9 Best Restaurants in Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula, Italy

Overlooking rows of olive trees that seem to run into the sea, this superb eatery established in 1909 is away from the throng, halfway between Sant'Agata and Massa Lubrense. Two huge, beamed dining rooms with brick archways, old chandeliers, antique mirrored sideboards, hundreds of mounted plates, and tangerine tablecloths make for an atmospheric place to dine.

A gastronomic giant and pioneer in upscale farm-to-table cuisine (it even grows its own produce on a small farm nearby), Don Alfonso is considered one of Italy's best restaurants. It's a family affair, with Mamma (Livia) handling the dining room, Papà (former chef Alfonso Iaccarrino) tending to the organic plot, one son working as the current chef (preparing classic dishes alongside edgier creations), and the other serving as maître d'. For an extra splurge you can stay at their self-styled boutique hotel with a range of vibrantly decorated rooms and a heated pool. 

With its sparkling spiaggia views and seafood freshly caught by local pescatori, it's hard not to be lured by the siren charms of this prime place in Marina di Cantone. Expect lots of grilled fish, platefuls of small-bite antipasti di casa, and possibly the creamiest spaghetti alla Nerano on the planet.

At this informal, waterside restaurant and snack bar, you won't see many locals—they're unlikely to be impressed by the four-language menus—but the seafood platters are fresh and flavorful, and you can eat alfresco in the sunshine or inside a glass-enclosed dining area with a nautical motif. You can even go for a swim. For a special-occasion splurge, consider renting out their luxury resort next door, Villa del Maggiore, replete with pool, terraces, and direct private access to the sea.

Seafood classics, including tartara di pescato del giorno (raw catch-of-the-day antipasto) and linguine with riccio (sea urchin), are tweaked creatively here. The staff is warm and helpful, the singer on the sound system is the long-departed "fourth tenor" himself, and the operatic memorabilia (including posters and old photos of Caruso) and subtle lighting add to the atmosphere.

Near the steps of the Marina Grande, this reliable choice for seafood (established in 1947) might not be Sorrento's most visually prepossessing place, but its homespun, family feel—complete with wooden tables and checked tablecloths—is a refreshing change from the town's (occasionally pretentious) elegance.

Under the same ownership as the Ristorante Museo Caruso, this budget alternative—in a tiny alley between piazzas Tasso and St. Antonino—offers the same wine list (about 1,700 labels) plus a bountiful choice of hearty Italian dishes. Its main salon is decorated with modern paintings of an erupting Vesuvius (there's outdoor seating as well), but the smaller room on the opposite side of the road is more romantic, with a tiny balcony overlooking the tortuous road to the harbor.

Opened in 1868 by an ex-priest ('o parrucchiano means "the priest" in the local dialect), this restaurant serves classic Sorrentine cuisine in a 19th-century setting that's enchanting, although it can feel overly touristy: a sprawling, multilevel greenhouse packed with tables and chairs amid fruit trees and enough tropical foliage to fill a Victorian conservatory.

Alfonso Caputo's fascinating cuisine here is based on old recipes from the various cultures—Norman and Moorish among them—that loom large in Costiera Sorrentina history. You can rely on the knowledgeable maître d' Claudio for an absorbing commentary on the various seafood dishes and sommelier Mariella to guide and dip into the siege-ready cellar. Above the restaurant area is a select 11-room hotel (La Locanda del Capitano) run by the same Caputo family, with smart rooms overlooking the waterfront, although it can be noisy in the evening. Lodging prices include full beach facilities.