What is limoncello?Italy's lemon liqueur, and our limoncello spritz at Fiena, King's Cross

Limoncello is a traditional lemon liqueur, made mainly in southern Italy: around the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno, on the Amalfi Coast, in Sicily and in Gargano. It's the second most popular liqueur in Italy, after Campari, and it's also a favourite to make at home.

It's made from the zest of the lemon rather than the juice. Traditionally the lemons are Femminello St. Teresa, also known as Sorrento or Sfusato lemons. The peel, without the bitter white pith, is steeped in spirit until its oils are released, and the yellow liquid is then mixed with sugar syrup. That's why good limoncello looks slightly cloudy: tiny droplets of lemon oil stay suspended in the drink, the same effect that turns ouzo milky when you add water. A typical limoncello is around 30% alcohol by volume, though homemade ones vary a lot.

Nobody quite agrees. One Italian trade group says it was created at the start of the 1900s by the grandmother of Maria Antonia Farace, who lived in a small guesthouse. Other writers have said it was first made in Sicily around a century earlier, or on the Amalfi Coast, where several villages and islands claim it as their own. Some stories credit monks or fishermen, much earlier still. Whatever its birthplace, there's now a whole family of "-cellos", from arancello made with oranges to crema di limoncello, made with milk instead of syrup. Background from Wikipedia's limoncello page.

In Italy, limoncello is traditionally served chilled after dinner, as a digestivo. It also makes a lovely long drink: mixed with prosecco it's sometimes called a Ligurian Riviera spritz, and with soda water or fizzy lemonade, an Amalfi spritz.

Our Limoncello spritz sits somewhere between the two: limoncello, prosecco and soda water. It's lighter and more lemony than an Aperol spritz, and less bitter than a Campari spritz, both of which are on the list too, along with the Hugo spritz with elderflower and fresh mint. If you'd rather have it the classic way after your meal, limoncello is also on our shots list. Alcoholic drinks are served from 10:30. See our posts on aperitivo hour and the cocktail list.

Spritzes are a firm favourite in our reviews. Katelyn wrote: Best aperol spritz and spaghetti bolognaise I’ve had in a while! (Katelyn, Google review) And Kiley's tip: Jan makes the best hugo spritz’s. (Kiley, Google review)

A limoncello spritz is a natural partner for lighter food from our main menu: the Baby calamari with tartar sauce and lemon, the Tiger prawns with garlic and white wine, or the Salmon with lemon sauce. After dinner, a chilled limoncello goes well with dessert from our dessert menu: try it with the Tiramisu, the Cheesecake with forest fruit sauce, or three scoops of sorbet, which includes lemon. See our posts on tiramisu, gelato and affogato, capesante and date night at Fiena. Not drinking? Our alcohol-free list has mocktails such as the Virgin mojito.

“I was in Napoli last week and the food wasn’t far off from the real deal.”

John, Google review, 2026