Belvedere Ischia: A Summer of Flavors Between the Sea and Memories with Ischian Chef Antonio Scotti.
There are places where cuisine does more than simply complement the experience—it becomes its very heart and soul. Places where a dish can evoke the scent of the sea, the silence of a Mediterranean garden, the memory of an ancient home, and the precise touch of those who know their land and choose to celebrate it without artifice.
The Belvedere Restaurant, the gastronomic heart of the Excelsior Belvedere Hotel & Spa in Ischia, a five-star property of the Leohotels Group, kicks off the summer of 2026 with a menu that reaffirms its identity: a cuisine that is unpretentious, luminous, and deeply rooted in the island and the Campania region—a cuisine capable of transforming simplicity into elegance.
At the helm of the kitchen is Ischian chef Antonio Scotti, born in 1983, an interpreter of a clear and sincere gastronomic vision. His approach to cooking does not chase after spectacle but seeks the truth of flavor. Few ingredients, top-quality produce, clean preparations, and absolute respect for what comes from the sea, the garden, and the land.
“Without good ingredients, my cuisine has no reason to exist,” says Chef Antonio Scotti. “There are never too many ingredients in my dishes, because I like all the flavors to come through. I love working in a simple, very traditional way, with just a few subtle touches.”
The new summer 2026 menu stems from this philosophy: a continuous dialogue between the sea and the hinterland, between island heritage and contemporary sophistication. Ischia is the starting point, but the focus extends to Campania, a bountiful cradle of extraordinary products, deep-rooted traditions, and flavors capable of speaking a universal language
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Alongside signature dishes—such as slow-roasted eggplant with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and basil sauce—there’s a new creation that strikes a unique balance: red shrimp with Colonnata lard, zucchini cream, and lime. An unexpected pairing, built on subtle contrasts, where sweetness, savory notes, and freshness come together in a harmonious blend.
In the first courses, tradition becomes a story. The pasta and potatoes in two textures with provola cheese and mussels reinterprets a Campania classic with depth and precision, while the Carnaroli risotto with creamed salt cod, Vesuvius peaches, and lemon powder brings to the table a Mediterranean delicacy made of aromas, velvety textures, and sudden bursts of citrus.
The main courses confirm the dual spirit of Belvedere’s cuisine. The red-spotted sea bream fillet glazed with Taurasi, served with honey mushrooms and truffle-infused mashed potatoes, gives voice to the hinterland and its intensity.
The restaurant’s maritime focus, on the other hand, finds its freest expression in “Il mare comme vuò tu”, a concept that allows guests to choose from the catch of the day, spiny lobster, American lobster, scampi, or red shrimp—cooked to their preference and served by weight, by reservation.
A gesture of authentic hospitality that places the guest’s wishes and the absolute quality of the ingredients at the center.
But Ischia is not just about the sea. It is also about the countryside, family homes, aromatic herbs, recipes passed down through generations, and convivial dining. This rural heritage finds its fullest expression in “The Rabbit Menu,” available by reservation: a four-course journey through one of the island’s most authentic traditions, from crostini with chicken livers to bucatini, culminating in the classic Ischian-style rabbit with potatoes, piperna, and local aromatic herbs.
Not just a menu, but a slice of Ischian identity served at the table.
The real highlight of the season, however, is revealed in the most anticipated and theatrical moment: dessert. Pastry chef Luigi Maione has created a bolder dessert menu that bridges the gap between nostalgia and modernity, childhood and technique, sweetness and surprise.
The emblem of this new direction is the White Chocolate Treasure Chest with cherry mousse and red tea babà on a bed of cherry coulis topped with a chocolate veil. A dessert crafted like a miniature architectural masterpiece of flavor, where textures and temperatures interact with precision.
The enveloping sweetness of white chocolate meets the elegant tartness of the cherry, while the babà—an icon of Neapolitan tradition—is reinterpreted through a sophisticated red tea infusion. The result is a dessert that surprises without betraying tradition, that innovates without erasing the memory of the past.
“I like to start with a traditional dessert and take it somewhere no one expects,” says Luigi Maione. “That’s how Lo Scrigno came to be: the babà remains a babà, but the red tea and cherry take it in a different direction. It’s the kind of pastry I love—the kind that plays with the memory of those who taste it.”
The Belvedere restaurant welcomes both local and visiting guests for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. From breakfast—featuring a selection of exceptional products blending Campania traditions with international cuisine—through dinner, every moment becomes part of a broader experience, characterized by care, beauty, and a warm welcome.
Rounding out the experience are the spaces: the elegant indoor lounge and the large terrace overlooking the park and the sea. At dusk, when the light softens and the landscape seems to hold its breath, the Belvedere becomes one of those places where time slows down. The kitchen, then, is no longer just a kitchen: it is atmosphere, memory, and emotion.
Excelsior Belvedere: The Art of Hospitality in Ischia
The Excelsior Belvedere Hotel & Spa is the flagship five-star property of the Leohotels Ischia group, owned by the Leonessa family, (see our article here) who have been running hotels on the island for sixty years. A Mediterranean retreat nestled in the tranquility of a lush park, among centuries-old trees, flower-filled gardens, and paths leading down to the sea.
Born from the expansion of Lord James Nimmo’s historic 19th-century villa in the center of Ischia, the hotel preserves the refined elegance bestowed upon it by Count Micangeli and is today one of the most authentic expressions of Ischian hospitality.
The grounds, the thermal pools, the private beach, the Oil + Spa with thermal treatments and personalized services, along with a culinary experience full of character, make theExcelsior Belvedere a place that welcomes guests like a home while, at the same time, capturing all the timeless charm of Ischia’s Dolce Vita.
Excelsior Belvedere Hotel & Spa
Via E. Gianturco 19, Ischia
Tel. 081 991522
