La Torre | Slow Food Restaurant in Massa Lubrense
Situated in the charming hamlet of Annunziata in Massa Lubrense, with enchanting views of an ancient Saracen watch tower and 16th century church, Ristorante La Torre One Fire is a favourite neighbourhood place, and celebrated part of the Slow Food community in Italy. The setting is lovely any time of day, but evenings are my favorite, when dining al fresco on the flower-laden terrace under the soft light of the moon —casts a glow, and the whole ambiance becomes something magical.
The proprietors, husband-and-wife team, Tonino Mazzola and chef Maria Aprea, take pride in serving up the delicious classic dishes of the Sorrento Peninsula —thoughtfully crafted with traditional cooking methods and the very-best ingredients from the local farms, food artisans and producers. Their devotion to the Slow Food Movement is honorable and inspiring, and certainly the core reason their restaurant is considered a “home away from home,” so to speak, for many of the neighbourhood folk —who can’t get enough of chef Maria’s homestyle cooking. And a must-do for savvy travellers who take pleasure in delicious, authentic dining experiences.
The classic totani e patate (flying squid with potatoes) of the Sorrento Coast
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Here’s the “La Torre One Fire” family —Tonino Mazzola, Maria Aprea, and their beautiful daughters; Amelia and Alessia Mazzola
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It’s no wonder Ristorante La Torre One Fire has been awarded a Bib Gourmand Michelin for the last several years –as they have been recognised for offering great food at reasonable prices.
To begin the meal, the antipasto “One Fire” is always a good choice, as you get the chance to taste a few small tasty preparations from the area, which chef Maria changes up depending upon the day, and season. During the summer, you can always look forward to her celebrated eggplant parmigiana being a special part of the mix, which usually features a couple of traditional vegetable dishes, Neapolitan fried treats, and some cold and/or warm seafood dishes.
Otherwise, try the insalate di mare (cold seafood salad) or the calamari salad with walnuts and celery, which are both lovely —light and refreshing, and immensely flavorsome. On occasion, a cold octopus salad with thin slivers of padrón peppers appear on the menu, which is also very good. And the zuppa di cozze (mussel soup), is always a fine choice, as nothing is as simple and as intense as the flavours of the sea that mussels —classically prepared —bring to the table.
For the first-course, Maria’s homemade ravioli alla Caprese (cheese ravioli drenched in tomato sauce from the island of Capri) and gnocchi alla Sorrentina (little potato dumplings in tomato sauce with locally-made cow’s milk mozzarella, parmigiana cheese, and basil, Sorrento style) are praised by all —even the local children, like my son, who looks forward to gobbling them down —and savouring every single soft, cushiony bite. As well as Maria’s homemade meatballs, which just may be the best in town —for a “piatto unico” (single course meal), as it’s called in Italian. After all, like everyone else in town, the local children appreciate the taste of the well-made, traditional foods of the Sorrento Coast. 
And, if your taste buds are anything like mine, go with the Linguina alla “Scoglio,” which is scrumptious, rich with intense seafood flavour —including clams (razor clams, too) mussels, and big, meaty chunks of octopus —plus all the delicious, juicy tomato else.
Or else, you may want to delve into a simple bowl of spaghetti with mussels and tomatoes, which Maria prepares classically, but still “wows” with her magic touch. And the paccheri (large tube pasta produced in the nearby town of Gragnano) with big chunks of the freshest fish (usually monkfish) brought in by the local fishermen and green (red, too) patrón peppers freshly picked, right off the stem —is also an excellent choice. Simple. Delicious. Local Food.
For the second course, the mixed fried fish and seafood, called la frittura di pesce in Italian, is always appetising. Here, I ordered it exclusively with baby calamari and shrimp, but there is always a nice mix of small local fish as well. The fresh daily catch baked in the oven with pototoes, olives, and capers is another delectable choice, as is the oven-baked fish covered in breadcrumbs and citrus zest and served over a bed of one of the season’s finest green vegetables, sautéed to perfection —Massa Lubrense style.
Round off the meal with the panna cotta with wild berry syrup —a sinful dessert—worthy of every decadent bite. Or, try one of the desserts that features the aromas and tastes of the renowned lemons of the Sorrento Coast, like the torta Caprese al limone (lemon and almond cake from the island of Capri) or, for a light and refreshing alternative, order Maria’s granita al limone (slushy lemon ice). It’s shown here in small shot glasses, which were slipped onto our table to cap off a special evening a short time back, but normally it’s served in a tall, elegant flute glass —a lovely to look at finish and refreshingly delicious way to cheers to these unique slow food dining experiences — perfectly. Local Food. Tradition. Sorrento Coast.
And I highly recommend taking a stroll to the park nearby the restaurant, before or after the meal, to see the beautiful vistas of the Sorrento Coast from this enchanting hamlet, including Capri, Ischia, etc. —and the famous villa, Gioacchino Murat. A memorable experience, for sure.
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Ristorante La Torre One Fire
Address: Via Annunziata, 7, 80061 Massa Lubrense, NA
Telefone: +39 081 808 9566
Open daily for lunch from 12:30 to 3 pm and dinner from 7 to 10:30 pm. Closed Tuesdays. Reservations recommended.