18 Best Restaurants in Amalfi Coast, Italy

Da Ciccio: Cielo Mare Terra

$$ Fodor's choice

Featuring, as its name suggests, stunning views of sky, sea, and land and run by the fourth generation of the famiglia Cavaliere (sommelier Giuseppe, front-of-house manager Antonio, and chef Marco), this restaurant just outside of town serves exquisite dishes made with fresh local produce—often from its own orto garden and the sea below. Many diners opt for the aromatic theater al tavolo of the signature spaghetti al cartoccio dal 1965 (spaghetti with clams, olives, capers, tomatoes, and oregano), which the ever-smiling Antonio removes from baking paper, mixes, and serves.

Saraceno D'Oro

$$ Fodor's choice

Although open for lunch, this reliable restaurant—tellingly popular with the Positanesi—truly comes into its own in the evening. Living up to its name, the ambience is distinctly Moorish without being kitschy; wood-fired pizza and hearty costiera seafood dishes dominate the menu. The outside tables are on the opposite side of Via Pasitea—great for experiencing the bustle that is Positano, but if you're sensitive to the smell of car exhaust, sit inside or away from the street.

Via Pasitea 254, Positano, Campania, 84017, Italy
089-812050
Known For
  • friendly staff guides you through the menu and the history
  • one of the best scialatielli di scoglio (classic seafood pastas) around
  • delizia di limone dessert
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Dec. 26 and Jan. and Feb.

A' Paranza

$$

Atrani's most reliable option (since 1986), where each day's fare depends entirely on the seafood catch, is an intimate place on the main walkway at the back of the piazza. White coved ceilings and immaculate linens are offset by a colorful naive-art mural of fishermen mending paranze (trawler nets). The tasting menu—antipasti ranging from marinated tuna to fried rice balls, with a helping of pasta and risotto, followed by a choice of dessert—is recommended, but if that sounds like too much, go for the scialatielli ai frutti di mare. Whatever you choose, leave room for the divine cakes.

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Acqua Pazza

$$

Locals along this part of the coast rave about this tiny restaurant a short stroll up from the harbor. The environment is modest—a spare interior with a few tables—but the seafood served is remarkably fresh.

Via Garibaldi 38, Cetara, Campania, 84010, Italy
089-261606
Known For
  • linguine alla colatura di alici
  • catch of the day cooked all'acqua pazza
  • seasonal seafood menu
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. mid-Oct.--mid-Apr.

Al Convento

$$

Occupying part of a former convent, this restaurant opened in the 1960s receives glowing reviews for its varied and tasty preparations involving anchovies. For the adventurous there are dishes such as spaghetti con colatura (with a modern version of garum); less adventurous types can try one of the excellent pizzas made in a wood-fired oven. Book a terrace table or take a pew under the soaring arches and faded frescoes.

Piazza San Francesco 16, Cetara, Campania, 80010, Italy
089-261039
Known For
  • low-key yet ethereal ambience
  • adventurous misto di colatura dish
  • veggie, Fiorentina steak and pizza options
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. Oct.–Apr.

Bacco

$$

Opened in 1930, this longtime favorite named for the Greek god of wine is, appropriately, run by the Cuomo wine family. The terrace has one of the coast's of the best views, and the menu features simple but delicious mountain and sea fare, including ferrazzuoli alla Nannarella (named after actress Anna Magnani, a past patron, and featuring fresh pasta with tomatoes, tuna, swordfish, and pine nuts) and vermicelli cu o' pesce fujuto, a dish with no fish despite its moniker (the flavor of the local tomatoes provides the piscine parfumo).

Via Giambattista Lama 9, Furore, Campania, 84010, Italy
089-830360
Known For
  • former patron Anna Magnani's dish ferrazzuoli alla Nannare
  • excellent Furore wine and tasting events
  • gluten-free options
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Jan.--Mar.

Da Adolfo

$$

On a little beach where pirates once built and launched boats (the pirates are long gone, but their descendants now operate a free ferry to and from Positano every half hour in the morning), this laid-back trattoria has long been a favorite. Sit on the wooden terrace beneath a straw canopy to enjoy totani con patate (squid and potatoes with garlic and oil), then sip white wine with peaches until sundown. Da Adolfo gets busy, so ask your hotel to book a table for you: personal reservations are often not honored.

Via Laurito 40, Positano, Campania, 84017, Italy
089-875022
Known For
  • <PRO>secluded cove accessed by boat, a swim, or a steep ascent from main costal road at Laurito</PRO>
  • <PRO>fresh, seasonal seafood classics</PRO>
  • <PRO>covered terrace overlooking the beach</PRO>
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Apr.

Da Vincenzo

$$

Established in 1958, this family-run place pairs generations of tradition and genuine love of hospitality with ever-evolving innovation, reflected in the exceptional takes on classic Neapolitan dishes and the stylish, up-to-date yet rustic decor. Expect a truly warm welcome and a menu with both sea and robust land mainstays such as grilled octopus, shoulder of lamb, and eggplant Parmesan.

Via Pasitea 172/178, Positano, Campania, 84017, Italy
089-875128
Known For
  • charming hosts, from the owner to the young waitstaff
  • busy outside terrace with views
  • sumptuous dolci, including cheesecake
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Mar. No lunch Tues.

