Il Mirto

Verdict: One of Italy's most serious plant-based tasting menus, on an island that makes the trip worthwhile on its own

Getting a table at Il Mirto is not the obstacle. The booking is easy compared to the effort of getting to Forio, on the island of Ischia, which requires a ferry from Naples and a drive across the island. That journey is the real commitment. The question is not whether the food is good. The question is whether you are the right diner for this specific experience.

What You Are Booking

Il Mirto sits within the Botania hotel's three hectares of Mediterranean garden. You are not just booking a restaurant table; you are booking entry to a property where the walk to the dining room is part of the meal. The kitchen garden and relationships with local Ischian growers form the backbone of the menu, which is structured around two long tasting menus (one vegetarian, one fully vegan) and a shorter four-course option that draws from the same kitchen. Chef Tommaso Luongo's cooking has been described in Michelin documentation as technically accomplished and creative, with dishes like "Bouquet of Flowers" and "Recycled Plastic" cited specifically as highlights worth ordering. The service comes from young, attentive staff who handle a fine-dining format without the stiffness that can make €€€€ rooms feel oppressive.

For the explorer-minded diner who travels specifically to eat and wants context alongside the food, the setting does real work here. The scent of the surrounding garden reaches the dining room, the visual coherence between the food's provenance and its environment is not a marketing statement; it is something you can trace from plate to garden bed. This is plant-based cooking that does not ask for your indulgence; it operates at a level where technique and sourcing are the argument.

The Tasting Menu Decision

Two long menus or a four-course version: your choice depends on appetite and how long you want to sit. The four-course option is drawn from the same menus, so you are not getting lesser food, just less of it. At €€€€ pricing, even the shorter format represents a significant spend per head by Ischia standards. If you are comparing against the island's other fine-dining options, the tasting format at Il Mirto is a different proposition from the seafood-led rooms at Umberto a Mare or Il Saturnino. Those are excellent restaurants for what they do. Il Mirto is the choice when the meal itself is the destination and you want a structured, chef-led experience rather than à la carte flexibility.

Compared to Italy's broader fine-dining circuit, venues like Osteria Francescana in Modena, Le Calandre in Rubano, or Piazza Duomo in Alba carry heavier Michelin credentials and require longer lead times to book. Il Mirto sits at a different point on that curve: the cooking is Michelin-recognised, the booking is accessible, the island setting adds an irreplaceable layer of context. If you are building an Italy fine-dining itinerary and want to include a plant-based option without flying to Shanghai's Fu He Hui or Beijing's Lamdre, Il Mirto is the strongest case Italy makes in this category.

Private and Group Dining

The Botania hotel setting shapes the group experience significantly. Unlike a standalone city restaurant where a large table can feel disconnected from the room, the hotel grounds give groups a physical space to gather before and after the meal. The garden walk and the broader property create a natural arc to an evening, which makes Il Mirto work well for celebratory dinners, anniversaries, or small group trips where the meal is the centrepiece of the stay. Young staff who handle the service with warmth rather than formality also help larger tables relax into the format. If you are organising a group occasion and want the setting to carry weight alongside the food, the Botania context does that work without requiring a private dining room booking. For Italy fine-dining comparisons in the hotel-restaurant format, Dal Pescatore in Runate and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico offer points of reference for how a destination property can anchor a meal in its landscape.

Who Should Book

Book Il Mirto if: you are already coming to Ischia, you eat vegetarian or vegan and want a meal that does not treat that as a constraint, or you are a food-focused traveller who wants a tasting menu experience outside the usual northern Italy circuit. Skip it if: you need seafood to feel like Ischia is delivering on its setting, you want à la carte flexibility, or €€€€ pricing for plant-based food feels like a hard sell without Michelin star validation above the Plate level.

For the full picture of what Forio offers across restaurants, hotels, more, see our full Forio restaurants guide, our full Forio hotels guide, our full Forio bars guide, our full Forio wineries guide, and our full Forio experiences guide. For broader Italy fine-dining context, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, Enrico Bartolini in Milan, and Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone are worth knowing.

Know Before You Go