Best Restaurants on Capri: Where to Eat from the Piazzetta to Anacapri

Capri’s restaurant scene is expensive, uneven, and contains a handful of genuinely memorable meals. The challenge is finding the latter without paying for the former at places that don’t deserve it. The tourist-facing restaurants along the Piazzetta charge plateau prices for ordinary food; the better meals are consistently a few streets away.

Here’s what’s worth booking and what’s worth skipping.

Piazzetta and Centro Storico (Capri Town)

The Piazzetta (Piazza Umberto I) itself is four famous cafe bars - Gran Caffè, Caffè Michelangelo, Bar Tiberio, and Piccolo Bar - where the main activity is watching the foot traffic while drinking aperitivi at prices approximately triple what you’d pay fifty metres away. The food is incidental. The experience of sitting at the Piazzetta at 7pm in summer is Capri’s signature social ritual, but eat elsewhere.

Aurora (Via Fuorlovado 18) is Taormina’s most established restaurant - reliable, traditional, and consistently busy. The menu is classic Campanian: pasta alle vongole, spaghetti al pomodoro, grilled branzino. The prices are high (expect €35–55 per person including wine as of 2026) but the quality justifies it. Queues form outside without a reservation; with one, you’re seated in a cool interior dining room lined with ceramic tiles. Book at least 3 days ahead in July–August, same-day in shoulder season.

Ristorante Il Geranio (Via Matteotti 8) has a garden terrace with partial sea views and a menu that leans slightly more upmarket than Aurora - more elaborate presentations, a stronger wine list, slightly more attentive service. Expect €45–65 per person with wine as of 2026. A reliable choice for a special dinner.

Lo Smeraldo (Via Tiberio 11) is a family-run trattoria one block from the Piazzetta on the road toward Villa Jovis. The location is quieter than the main drag; the menu is shorter and more focused - grilled fish daily specials, homemade pasta, antipasto di mare. Prices approximately €25–40 per person as of 2026. A better-value option than the Piazzetta-facing venues for essentially the same quality of cooking.

Da Paolino - The Lemon Garden

Da Paolino (Via Palazzo a Mare 11) is the most photographed restaurant on Capri - a series of terraces under a pergola of ancient lemon trees, lit by lanterns in the evening, set above the path toward Marina Grande. The menu is Caprese and Campanian, the portions are generous, and the setting is exceptional.

The draw is the garden itself - hundreds of lemon trees create a canopy above the tables, and the scent of lemon blossoms in late spring and early summer is extraordinary. The food is consistently good rather than exceptional - the pasta, the insalata Caprese, and the catch of the day are all well-executed. Prices run approximately €40–60 per person with wine as of 2026.

Book 4–5 days ahead for a July or August dinner - this is Capri’s most reliably sought-after table. For lunch, the same atmosphere at lower pricing and with easier reservation availability. Reach it by following Via Roma from the Piazzetta toward Marina Grande, turning right on Via Palazzo a Mare.

Note on celebrity association: Da Paolino is popular with visiting celebrities during peak season, which the restaurant does nothing to discourage. This contributes to the demand. The food is good independent of the ambience.

Anacapri Restaurants

Anacapri’s Via Orlandi and the surrounding streets contain Capri’s best-value dining - the clientele is more mixed between tourists and residents, prices run 20–30% below equivalent venues in Capri town, and the cooking is no worse.

Da Gelsomina (Via Migliara 72) is a 20-minute walk from Anacapri’s main square on the path toward Punta Carena lighthouse. The restaurant sits in a vine-covered terrace garden with views across the lower island toward the sea. The menu focuses on ingredients from the restaurant’s own garden - zucchini, tomatoes, herbs - alongside fresh fish and local cheeses. Expect €30–45 per person with wine as of 2026. The walk is part of the experience; the path passes through Anacapri’s agricultural terraces. Book ahead for dinner; lunch walk-ins are usually possible.

Ristorante Mama Giovanna (Via Boffe 3, Anacapri) is a small family trattoria with a short menu of daily specials, homemade pasta, and the island’s best Torta Caprese (the flourless almond-chocolate cake for which Capri takes credit). Prices approximately €25–40 per person as of 2026. Seats fill quickly despite the off-main-street position - arrive at noon or book.

Il Cucciolo (Via La Fabbrica 52, Anacapri) is a terrace restaurant on the road between Anacapri and Caprile with views toward the Faraglioni and Capri town’s cliff face. The menu includes good grilled meat options alongside the standard seafood focus - useful if you’re dining with non-fish eaters. Approximately €30–45 per person as of 2026.

What to Order on Capri

Insalata Caprese: The island’s signature dish works only with the right ingredients. Capri’s local tomatoes (especially the San Marzano variant grown on the volcanic soil nearby) have a distinctive sweetness. The local fior di latte mozzarella - made on the mainland but delivered daily - is noticeably fresher than versions made further afield. Order it in May–September when tomatoes are at their peak.

Frittura di paranza: Mixed fried small fish (whitebait, small shrimp, squid rings) - the best casual eating option on the island and available at virtually every seafood trattoria. A full portion is €18–25 as of 2026.

Totani e patate: Squid cooked with potatoes - a traditional Neapolitan preparation common across the island. Comfort food rather than refined dining, reliably good at simpler trattorias.

Limoncello: Capri’s lemons are among the most aromatic in the Bay of Naples, and the island’s limoncello is notably better than mass-produced mainland versions. Ask for the house version at smaller restaurants - it’s often homemade.

Reservation Tips

June through August: Book dinner reservations 3–7 days ahead for any restaurant with a reputation. Aurora and Da Paolino in particular fill quickly. Call directly (most Capri restaurants prefer phone) or email.

Dress code: Capri restaurants are smart casual at minimum in the evenings. Shorts and swimwear are acceptable for beach-adjacent lunch; the same outfit at Aurora or Da Paolino in the evening will get you quietly redirected. Smart trousers or a summer dress is the norm.

Lunch advantage: Most Capri restaurants serve lunch from 12:30 to 3pm. The kitchen quality is identical; prices are the same; crowds are slightly lower; and lunchtime reservations are easier to secure last-minute.

Tipping: Service is not typically included in the bill (cover charge, or coperto, of €2–4 per person is separate and is included at most restaurants). Tipping 10% for good service is appropriate and appreciated.