Ambrogio Iacono, the very nice bartender at Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa, in Ischia.
Depending on the way Ambrogio Iacono You have to understand life The most important thing in any job is the passion and joy you put into it. For yours, the bartender, you also need people skills, flexibility and a lot of psychology. “It is important to understand what each one likes, what they feel like at that moment, and know how to adapt depending on it.”
His favorite cocktail lillet vermouth, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, rose syrup, a splash of champagne and berries. “For men, who tend to prefer something stronger, we recommend the Mezzatorre Special, with vodka, Campari, strawberries, prosecco and a touch of limoncello”, he explains to us, as he confesses: “I am happy when I see that my clients enjoy it”.
just that, serve happiness, is what he does, hand in hand with his inseparable Massimo Messina, in the two bars Mezzatorre, a hotel with hot springs and prodigious views.
The tower bar, in the shadow of 16th century watchtower which gives its name to the property, has a large viewing terrace; and the Visconti bar –the filmmaker had a mansion on the island–, going down the stairs carved into the rock, tables by the sea.
"We are on a cliff at one end of the island and we see the complete path of the sun from sunrise to sunset”, explains Ambrogio. The sun, the seagulls, the cormorants and, with a little attention, even the dolphins playing with the wakes of the boats in the Gulf of Naples.
***This report was published in *number 146 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (Summer 2021) . Subscribe to the printed edition (€18.00, annual subscription, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The summer issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your favorite device