Il Ritrovo

$$

In the tiny town square of Montepertuso, 1,500 feet up the mountainside from Positano (call for the free shuttle service to and from), the Ritrovo has been noted for its cucina for more than 20 years. The menu showcases food from both the sea and the hills: try the scialatielli ai frutti di mare accompanied by well-grilled vegetables; the house specialty zuppa saracena, a paella-like affair brimming with assorted seafood; and the lemon tiramisu, perhaps paired with one of 80 different kinds of a homemade liqueur, including carob and chamomile options.

Via Montepertuso 77, Montepertuso, Campania, 84017, Italy
089-812005
Known For
  • airy, tranquil mountainside location
  • trademark zuppa saracena (seafood soup)
  • amiable padrone Salvatò, who also runs a cooking school
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed mid-Jan.–mid-Feb.

Le Arcate

$$

Under the old fishermen's arches of Atrani you can choose from an extensive menu that features great-value seafood scialatielli, paccheri, and other primi as well as 20-odd wood-fired pizza options. Get a table on the large beach-view terrace to lean over and see where your meal came from.

Largo Buonocore, Atrani, Campania, 84010, Italy
089-871367
Known For
  • catch of the day cooked grilled or all'acqua pazza
  • bountiful prix-fixe options
  • beach views and warm hospitality
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. mid-Sept.–mid-June, and mid-Jan.–mid-Feb.

Lo Guarracino

$$

This partly arbor-covered restaurant is a romantic place to enjoy scialatielli di mare (seafood pasta) above the waves, with a terrace vista that takes in the cliffs, the sea, the Li Galli islands, Spiaggia del Fornillo, and Torre Clavel.

Via Positanesi d'America 12, Positano, Campania, 84017, Italy
089-875794
Known For
  • seafood and wood-fired pizza
  • family-made liquori digestivi including a wild-herb number (agrumi)
  • romantic Robinson Crusoe–esque terrace
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Jan.–Mar.

Lo Smeraldino

$$

Open since 1949, this airy, popular restaurant on Amalfi's almost-emerald waterfront dishes out reasonably priced seafood and cucina tipica Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast cuisine) such as lemon and zucchine tagliatelle alla Nerano and excellent grilled fish. You can see the boats bringing in the day's catch, and at night pizza is served on the terrace amid the twinkling lights of hills, sea, and sky.

Piazzale dei Protontini 1, Amalfi, Campania, 84011, Italy
089-871070
Known For
  • classic Campania pasta dishes
  • super waterside location
  • very popular with families in the summer
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. Sept.–June, and Jan. and Feb.

Pupetto

$$

A long spacious terrace overlooking the sea is the main feature of this simple yet superb-value spot—part of the family-friendly Hotel Pupetto, most of whose guest rooms have lovely water views, too. Feast on fresh grilled seafood and tasty pizza under lemon trees along Spiaggio di Fornillo and almost within octopus-tentacle grasp of your lounge chair.

Via Fornillo 37, Positano, Campania, 84017, Italy
089-875087
Known For
  • buzzy flip-flop beachside lunching
  • tranquil evening dining with a seaside stroll
  • eggplant parmigiana, salads, and grilled veggie options
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–mid-Apr.

Salvatore Ravello 1958

$$

Adjacent to the Hotel Graal and sharing the same glorious view of the Bay of Salerno, this restaurant has a large terrace and a contemporary-styled dining area beside an open kitchen. Seasonal Campanian produce is transformed into some of the most exquisite plates in town, and the friendly staff knows their fagioli.

Via della Repubblica 2, Ravello, Campania, 84010, Italy
089-857227
Known For
  • unusual, tasty bread options
  • artistic presentation
  • daily specials might include seasonal rabbit, lamb, tuna
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. in winter

Santa Croce

$$ | Nocelle

About 1,400 feet above sea level on the Path of the Gods, this low-key place in the dreamy hamlet of Nocelle delivers fortifying, superb-value plates to hikers and adventurous day-trippers. Try to get a window seat so that you can gaze over Positano, Li Galli islands, and the Fariglioni of Capri while sampling fresh pastas, seafood, and grilled meats; homemade desserts; or, on Saturday evening, exquisite pizza made in an olivewood-fired oven.

Via Nocelle 19, Positano, Campania, 84017, Italy
089-811260
Known For
  • lofty perch with divine views
  • relaxed, rustic vibe
  • fresh produce grown on the doorstep
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekdays mid-Nov.–mid-Mar.

Stella Maris

$$

With its white awnings and prime location on the beach (where you can rent sun beds), Stella Maris is likely the first restaurant you'll encounter on arriving in Amalfi. Dine or enjoy an aperitivo on the terrace, in front of the glass walls or on the beach—all the while gazing at the fishing boats bobbing in the bay or the sun worshipers tanning on the shore.

Taverna Buonvicino

$$

In the heart of medieval Amalfi, with alfresco seating in the piazzetta outside the churches of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Maria Santissima Addolorata, this place has a magical atmosphere. The menu features simple seasonal dishes like grilled squid, octopus, and buffalo steak—all lovingly crafted using grandma's recipes.

Vittoria

$$

Just south of the Duomo, this airy, unfussy place with coved stone ceilings is a good bet for an informal bite. The pizza al forno di legna with fresh toppings is the star attraction: locals praise it, and even Gore Vidal allegedly approved.