da Paolino

Moonlit evenings have an even more bewitching power at the da Paolino Lemon Trees restaurant on Capri. Run by the De Martino brothers, this Italian restaurant is an enchanting place that offers magical moments, which is why it is also beloved by a host of celebrities who have contributed to its success over the years.

The words of Goethe are alive and well at da Paolino: "Do you know the country where lemons flourish? Down-there, down-there, I'd like to go with you my love!!!" Although Paolino De Martino didn’t know the works of Goethe, the author’s words held a special appeal for this Caprese restaurant owner. The phrase evokes the exquisite garden at da Paolino, bathed in the yellow light filtered through the rows of lemon trees with their abundant fruit.

Paolino heard the phrase from a literary friend of his, one of those people who, as far as he was concerned, read a lot but thought very little. He was convinced that his lemon grove—which provided shelter from the wind and rain even for rabbits, and produced lemons so abundantly— was the most beautiful in the whole of Capri. "Under that sky of lemons as big as stars I'd like to go with you, my love..."

Paolino reminisced about how different times were 30 years ago, when one used to be invigorated by a simple sea breeze, and the moon with its soft beams appeared like a white sun thrown into the sky by who knows who and for what reason.

Back then, at the golden hour of sunset when silence returned to the island, many an islander chose to meet in Paolino's garden. It’s located near Palazzo a Mare, in front of Villa Bismarck, and just a few meters from the playing field where the children from Marina Grande kicked their first football. Traveling that narrow road, it abruptly transforms into a flight of steps descending towards the sea of Tiberio. Many a fleeting meeting and secret pact of friendship were made under that sky of lemons, huge lemons with such thick pulp that they could easily be sliced into salads, and so began the adventure of Paolino and his restaurant.

And, just like all stories where hard work and sacrifice are rewarded, visitors began coming from far and wide to dine at the restaurant Paolino opened together with his son Michelino (known as Lino). Famous and renowned dinner guests made their way to the restaurant over the years, including Stavros Niarchos, who arrived on the island aboard his superyacht Atlantis; Leopoldo Pirelli, president of Mercedes Benz; Conte Augusta, Giorgio Falk, Cesare Romiti, Gallucci, Matarrese, Morabito the president of Isreimer, Luca di Montezemolo and Edwige Fenech, Leonardo Mondadori, Dianne Furstenberg, Tirelli, Ferragamo, Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers, John Belushi, George Hamilton, Lino Banfi, Lucio Dalla, Luciano De Crescenzo, Nanny Loy, Lina Wertmuller ... celebrities whose autographs are all meticulously archived in the restaurant’s guest book, which has been treasured by Lino since 1978. How many tales are still to be told under those lemon trees where, "I'd like to take you, sheltered from the wind and rain"?