Style de Cuisine

A pizzeria turning into a fine dining restaurant – sounds like the epicurean version of Pretty Woman. The fairy tale began in 1983 when Antonio Mellino’s father opened a pizzeria in Nerano (Italy). Over time Antonio and later his son – and present owner-chef Fabrizio – turned Quattro Passi into a gourmet temple, gaining ultimately highest accolades in 2023. While Quattro Passi is more than “four steps from the sea”, as the restaurant’s name literally translates, the Tyrrhenian Sea is in sight. On the hill side of a steep road on the Sorrento Peninsula – separating the Gulf of Naples to the north from the Gulf of Salerno to the south, the island of Capri at the western tip of the peninsula – you have a scenic view. Fabrizio Mellino, born 1991, joined the family business in 2018, after studying at the Institute Paul Bocuse in Lyon (France) and working – amongst others – with culinary icons such as Alain Ducasse in Monte-Carlo (Monaco) and Quique Dacosta in Denia (Spain). We will discover that those experiences have left marks.

Objet d’Art

No matter whether you decide for one of the two menus or choose your dishes à la carte: Fabrizio Mellino combines elegantly Italian and mainly French styles de cuisine. His dishes are a combination of just a few ingredients – superb vegetables, fish or meat from Italy – and exquisite sauces inspired by French Haute Cuisine. Just as clearly and appealingly as the elements are arranged on the plate is the taste: clear, full-bodied and aromatic. Swimming in a “sea” of green apple, on a tartar of langoustine, a “flower” of squid blossoms, topped with Oscietra caviar. To us VoyagArtists this dish appeared as the most wonderful holiday memories in the Mediterranean in just one bite. And we did not yet mention the magnificent obligatory pasta dishes… One object that continuously recurs throughout the evening is: the egg. Among the friandises – the last bites – you will be served chocolate eggs in different colours and flavours, reaching from basil to chili. But also on plates, cups or a pizza oven – referring to the roots of Quattro Passi – on the terrace, you will find the icon of the restaurant. It reminds us that before opening the pizzeria, the Mellino family sold eggs from their own farm at this spot.

Mis-en-Scène

The restaurant is located in the upper floor, in a winter garden. Large glass windows and ceiling slats can be opened to let the sun in and give you an unrestricted view. The interior looks partly functional, partly modernistic: Light coloured wood and white dominate. A staff of eight is attentive, but not so talkative – at least to non-Italian speaking diners. This is, however, compensated by Antonio Mellino, the senior chef, who continuously circles the restaurant chatting with the guests. We appreciate the dedication to presentation: Bread in the shape of sailing canvases is served on a wooden boat hull. The impressive wine cellar covers everything – in particular from Italy and France – that is good and expensive. Riedel wine glasses. At the end of a pleasant evening, we VoyagArtists asked ourselves whether Quattro Passi is just “four steps from the sea” or also “four steps from heaven”…

Our Appreciation of Performance