12 Best Restaurants in The Amalfi Coast, Italy

Established in 1958, this buzzy 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 warm banter with busy staff, who greet passersby while introducing a menu with both sea and robust land mainstays such as grilled octopus, linguine with anchovies, lamb chops with braised artichokes, and eggplant Parmesan.

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.

More than just a place to wait for the bus—it's at the main SITA Chiesa Nuova bus stop—Bar Internazionale is a meeting place for locals and visitors alike, a happy spot where you can read newspapers from several countries while nursing a creamy cappuccino. Many visitors only experience Positano in a tourism bubble, so this is good spot to mingle with working positanesi.

Although it caters to day-tripping coachloads, this nautically themed restaurant, whose waiters wear sailor uniforms, is a local institution that's hard to beat for its sceney location right on the Spiaggia Grande. The people-watching is good (Denzel Washington is reportedly a regular), and the friendly staff is happy to guide you through specialties such as zuppa di pesce (fish soup) and spaghetti con ricci di mare (spaghetti with sea urchins).

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.

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.

Two bronze lions flanking the steps hint at a refined restaurant experience. Indeed, in its light-filled dining room or on its intimate terrace, La Cambusa serves lighter, more elegant seafood dishes (linguine with mussels and fish with potatoes and tomato sauce are favorites) than its "pack-em-in" Spiaggia Grande neighbors. However, you are still paying extra for its superb position. 

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.

Wrought-iron gates open from scenic Via Pasitea into Next2's bianco e nero–chic courtyard, replete with a cocktail bar and a whiff of edgy, youthful swagger. You can watch the talented squadra at work in the open kitchen crafting elegant, subtly flavored creations such as the grilled octopus antipasto, the seared tuna secondo, and—for those with bigger, bolder appetites and wallets—the pescato del giorno (catch of the day baked in a charcoal oven, served with vegetables).

With an outdoor terrace overlooking the Spiaggia Grande, this is an ideal stop for a coffee, a sandwich, or an ice cream. By night, the latest music pumps from the stereo and the clamor of sporting events blares from the large-screen TVs, as movers, groovers, and soccer fans from around the globe sip cocktails after a hard day on the beach.

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.

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.