12 Best Restaurants in Capri, Ischia, and Procida, Italy

Amid its own terraced vineyards with inspiring views to the island of Ischia and beyond, this is much more than just a well-reputed restaurant. The owner's mother was a friend of Axel Munthe, and he encouraged her to open a food kiosk, which evolved into Da Gelsomina; today the specialties include pollo a mattone (chicken grilled with bricks) and locally caught rabbit. It has an immaculately kept swimming pool, which is open to the public for a small fee—a buffet is served as you lounge here. Close to one of the island's finer walks as well as the Philosophy Park, it's an excellent base for a whole day or longer. There's also a five-room pensione, with free transfer service by request from Anacapri center.

Tucked away from Via G. Orlandi, there's always a warm, relaxed family welcome and deliciously simple Caprese food here. Do book a spot in the gorgeously gnarled, vine-dappled garden setting. Opened in 1960 as a rustic family inn, each generation has added innovative menu touches, including scialatielli pasta with potato in the mix, wood-fired pizza and homemade desserts including tiramisù.

Near the busy piazzetta and long one of Capri's most celebrity-haunted restaurants, La Capannina has a discreet flower-decked veranda that's ideal for dining by candlelight. Specialties change daily depending on the season, but the menu always includes ravioli capresi, linguine con lo scorfano (with scorpion fish), and an exquisite "Pezzogna" (sea bream cooked whole and topped with a layer of potatoes). They also own the nearby gourmet store and small lunch spot and late-night bar across the side alleyway.

This iconic eatery has occupied the space below the Santuario del Soccorso since 1936, when the original Umberto began to grill the local catch on the seafront. The setting is divine, with a terrace overlooking the Bay of Citara and the green tuff scogli innamorati (lovers' rocks). Grandson Umberto now presides over the kitchen, conjuring up gourmet dishes such as crudo di ricciola marinata (marinated raw Mediterranean amber jack) and paccheri dolcemare, a sweet pasta dish with squid, sultanas (golden raisins), pine nuts, and a touch of cinnamon. There are also 11 guest rooms, all with sea views.

In a 14th-century building close to the Piazzetta, this small, friendly, family-run restaurant has arched ceilings, autographed photos of famous patrons, and lots of atmosphere. Specialties include scialatielli ai fiori di zucchine e gamberetti (with zucchini flowers and shrimp) and cocotte (house-made pasta with mussels, clams, and shrimp), but the owner delights in taking his guests through the menu of regional dishes.

Often frequented by celebrities, whose photographs adorn the walls inside and out, the island's oldest restaurant offers courtesy and simpatia (irrespective of your star status), a sleekly minimalist interior, and tables outside along a chic thoroughfare. The cognoscenti start by sharing a pizza all'Acqua—thin-crust, with mozzarella and a sprinkling of peperoncino (chili)—but the gnocchetti al pesto con fagiolini croccanti e pinoli (dumplings with pesto, beans, and pine nuts) and house-made sweets are good, too. Often open until 2 am, the swanky Aurora Bar across the way serves aperitivi and light meals.

Take the staircase behind Piazza Vittoria's bus stop to the covered terrace of this ristorante-pizzeria with panoramic views of the Barbarossa castle and the sea. The no-frills ambience belies the quality of the à la carte cucina: besides pizze they specialize in local dishes—including risotto con gamberi a limone (shrimp with lemon). Beware of the below-par-quality prezzo fisso used by the tour party hordes. The restaurant is open all year-round.

This inviting restaurant with a terrace is on the causeway that links the Aragonese castle to the rest of Ischia. It's renowned for its fresh seafood, which is highly prized by the Ischitani: shoreline classics dominate, including the antipasto polipo con patate (octopus with potatoes) and primo summer favorite spaghetti allo scoglio (mixed seafood).

This waterfront restaurant, family run since 1964, is as rustic as they come, with food served on plastic tables outside. For starters, try the bruschette and the seafood specialty (a selection of shellfish, octopus, and anchovies big enough for two); the impepata di cozze (mussels in pepper) is a must, as is the island's best granita di limone (lemon crushed ice), freshly made here everyday. Leave room for the locally made cakes.

A meal at this restaurant, on the beach about a half-mile east of Corricella, encapsulates Procida's seaside simplicity. Lapping waves and views of the marina and Capri form the backdrop for the fresh seafood and vegetable creations. Access the restaurant either by foot down the steps from Via Pizzaco or by the free orange boat every two hours from the Corricella harbor front—phone the owner for times.

This extremely informal trattoria enjoys a distinctive setting up against limestone rocks not far from the Arco Naturale, with the kitchen in a cave at the back. Whether you stumble over it (and are lucky enough to get a table) or intentionally head for it after an island hike, Le Grottelle will prove memorable, thanks to the ambience, the views of Li Galli islands, and a menu that includes ravioli and local rabbit but is best known for seafood dishes such as linguine con gamberetti e rucola (with shrimp and arugula).

In a gorgeous seaside location just off the pedestrian stretch, this is the ideal place to enjoy fresh seafood—the name, "owner of the sea," says it all. For more than 75 years, O' Padrone Dò Mare has been an institution on the island, and locals and visitors crowd the terrace. Franco, the padrone himself, is justifiably proud of his shellfish-filled spaghetti misto mare (mixed seafood).