A new chef just took over the kitchen at a boutique hotel above the Bay of Naples, and he’s bringing more than a new menu. Luigi Lionetti, the Michelin-starred chef who grew up on Capri, has stepped in as Culinary Director at Ara Maris in Sorrento. He wants your night at his table to feel like a really good meal at home, not a stuffy fine-dining production.
Lionetti didn’t learn to cook in culinary school first. He grew up in his grandmother’s kitchen on Capri, picking vegetables at his grandfather’s produce shop and watching local fishermen bring in the day’s catch.
That upbringing still shapes how he cooks, and he builds every dish around what’s actually in season rather than what looks impressive on a menu. He’s bringing that same mindset to Cora, Ara Maris’s signature restaurant, and you’ll taste it in every course.
He’s Already Earned a Michelin Star
In 2019, Lionetti won his first Michelin star as head chef at Le Monzù, the restaurant inside Capri’s Hotel Punta Tragara. According to Ara Maris, he’s the first Capri-born chef to earn the honor, so the chef running your table today already proved himself on his home island.
How Dinner at Cora Actually Works
Cora skips the traditional fixed tasting menu, so you pick dishes based on what you’re craving that night instead of a preset sequence the kitchen chose for you. Lionetti calls his approach “local where possible, best-in-class where necessary,” working directly with farmers, fishermen and artisan producers across Campania, and the hotel grows its own herbs in the garden, too.
What’s Actually on the Plate
One dish already stands out: the Caprese al Limone, Lionetti’s modern spin on a Capri classic built around land-and-sea Mediterranean flavors, with citrus and locally caught seafood running through the menu. “I cook for the enjoyment of my guests, not to promote myself,” Lionetti says.
Why This Matters for Ara Maris
Ara Maris opened in 2024 and only launched internationally this year, so Lionetti’s arrival gives the 49-room hotel a serious culinary anchor right out of the gate. He’s not chasing a Michelin star at Cora yet; he’d rather make it one of southern Italy’s top dining destinations first.
“We want to reach the level of excellence of Sorrento’s great historic hotels,” Lionetti says. “We will achieve that step by step with humility, patience and passion.”
Planning a trip to Sorrento soon? Put Cora on your list, and ask for a table in the Mediterranean garden if the weather cooperates.
Let Lionetti’s seasonal menu guide the meal instead of picking from habit. Sometimes the best version of a fancy dinner is the one that doesn’t feel fancy at all.