This November, iconic department store Harrods welcomes the next multi - Michelin starred Italian restaurant to its in-store pop-up concept, Stelle di Stelle. Gennaro Esposito’s two Michelin starred 'La Torre del Saracino' will arrive from November 1st, taking over the stoves for one month.
La Torre del Saracino is located in the Mediterranean town Vico Equense on the Amalfi coast, with stunning sea views over the Bay of Naples in one direction and dramatic mountain ranges in another. The restaurant is set in a 1,300 year-old watch-tower, and was opened by chef patron Esposito together with his wife and pastry chef, Vittoria Aiello, in 1992. Amongst other accolades, the restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2001, and its second in 2008.
Esposito began learning his trade from a young age and from a number of celebrated chefs, including an internship with Gianfranco Vissani, and time working in the kitchen of
Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in Monaco and Plaza Athénée in Paris. Today, with two decades of experience, Gennaro Esposito creates a culinary journey rooted in local traditions and ingredients but combined with creativity and a meticulous attention to detail.
His cooking very much represents his territory, from the fish (locally fished and delivered directly to the Torre) as well as hand-made pastas, vegetables from the river Sarno plain, as well as Esposito's own garden, and cheeses from Alburni, Lattari mountains and Cilento.
Gennaro Esposito is also widely respected as the founder of ‘Festa a Vico’; an annual gathering for family, friends, and some 300 chefs, from those starting out to some of the most lauded chefs in Italy, to share great food and exchange ideas over a four-day period. Italy’s culinary masters cook al fresco whilst supporting young talent by trying their food and sharing ideas, and the party is recognised as a must-visit for gourmands each June.
Gennaro Esposito’s five-course menu will feature:
- Polenta with Grana Padano fondue, quail egg, broccoli and white truffle
- Soup with Belice Nocellara olives and almonds, fennel puree and silver scabbard fish
- Mediterranean rockfish and shellfish stew with pasta
- Breaded mullet, Nubia garlic sauce with pesto of raisins and pine nuts
- Passeggiata Vicana –lemon pannacotta, walnut biscuit and extra-virgin olive oil
The menu is priced at £65 for lunch (an abbreviated version of the menu), or £115 for the tasting menu (£85 and £140 respectively, with matching drinks), with one lunch and two dinner sittings each day. To book a table, call 020 7893 8700 - bookings can be made 10am – 6pm, Monday - Sunday.
Running until January 2015, Harrods welcomes five of Italy’s best restaurants to take up residency in the Knightsbridge store for ‘Stelle di Stelle’. With 13 Michelin stars between them, the acclaimed line-up will still feature Giorgio Pinchiorri and Annie Féolde’s Enoteca Pinchiorri; and Enrico Crippa’s Piazza Duomo.
Stelle di Stelle, is presented in association with Identità Golose, a culinary organisation with a mission to promote the best of modern Italian cuisine and showcase regional culinary excellence worldwide.
