Positano is one of the dreamiest locations in the Italian Riviera. The beautiful stacks of colourful houses, one layer after another, make up the most photographed island in Italy.
This ever-popular summer destination is no doubt worthy of being on your bucket list and a whole list of great restaurants await, too. The dining options in Positano may not be the most exhaustive but we have here 12 good restaurants that you should add to your bucket list; they should be enough to last you for your whole trip.
Of seafood pasta, tiramisu and limoncello, here is our Guide To The 12 Best Restaurants in Positano.
#1 RESTAURANT L’INCANTO
L’Incanto is one bar to head to if you need some drinks after spending some time at the beach. Grab a Limoncello—Positano’s famed lemon liqueur—or a Limoncello Spritz while watching the world go by.
The beachside bar also has a menu of bar grubs and small bites such as bruschetta, sandwiches and pizzas. And what you have to try is the Octopus Salad. The generous serving of octopus was so fresh and the salad was actually pretty filling!
Via Marina Grande, 4, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: + 39 089 811177
Daily: 11am – 11pm
#2 BUCA DI BACCO RESTAURANT
Buca di Bacco Restaurant is one popular choice among visitors to the Italian seaside town for it is located right beside the beach and has tables by the verandah for you to dine with a view.
It sits within Buca di Bacco Hotel. You’d find the usual pasta choices here but what we really loved was the fresh seafood mains.
By night, this restaurant becomes one of the most highly sought after locations for dinner for it offers a cosy atmosphere and a good view of Positano at night.
Via Rampa Teglia, 4, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: + 39 089 875699
Daily: 12.30am – 10.45pm
#3 CAFFE POSITANO
This is the place to go to for the best tiramisu in Positano. While Caffe Positano is more commonly known for their pasta and pizza, we actually went back to Caffe Positano every single day of our trip for a serving of their homemade tiramisu! You have to try it for yourself to understand why we were so intoxicatedly in love with the creamy coffee dessert that had a perfect balance of mascarpone cheese and espresso.
On its pasta menu, the Vongole is a popular choice and while it tasted decent, we’ve definitely had better pasta elsewhere in Positano. Just stick to the tiramisu and their happy hour beers, we’d say.
Caffe Positano’s cliff-side location also means you get an aerial view of the stunning seaside town.
Viale Pasitea, 168-170, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875082
Daily: 8am – 12am
#4 CASA E BOTTEGA
Casa E Bottega is our favourite cafe in Positano. The homely space is predominantly white and blue and somewhat reminded us of Mykonos.
It is exceptionally popular during breakfast hours for very obvious reasons—its healthy menu has a whole page of wholesome breakfast items that are guilt-free and inexpensive. Think gluten-free pancakes, frittata and fruit juices. Other options during regular meal times include a whole range of fresh salads, grilled fish, and vegetable-based pasta.
Case E Bottega also has a merchandise corner with numerous pottery, homeware, vases and the in-betweens. Free wifi is also provided!
Viale Pasitea, 100, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875225
Daily: 9am – 4pm
#5 CHEZ BLACK
Ask anyone where to dine at when in Positano and most would tell you Chez Black. It has a perfect location—right beside the beach. You may think that the restaurant is huge and reservations are not needed; that’s when you couldn’t be more wrong. They run on a full house almost every single day in summer!
You would find the regular pizza, pasta and seafood options on Chez Black’s menu. They may not be the cheapest but their seafood is definitely fresh. But unfortunately for us, for both times that we went, the pasta was run-out-of-the-mill and the waiters were easily the rudest you’d ever encounter in Positano.
So, why is it exactly so popular? Perhaps it’s simply its prime location and comprehensive menu.
Via del Brigantino, 19, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875036
Daily: 12pm – 12am
#6 DA VINCENZO
Da Vincenzo is undoubtedly our favourite restaurant in Positano. People often put their focus on the other Michelin-starred restaurants on this list, but we dare say none is as good as Da Vincenzo. Where service is concerned, the staff here are a whole lot friendlier and hospitable, too!
