10 Best Restaurants in The Amalfi Coast, Italy

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.

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 and its wonderful staff—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.

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.

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.

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.

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 olive-wood-fired oven.

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.

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.