Food · Amalfi Coast · Italy
What to eat in Amalfi Coast
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Amalfi Coast, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Limoncello, Delizia al limone and Scialatielli ai frutti di mare. Family farms around Amalfi, Minori and Maiori open their terraced sfusato groves for tours that explain the chestnut-pole pergolas protecting the trees and finish with a limoncello tasting. Lunch runs from about 1pm to 3pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; in summer, book dinner in Positano and Ravello a few days ahead.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Limoncello
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 7
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving 5–10% for…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Drink · Vegetarian
1.Limoncello
Lemon liqueur made by steeping the zest of sfusato amalfitano lemons, a protected IGP variety with thick, fragrant skin, in alcohol and sweetening it with syrup. It is served ice-cold after dinner.
Where: Offered after meals in many restaurants and sold in Amalfi and Positano; small producers often offer tastings.
Dessert · Vegetarian
2.Delizia al limone
A dome of light sponge filled and coated with lemon cream, created on the Sorrento peninsula in the late 1970s and now on dessert menus all along the coast.
Where: Pastry shops in Amalfi, Minori and Maiori and most restaurant dessert menus.
Dish
3.Scialatielli ai frutti di mare
Short, thick, slightly irregular strands of fresh pasta created on the coast in the second half of the 20th century, served with clams, mussels, prawns and cherry tomatoes.
Where: Seafood restaurants in every town; it is a signature dish of Amalfi and Positano.
Dish
4.Colatura di alici
An amber anchovy extract made in Cetara by layering anchovies with salt in wooden barrels and collecting the liquid that drips out; a few drops dress spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and parsley.
Where: Trattorie in Cetara and restaurants along the coast; spaghetti with colatura is a Christmas Eve tradition.
Dish · Vegetarian
5.Ndunderi
Minori's old-fashioned dumplings of ricotta and flour, said to date back to Roman times, usually served with tomato sauce, basil and grated cheese.
Where: Trattorie in Minori and neighbouring towns.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Sfogliatella Santa Rosa
A shell-shaped pastry of crisp, layered dough filled with semolina and ricotta cream and topped with custard and black cherries; it was created in the convent of Santa Rosa at Conca dei Marini.
Where: Pastry shops along the coast and in Conca dei Marini itself.
Snack · Vegetarian
7.Agerola cheeses (Fior di latte and provolone del monaco)
Agerola's dairy farms make soft fior di latte, a cow's-milk mozzarella, and provolone del monaco, an aged, sharp cheese of the Lattari mountains.
Where: Dairies and delis in Agerola, and restaurant antipasti along the coast.
Dish
8.Fish in acqua pazza (Pesce all'acqua pazza)
Fresh white fish poached in 'crazy water', a light broth of cherry tomatoes, garlic, parsley and olive oil, with bread for mopping up the juices.
Where: Seafood restaurants in fishing towns such as Cetara, Praiano and Maiori.
Dish
9.Totani e patate
A homely stew of flying squid and potatoes cooked slowly with tomatoes, garlic and parsley, typical of Praiano and Amalfi.
Where: Family-run trattorie, especially in Praiano.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Chocolate aubergines (Melanzane al cioccolato)
An old local dessert of fried aubergine slices layered with dark chocolate, candied fruit and nuts, traditionally made around 15 August.
Where: Some pastry shops and restaurants in Maiori, Minori and Amalfi, mostly in summer.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Costa d'Amalfi wines
Tiny vineyards on steep terraces around Furore, Ravello and Tramonti produce Costa d'Amalfi DOC wines from native grapes such as Falanghina, Fenile and Ginestra for whites and Piedirosso, Aglianico and Tintore for reds.
Where: Wine lists across the coast; small wineries in Furore and Tramonti offer tastings by appointment.
Food experiences
Lemon grove visit
Family farms around Amalfi, Minori and Maiori open their terraced sfusato groves for tours that explain the chestnut-pole pergolas protecting the trees and finish with a limoncello tasting.
Beach restaurant by boat
Some beach restaurants below Positano and Praiano run their own shuttle boats; book a table and make a day of swimming and a long seafood lunch.
Cetara anchovy trail
In Cetara, buy colatura and salted anchovies from producers near the harbour, then eat spaghetti with colatura at a trattoria facing the fishing boats.
Agerola dairy
Watch fior di latte being stretched by hand at a dairy in Agerola and taste provolone del monaco where it is made.
Quick bites and street food
- Agerola cheeses — Dairies and delis in Agerola, and restaurant antipasti along the coast.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 7 are usually vegetarian: Limoncello, Delizia al limone, Ndunderi, Sfogliatella Santa Rosa, Agerola cheeses, Chocolate aubergines and Costa d'Amalfi wines. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch runs from about 1pm to 3pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; in summer, book dinner in Positano and Ravello a few days ahead.
- Fish is often priced per 100 grams or per kilo; ask for the weight and price before it is cooked.
- A coperto (cover charge) per person is usual; check the menu before you sit down.
- Many restaurants and hotels close from November to March, so check before travelling in winter.
- Eat at least one meal in a less famous town such as Cetara, Minori or Agerola for better value and local cooking.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving 5–10% for excellent service in a smart restaurant is appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buongiorno | Good morning / hello |
| Grazie | Thank you |
| Il conto, per favore | The bill, please |
| Dov'è la fermata dell'autobus? | Where is the bus stop? |
| Un biglietto per Amalfi | A ticket to Amalfi |
| Quanto costa? | How much is it? |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Amalfi Coast famous for?
Limoncello, Delizia al limone, Scialatielli ai frutti di mare and Colatura di alici. Lemon liqueur made by steeping the zest of sfusato amalfitano lemons, a protected IGP variety with thick, fragrant skin, in alcohol and sweetening it with syrup.
+Is Amalfi Coast good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Limoncello, Delizia al limone and Ndunderi.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Amalfi Coast?
Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving 5–10% for excellent service in a smart restaurant is appreciated.