Da Vincenzo has the BEST seafood pasta—the best in Positano, the best in Italy, and the best we’ve ever tried in our lives. The sweet and flavourful broth is simply unforgettable, and at €25, you get a generous serving of tube pasta with fish chunks, prawns, mussels and squid.
While you are at it, Da Vincenzo also does their Grilled Fish very well. The homemade Tiramisu is also well worth the calories.
Viale Pasitea, 172/178, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: + 39 089 875128
Daily: 12.15pm – 2.45pm, 6.15pm – 10.45pm
#7 FRANCO’S BAR
A popular spot for sunset, Franco’s Bar sits farther up from the very popular Le Sirenuse. The open-air bar is a prime spot during sunset hours and it comes alive after dark.
The menu has a little of everything—wines, beer, cocktails, mocktails, whisky… you name it, they probably have an option or two.
That said, while it is popular and reservations are usually required, Franco’s Bar is more of a seen-and-be-seen place with a crowd that is more partylike.
Via Cristoforo Colombo, 30, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875066
Daily: 5pm – 12.30am
Of course, no trip to Positano is complete without a meal or a drink at Le Sirenuse Bar! This is easily the most coveted location in Positano and it has a prime view that is totally postcard-worthy.
Get a drink by Le Sirenuse Bar; it is exceptionally popular during sunset hours. And to be honest, their drinks aren’t too exorbitantly-priced. A nice selection of aperitivo awaits; as with wines from different regions.
Reservations are highly recommended.
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875066
Daily: 7pm – 1am
La Sponda is the award-winning restaurant in Le Sirenuse. This Michelin-starred restaurant is easily one of the most beautiful restaurants we’ve ever dined at in all our lives. The sheer splendour of the restaurant had us lost for words; it was the kind of beauty that overwhelmed us and left us dumbfounded, because it was hardly believable that anywhere could look this pretty.
The menu focuses on Mediterranean cuisine inspired by Amalfi and Naples tradition, and its steep price tags aren’t for everyone, but if you can get past the fact that it is one of Positano’s most expensive restaurants, La Sponda will actually be an experience you’ll never forget.
As the restaurant is highly popular among visitors from all around the globe, reservations are definitely required.
Via Cristoforo Colombo, 30, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875066
Daily: 1pm – 3pm, 8pm – 10.30pm
#10 LA ZAGARA
La Zagara is an extremely spot in Positano for its convenient location and relatively affordable menu. It sits farther up from the beach—just about 5 minutes of climbing the steps and you’d arrive at the garden bar-cum-bistro.
What often stop passersby in their tracks is its two windows of visually-arresting desserts. The colourful display of homemade sweets was also what drawn us in. Of mousse cakes, granita, fruit tarts and ice cream, La Zagara is where you should head to after suntanning.
Something that we really love about La Zagara is the proficiency of the staff’s English. You might not think much of English-speaking wait staff but wait till you explore the rest of Positano’s restaurants and you’ll know what we mean.
Piazza dei Mulini, 10, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875964
Daily: 8am – 10pm
#11 RISTORANTE BRUNO
Another cliffside restaurant for a nice view of Positano is Ristorante Bruno. It is midway up the hill and just about a stone’s throw from Le Sirenuse.
It may not have the most fantastic food but its range of seafood pasta is not too shabby. What truly made our dining experience memorable was the exclusivity of the tables by the slope, where we were caressed by the wind, had more privacy and was treated to a view that was pretty much unobstructed. Perfect for that sunset dinner, guys!
Via Cristoforo Colombo, 157, 84017
Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875392
Daily: 11.30am – 11pm
#12 RISTORANTE LE TRE SORELLE
Located next to Chez Black along the beach in Positano is Ristorante Le Tre Sorelle. Like Chez Black, Ristorante Le Tre Sorelle is perpetually crowded during meal times because of its prime location.
On the menu, you can find a wide variety of pizza, pasta, meat and fish. Prices range from €12 – €14 for pizza, while most of the main courses are priced between €18 – €35.
Via del Brigantino, 27/29,
84017 Positano SA, Italy
Tel: +39 089 875452
Daily: 12pm – 6pm, 7pm – 11pm