Alimuri, Meta di Sorrento.

Piano di Sorrento

See spectacular sunsets from the plain of Sorrento

Looking across the marina at Cassano, the
fishing village that forms part of Piano di Sorrento

A few minutes journey from Sorrento is Piano di Sorrento, a former fishing village situated between Sant'Agnello and Meta as you travel in the direction of Naples. 

Primarily a residential area with plenty of shops, Piano di Sorrento has a marina and two small beaches with an area free for use by the public.

The village of Piano di Sorrento became more prosperous when the supply of power and water was improved, after the creation of a railway tunnel between Vico Equense and Castellammare di Stabia. This moved the area’s economic base from just fishing, agriculture, and boat-building towards tourism.

You can now reach Piano di Sorrento from Sorrento in about five minutes by car, bus or on the Circumvesuviana railway. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes and some hotels and B&Bs in the town.

Piano di Sorrento is divided into two distinct areas, Cassano and Carotto, and above the town are the Colli di San Pietro, hills that have lovely views over the Bay of Naples and the Bay of Salerno.

In the centre of the town is the ninth century Basilica di San Michele Arcangelo and the Villa Fondi de Sangro, which is open to the public and houses the Museo Archeologico George Vallet which houses interesting artefacts unearthed from excavations in the area. You can watch spectacular sunsets from benches in the park belonging to the villa, which is on a high cliff looking out over the Bay of Naples.

The Victorian poet Robert Browning is said to have once stayed in the area and he mentions the countryside of Piano di Sorrento and other places along the Sorrentine peninsula in his poem "The Englishman in Italy".

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Edoardo De Martino

Famous artist from Meta di Sorrento

Edoardo Federico de Martino, an artist who became famous for his paintings of warships and naval battles, was born today in 1838 in Meta, just outside Sorrento.

At the height of his success, De Martino worked in London, where his paintings of ships and famous British naval victories were held in high regard by Queen Victoria.

De Martino at his easel.

He went on to work as a painter for Queen Victoria’s son, King Edward VII, and he often accompanied the King on naval tours.

De Martino was born in the small town of Meta, to the north east of Sorrento, which had a long history of boat building.

He served as an officer in the Italian Navy but by the time he was 30 his main interest was painting.

He became associated with the School of Resina, a group of artists who painted landscapes and contemporary scenes that gathered in Resina, a seaside resort south of Naples, now incorporated into the towns of Herculaneum and Portici. 

Influenced by his fellow artists, De Martino eventually went to live and work in Naples. 

He found fame after moving to London, where he painted scenes from the battles of Trafalgar, the Nile and Cape San Vincenzo.

For his service as Marine painter in Ordinary to King Edward VII, De Martino was appointed an Honorary Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 1902 Birthday Honours. He received the decoration from King Edward VII at Sandringham House on 9 November 1902.

From 1905 onwards, De Martino travelled about, completing paintings of Italian naval ships and views of the Brazilian coast.

Edoardo De Martino died in Richmond upon Thames in London in 1912 at the age of 76.

In 2013, many of De Martino’s sketches and paintings were put on display in an exhibition organised by the Association of Commercianti del Casale di Meta.

A painting of a naval battle by De Martino.

Meta lies between Piano di Sorrento and Vico Equense on the main coastal road going from Sorrento in the direction of Naples.

 The town has a long history of boat building and by the time of De Martino’s birth its shipyards were producing hundred of boats, with the local women sewing the sails for them in the courtyards of their houses.

Although steamships eventually replaced sailing boats, the shipyards continued to produce the Sorrentine Gozzo, a small sailing and rowing boat that enables the occupant to fish and row at the same time. Meta has a magnificent church, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Lauro, in the centre of the town, just off the main road.

The church was built in medieval times on the site of an ancient temple after a local deaf and dumb woman was said to have found a statue of the Virgin Mary under a laurel tree and then miraculously had her hearing and speech restored.

It was rebuilt in the 16th century and restored and modified in the 18th and 19th centuries. The wooden door is from the 16th century building and the Chapel of the Madonna del Lauro has frescoes from the 18th century. Meta celebrates the Festa of Santa Maria del Lauro every year on 12 September.