Virtuoso Life - March/April 2009 - (Page 38) PASSPORT CITY TO GO around the world arrive to race or simply to watch dozens of yachts slicing through the azure water beneath the sheer rocky cliffs of this dramatic Mediterranean isle. Bulgari and Dolce & Gabbana on one of the busiest shopping streets in Capri. The Centro Artigianale Sapori di Capri (Viale Axel Munthe 16 Anacapri 39-81/837-3967) sells deliciously smooth limoncello and other local products. In a gallery nearby Salvatore Federico (Via Capodimonte 58 Anacapri 39-81/837-3061) shows luminous landscapes that capture Capri s wild beauty. EAT The menu and the view often share top billing at Capri s restaurants. Heaping portions of caprese salad pasta and seafood with imminently quaffable house wine are on offer at Add o Riccio (Grotta Azzurra Anacapri 3981/837-1380) which overlooks the famed Blue Grotto. Perched above the massive stone Arco Naturale Le Grottelle (Via Arco Naturale 13 Capri 39-81/8375719) offers traditional local cuisine and seating inside a cozy cavern or on a terrace facing the water. Capri s (Via Roma 38 Capri 39-81/837-7108) boasts a sleek interior a postcard panorama of the Bay of Naples and seasonal fare. DRINK Piazza Umberto I buzzes day and night as Capresians gather for espresso or cocktails at alfresco establishments such as Caffè Caso (Piazza Umberto I 4 Capri 39-81/837-0600). Quisi Bar & Terrazza (Via Camerelle 2 Capri 39-81/837-0788) with its sleek black-and-white interior and a terrace where you can watch shoppers click-clacking along the flagstones in towering heels is a favorite place for an aperitif. For late-night drinks and live music head to Anema e Core (Via Sella Orta 39/e Capri 39-81/8376461) a tavern that s often packed to the exposed wood rafters with famous faces such as Antonio Banderas and Giorgio Armani. STAY With its multilevel terraces a two-tier infinity pool a cliffside restaurant and manicured gardens the 55-room Hotel Caesar Augustus is one of the most spectacular places in Anacapri to watch the sunset (opens April 1 doubles from $492). Also in Anacapri the 79-room Capri Palace Hotel & Spa is renowned for its two-Michelin-starred restaurant L Olivo and spa The Capri Beauty Farm which has attracted much attention for its bLeg School program designed to tone and firm gams (opens April 9 doubles from $420). Capri Reawakens Welcome spring on Italy s isle of chic. BY AMY LAUGHINGHOUSE GO FOR An opportunity to see Capri the celebrity haunt three miles off Italy s Sorrento Peninsula before the crowds and summer heat descend. Many hotels in Capri town and Anacapri its sleepier sister two-and-a-half miles to the west close in winter reopening with a fresh coat of paint and spanking-new renovations in early April. With the annual Rolex Capri Sailing Week (yccapri.org) an international regatta slated for May 19 through 23 this year visitors from Blue yonder and big style clockwise from top: Capri s coastline Caesar Augustus terrace and a Canfora original. SHOP Put a spring in your step with custom-made sandals from Canfora (Via Camerelle 3 Capri 39-81/837-0487) just a few doors down from Versace 38 VIRTUOSO LIFE (COASTLINE) SIME S.A.S./ESTOCK PHOTO
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