16 Best Restaurants in The Amalfi Coast, Italy

Wrought-iron gates open from scenic Via Pasitea into Next2's bianco e nero–chic courtyard, replete with a cocktail bar and a cozy salon filled with wine bottles and prime window seats for sunset views. Calmly charming Carmela and her friendly crew, including a young, talented chef in the semi-open kitchen, deliver elegant, subtly flavored creations including: grilled octopus antipasto with green beans and potato foam, a flavor-packed Datterino tomato spaghettoni and—spigola al vapore (steamed seabass wrapped in an eye-catching zucchini jacket served with baby vegetables).

Atrani's most reliable option (since 1986), where each day's fare depends entirely on the seafood catch and is elegantly presented, 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).

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.

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.

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 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). They also have various comfortable accommodation options for a gastronomic stay. 

Reaching this beach club might take some effort—by boat or steep steps—but the seaside views, warm welcome, and simple but incredibly fresh crudo di mare (raw) and cooked seafood dishes (fried, grilled, and in pasta) are just rewards. By day, it's an enchanting spot for lunch or quick bites between dips; on summer evenings, there's often live music.

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).

Diners in the know have sung the praises of this understated landmark since 1872. Imaginative sauces turn plates of risotto and paccheri pasta into one-off culinary experiences; tile floors, white tablecloths, and a terrace set above the main street create a soothing ambience.

Run by the owners of the Marina Riviera hotel, Eolo is one of the Amalfi Coast's most sophisticated restaurants, with fantastic views to match. The decor is calming if slightly unusual—with white-cove ceilings, Romanesque columns, mounted starfish—and many of the dishes are adorned with blossoms and other visual allures. Nothing, though, compares to the view of Amalfi's harbor from one of the tables in Eolo's picture-window alcove. If you don't land one of these, don't fret—the entire room is pretty enough as it is.

A landmark restaurant located in an equally well-known hotel on the Marina di Praia cove occupies a semi-rustic flagstone structure that once was a dry haul for boats. Expect especially eye-catching plates and imaginative flavor combinations in their antipasti and the seafood pastas, as well as a tasting-menu option for dinner. Outside, colorful boats, renovated fishermen's dwellings, and the chasm's sheer rock walls catch the eye.

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. 

With classic Neapolitan seafood fare and a buzzy terrace with live music, this popular place on Viale Pasitea is a solid and enjoyable option. Dine outside amid a smart white and blue maritime-themed decor on salty staples such as spaghetti alle vongole (clams), calamari alla brace (grilled squid), and zuppa di cozze (mussel soup).

The exquisite contemporary Neapolitan food has splashes of visual and taste-bud-smacking vibrancy reflected in the sleek but stylish dining room and buzzy covered terrace. This relative newbie is a wee bit pricier than many of the more well-established places, but dishes like crispy pork belly with broccoli rabe and Annurca apple, and egg tagliolini with buffalo butter and black truffle, can make it worth the gamble. 

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.

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 Nonna's recipes.