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Capri Restaurants
A dining guide to the island of Capri
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Island cuisine is mostly Campanian and very fishy, but one dish deserves to be singled out. Invented here in the 1950s for calorie-counting vacationers, the insalata caprese—often just called the caprese and now served in restaurants throughout Italy (and the world)—is a salad of fresh tomato slices and mozzarella topped with torn basil and some cracked black pepper.
Capri doesn't want for overpriced, poor-quality snack bars. For a good quick bite, your best bet is to pop into a local alimentari (grocery shop) and make your own panino or small picnic.
For a treat, stop by Sfizi di Pane [€], a short stroll from the Piazzetta at Via Le Botteghe 4 (tel. +39-081-837-0160), to sample some of Ottavio Serena's outstanding pastries and breads, or a slice of passable pizza (closed Sunday afternoons).
Restaurants around Capri Town
Le Grottelle [€€] - Le Grotelle has a great sea cove vista from its shaded terrace outside a natural grotto at the end of a scenic walk from Capri Town. Yes, it's a touristy restaurant with particularly shoddy service, but if you're strolling this way and want lunch with a view, reserve ahead for a railside terrace table... Loc. Arco Naturale. 
Al Grottino [€€€] - The "Little Grotto" is one of the fancier choices in town, the sort of place where the waiter prepares your fish for you and good Italian and French vintages supplement the local table wine. It has changed little since the days Ted Kennedy, the Gabor sisters, and Igor Stravinsky dined in the single room of tightly spaced tables under a stucco vaulted ceiling. A dozen tourist tongues mix with some local dialect over Agnolotti al pomodoro caprese (giant ravioli of cheese and ham topped with fresh baby tomatoes and torn basil) and fresh fish cooked all'acqua pazza... Via Longana 27.
Da Luigi ai Faraglioni [€€€] - Nothing if not well-named, it truly is "at the Faraglioni," wedged into the rocks at sea level between the cliffs of Capri proper and the first of the sea stacks that rise dramatically from the waters. The boat ride here is spectacular, cutting between the Faraglioni themselves just as Odysseus did. Unfortunately, the food isn't nearly as remarkable as the setting. Best is the spaghetti alla malafemmina ("evil woman's" pasta, with baby tomatoes, capers, olives, basil, and hot peppers)... Via Faraglioni 5.
Restaurants around Anacapri
Al Nido d'Oro [€–€€] - Make no mistake: this ain't fine dining, or a tourist restaurant with a view. This is one of the few places locals like to keep to themselves, with pizza take-out on one side and families crowding the eight tables of the other room in the early evening, giving way to couples and small groups after 9:30pm. Caprese dialect sets the tone while the busy woman in the kitchen whips up heaping plates of simple, filling, fragrant home cooking... Via de Tomasso 30–32.
Da Gelsomina [€€] - A long, but scenic, 20-minute walk from Anacapri brings you to this countryside hideaway of delicious food and sweeping vistas. You can dine on ravioli alla caprese (stuffed fat with ricotta and gooey mozzarella) on the shaded terrace or inside against the picture windows (book ahead), where the view skips across vineyards and pines to the sea and Ischia in the distance. The ingredients are fresh—many of them homegrown—and their own label house white is perfect for lunch. They also now run a B&B of simple, clean, moderately-priced rooms with killer views... Via Migliara 72.
Il Cucciolo [€€–€€€] - Tucked away on a back road off the road to the Blue Grotto, Il Cucciolo offers abundant portions of quite excellent food on a terrace surrounded by lush greenery and views of the Bay of Naples below. Their caprese salad is excellent, as are the pennette alla contadina (peasants' pasta quills in a savory sauce of onions, parmigiano, and lean pancetta)... Via la Fabbrica 52.
Il Solitario [€€–€€€] - Reserve ahead in nice weather for the best seating out on the back terrace, where little tile-topped tables are shaded by the vines of a low hanging arbor. The clientele is likely to be half tourists (there's a good-value menu turistico) and half regulars on a first-name basis with the chef-owner. The house dish is ravioli, stuffed with fresh cheeses and deservedly the most popular menu item... Via G. Orlandi 96.
Related pages
- Hotels on Capri
- Sights on Capri (sights, hikes, beaches, shopping)
- Capri homepage
- Campania guide
- Eating in Italy (including useful dining phrases)
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This material was last updated March 2011. All information was accurate at the time.
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