Best Restaurants in Capri: Where to Eat on the Island

Eating in Capri is genuinely excellent, but the island’s fame and limited land area mean restaurants are aware of their position. Prices reflect the setting, the view, and the difficulty of getting ingredients across the water. The best approach is to know which places trade on quality rather than location alone, eat lunch at the places you cannot afford for dinner, and explore Anacapri, which prices meals at something closer to the mainland.

What to Eat in Capri

The island’s culinary identity is built on a handful of dishes. Ravioli alla Caprese - the signature pasta, filled with caciotta di capra (goat’s milk cheese) and marjoram, dressed with tomato sauce or melted butter - appears on every serious menu and is genuinely distinctive. It is lighter and more herbaceous than mainland ravioli, and worth ordering at least once. Totani e patate (flying squid slow-cooked with potatoes in tomato sauce) is the other essential: earthy, rich, and typically very good.

The Caprese salad, which appears on menus worldwide, originated here. A properly made version uses ripe Campanian tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella with the correct level of moisture, and good olive oil - not the watery, under-seasoned versions common elsewhere. At a good restaurant, it costs approximately €14–18 as of 2026.

For dessert: torta caprese is the island’s own creation - a dense flourless cake made with dark chocolate and almonds, similar to a brownie in texture. Almost every restaurant serves it. Quality varies considerably.

Ristorante Il Geranio

Via Matermania, Capri town. One of the island’s most respected dining rooms, set in a villa garden with a terrace overlooking the sea towards the Faraglioni. The menu is classical: ravioli alla Caprese, grilled fish of the day (sea bass, red mullet, amberjack), linguine al cartoccio (pasta steamed in a paper parcel with clams and mussels). Main courses approximately €22–38 as of 2026, with the fixed menu providing better value. Reserve well in advance in summer. Closed November to March.

Lo Sfizio (Marina Grande)

The harbour-front at Marina Grande is the most affordable part of Capri for eating - you are not paying for the Piazzetta address - and Lo Sfizio is the most reliable choice: seafood antipasti, good pasta, grilled catch of the day in a noisy, authentic setting with no pretension. A full meal with house wine runs approximately €30–40 per person as of 2026. Gets busy at lunch when day-trippers are arriving and departing; calmer mid-afternoon.

Da Paolino

Via Palazzo a Mare, Marina Grande area. The setting is extraordinary - dinner is served under a vast lemon pergola, white lights strung between the trees, the scent of the fruit overhead. The food matches: fresh pasta, excellent fish, a wine list strong in local Campanian labels. Expect to pay approximately €50–70 per person with wine as of 2026. Reserve a week ahead in July and August. The lemon grove setting makes this one of the most memorable dining experiences in southern Italy.

Ristorante Il Riccio

Via Gradola, Anacapri (directly by the sea). A Michelin-starred restaurant with one of the most dramatic settings on the island - a terrace literally at water level, the sea below you, surrounded by rocks. The menu focuses entirely on seafood: crudo di mare, pasta with sea urchin or bottarga, whole fish grilled or baked with Campanian vegetables. The lunch tasting menu runs approximately €80–100 per person as of 2026; the beach club setting makes it particularly good for a long lunch. Smart-casual dress required.

Pulalli Wine Bar

Piazza Umberto I, Capri town (via the clock tower stairs). A genuinely affordable option in an otherwise expensive area: a wine bar and small kitchen serving excellent charcuterie boards, bruschetta, and a changing daily plate (pasta or risotto) for approximately €12–18 as of 2026. The wine selection is one of the best on the island, particularly the Campanian labels - Fiano, Greco di Tufo, Lacryma Christi. Busy from 6pm onwards; arrive early for a good table.

Ristorante Le Grottelle

Via Arco Naturale, Capri town. A trattoria built into the rock face near the Arco Naturale, with outdoor seating on a terrace carved from the cliff. The tourist footfall is high (it is on the way to the arch) but the food is honest: pasta, grilled meat, local fish, good house wine for approximately €5/glass as of 2026. Main courses approximately €16–28. The kitchen uses the cliff caves as natural refrigeration - a detail they are rightly proud of.

Trattoria Il Solitario (Anacapri)

Via Giuseppe Orlandi, Anacapri. One of the island’s better value restaurants, slightly off the tourist route in Anacapri’s residential area. Vegetable antipasti, house-made pasta, grilled chicken and rabbit - simple Campanian food without the marina uplift. A full meal with wine approximately €25–35 per person as of 2026. The garden terrace is pleasant in the evening. Reservations usually needed only in July–August.

Practical Notes

Most restaurants on Capri add a coperto (cover charge) of approximately €2–4 per person as of 2026. Service is typically included at the more formal places; at trattorias it is customary to leave 10% if service was attentive. Many restaurants close entirely from November to March - check ahead if visiting outside peak season. Reservations are advisable from June to September, essential in July and August at any restaurant with fewer than 30 covers.