7 Best Restaurants in Amalfi Coast, Italy

A landmark restaurant and hotel nestled in the Marina di Praia cove, Alfonso a Mare occupies a rustic flagstone structure that once was a dry haul for boats. Noteworthy menu options include the antipasti, the freshly caught fish, and the seafood pastas. Outside, colorful boats, peasant dwellings, and the chasm's sheer rock walls catch the eye.

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.

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. 

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 caprese starter, the seared tuna secondo, and—for those with bigger, bolder appetites—the frittura di mare (fried seafood medley).