The Amalfi Coast: Our Favorite Tables, Towns & Hidden Addresses

One rule: skip high season if you can. Mid-June through August is gorgeous and completely mobbed. April to June and September to October is where the magic actually lives.

The Towns (And Which One Is Your Personality)

Amalfi — Where it all started. A medieval maritime republic that once ran the Mediterranean, now a sun-bleached maze of Arab-era alleyways with a knockout Duomo at the center. Flatter, friendlier, and easier with kids than Positano. Climb the ancient steps for the view and act surprised when it's better than the postcard.

Ravello — Up on the mountaintop, above the noise. Villas, hilltop gardens, and terraces that hang over nothing but blue. The Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone is exactly as dramatic as it sounds. Stay overnight if you can — Ravello turns into a completely different town once the day-trippers head down the hill.

Positano — The crown jewel and it knows it. Pink, white, and yellow houses stacked up the cliff, great food, better people-watching, and a nightlife that goes later than you think. Fair warning: it is VERY steep. Stairs for days. Wear the flat shoes and save the heels for dinner.

Not To Be Missed

- Walk the Path of the Gods — the cliffside hike from Bomerano to Nocelle. Go in the morning, before the sun makes it a character-building experience.

- Take a boat tour — non-negotiable. Seeing the Coast from the water is a completely different trip.

- Villa Cimbrone Gardens, Ravello — 365 meters up, among the finest English landscape gardens in Southern Europe.

- Villa Rufolo, Ravello — 13th-century villa, summer concerts on a stage that looks like it's floating over the sea.

- Museo della Carta, Amalfi — a 13th-century paper mill turned museum. Buy the handmade paper.

- Spiaggia Grande, Positano — the main beach. Buzzy, beautiful, extremely Positano.

- Rent a Vespa — the most cinematic possible way to get anywhere.

- Music on the Rocks, Positano — the Coast's most famous beach club and late-night spot.

Beach Clubs Worth The Day

- Borgo Sant'Andrea with La Tonnarella / Il Zefiro — gorgeous club, seriously good restaurant. One of the best on the Coast.

- La Scogliera, Positano — the easy Positano yes.

Where To Eat

Positano — La Sponda · Al Palazzo · Casa e Bottega · Da Vincenzo · Ristorante Max · Da Gabrisa

Amalfi — Sensi · Ristorante Torre Normanna · Baglio Amalfi · Donna Emma · Hostaria Acquolina · Ristorante Dei Cappuccini · Kasai

Trattoria Da Gemma — widely considered the best table in Amalfi. A classic. Just go.

Ravello — La Piazzetta · Pizzeria Donna Stella · dinner at Hotel Miramalfi

Worth The Drive (Or The Boat)

Tommaso Allo Scoglio, Nerano — best reached by sea. Family-run since 1958, sourcing from their own farm and local fishermen. Order the spaghetti alla nerano and don't overthink it.

Don Alfonso, Massa Lubrense — two Michelin stars, a working farm, and a 25,000-bottle cellar in 6th-century tunnels. Get the seasonal tasting menu.

Da Adolfo, Positano — a tiny beloved spot on a private beach you can only reach by their own boat shuttle. Reservations are nearly impossible; have a local call for you. Order the grilled mozzarella in a lemon leaf.

Lo Stuzzichino, Massa Lubrense — family-run, Slow Food and Michelin recognized. Pasta e patate con provolone. That's the order.

La Tonnarella o' Bacchiss, Conca dei Marini — old-school, boat-access, plastic chairs on the sand, no reservations, shockingly good. Gamberetti sale e pepe and moscardini fritti.

Cocktails, Wine Bars & Aperitivo

- Franco's Bar, Positano — no frills, all quality. Classic Mediterranean energy and very good camaraderie.

- Terrazza Cele / Arienzo / Il Tridente, Positano — aperitivo with a view, three ways.

- Bar Caruso at Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello — 18th-century frescoes, sweeping views, live music most nights 7pm to midnight. The perfect wind-down.

- Palazzo Avino Lobster & Martini Bar, Ravello — glamorous, and worth every minute.

- Cafe Mirante, Praiano — a hidden gem halfway down the cliff. Lemony spritzes with local herbs and a sunset that just keeps going.

- Le Petit Murat — a charming stop for drinks along the Coast.

Bakeries & Sweets

- Pasticceria Pansa, Amalfi — founded in 1830, still wearing its 19th-century interiors. Pasticciotto and granita di caffè.

- Sal De Riso, Minori — award-winning pastry chef, master of Amalfi citrus. Torta ricotta e pere and delizia al limone.

- Pasticceria Napoli, Maiori — tiny, unassuming, run for three decades by the beloved Signora Pina. Sfogliatella and pasticciotto amalfitano.

Where To Shop

- Cartiera F. Amatruda, Amalfi — the only family still making paper by hand here. Wedding invitations, journals, writing paper, along the Canneto River.

- Carthusia — bottling the scents of the Coast since 1948. Perfume, candles, soaps, packaging you'll want to keep.

- Marcello Aversa, Sorrento — more gallery than shop. Intricate terracotta, including the Neapolitan nativity tradition.

- Stinga Tarsia, Sorrento — handmade inlaid marquetry. Jewelry boxes, frames, decades of Sorrentine craft.

- Ceramica Artistica Solimene, Vietri sul Mare — since 1954, honoring a 6th-century tradition. The Paolo Soleri storefront alone is worth the stop.

Food To Try

- Spaghetti alla nerano — zucchini pasta, the coastal signature

- Grilled mozzarella wrapped in a lemon leaf

- Pasta e patate con provolone

- Delizia al limone — the lemon cream dessert of your dreams

- Sfogliatella — flaky, ricotta, candied citrus

- Granita di caffè

- Anything pulled out of the Tyrrhenian that morning

- Limoncello — obviously

Wine To Know

- Fiano di Avellino — aromatic, elegant white; made for seafood

- Greco di Tufo — fresh and mineral

- Falanghina — crisp, easy-drinking, very lunch-appropriate

- Aglianico — the bold red of Campania

- Lacryma Christi — grown on the slopes of Vesuvius. Volcanic and very cool.

Wine tours: Feudi di San Gregorio · Mastroberardino · Montevetrano

Travel Tips & Logistics

- Getting around: the SS163 is narrow, winding, and not for the faint of heart. Hire a private driver. Ferries and water taxis between towns are often faster and infinitely more fun.

- Boat tours: half or full day, departing from Positano, Amalfi, or Sorrento. Do it.

- High season: mid-June through August is packed. April–June and September–October is the sweet spot.

- Positano: stairs. So many stairs. Pack accordingly.

- Ravello: stay the night, or at least the evening. It transforms.

- Pompeii: buy tickets at least a week ahead at ticketone.it (search: Scavi Pompei).

- Reservations: essential in season, everywhere. Da Adolfo is notoriously hard — let a local call on your behalf.

Packing & Resources

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