La Locanda del Postino

We were lucky to choose La Locanda del Postino and spend five glorious nights there. It’s in Pollara, inside the long extinct crater of a volcano, with stunning sunsets across the sea and neighboring islands. It’s a family-run hotel, and we were greeted each morning with warm Salina/Sicilian hospitality. The food and wine were delicious in the evenings. We’d enjoy an aperitivo with wine and olives in the garden as the sun went down, and the hotel has a scooter for hire to explore the other villages before returning to this peaceful spot.

Pollara is a beautiful setting for this wonderful restaurant. We had an incredible sunset aperitivo, then an amazing dinner made with high quality local products. The staff were friendly and professional, with great recommendations for food and wine. Save room for the dolci, the best I’ve ever tried, especially the creative take on cassata siciliana and the mousse with candied cappers. We hope to come back to this special place one day. Grazie mille!

The sunset from the hammocks, with that huge palm tree framing the view, is still my favorite part of this place. We came back for a second stay, and Pollara still feels far from “civilization,” like life here hasn’t changed much in 40-50 years. There are no shops and only a couple of restaurants, including the one at the Locanda. Getting there is manageable by public bus from the Santa Marina port, which is good news. Our room had typical Aeolian decor, air conditioning and a mini-fridge. Being able to refill cold still or mineral water for free throughout the stay was a real bonus. Breakfast is included and has sweet and savory choices, with homemade jams, pies and cookies baked by the owner’s daughter. The lemon jam was especially good. We also ate dinner at the restaurant. The food tasted excellent, but the portions seemed unjustifiably small and came without sides. At €15-17 for starters and €22-26 for mains, the prices felt steep. The beach is about a 15-minute walk away. Bring water shoes and snorkeling gear, because the clear turquoise water and all the beautiful fish are worth it. We visited in the first half of June, and the water was a perfect 25°C. One thing felt different from our first visit three years ago: the aperitif tables placed right outside rooms 2 and 3. Once high season starts, tourists coming to the restaurant for aperitifs or dinner may take those seats if you don't, even though there are two grassy terraces just below. One evening a couple sat there chatting loudly, directly in front of our room, and it made us feel much less private.

Francesco made us feel so welcome. He’s a really friendly guy, and the service from him was beyond five stars. The food was the best we’d had so far, even after visiting several other places, and everything was delicious. Such lovely people, too. This stay will stick with us, and I’d say the place is well worth a visit for the food alone. Thank you to everyone!