Located along the bay of Marina Piccola, a chic collection of local swimmers in designer sandals and one-size too small swimsuits make the daily summer pilgrimage to La Canzone del Mare for afternoons of gossipy lunches, intense tanning and early evening merriment. Through a forest of thick palm trees on the southern-side of the island, guests arrive via a long stone promenade into the multi-level restaurant and bathing facility carved out of a picturesque stone clifftop above the Faraglioni. The main floor facility features a solarium, restaurant, two-tanning terraces and main saltwater swimming pool lined in teak loungers and walls of stacked stone. The views of the surrounding seaside with its mega-yachts and tug boats in route to the Blue Grotto is spectacular, almost as spectacular as the chiseled Italians of every persuasion found glistening in coconut-scented oils on any given afternoon.
The Food
Amongst chatty Italians in sparse swimsuits and mythical physiques, the main lunch service of the restaurant is served poolside with a collection of two-handed sandwiches, fresh salads and grilled seafood plates large enough to share. Free of the sushi-style menus of almost every other beach club scene in Europe; Italy’s clubs are still decidedly Italian and more relaxed than you’d find in St. Tropez or Mallorca. Dinner is a more formal affair in the evening dining room of white-clothed tables and proper waiter service offering a three-course menu of pastas, meats and delicate desserts.
Last Word
During high season, keep a lookout for private parties and firework shows on busier holiday weekends.
