5 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.

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.

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.

In the spirit of the "slow food" movement, this colorful contemporary restaurant just off Piazza Sant'Antonino uses only local and seasonal ingredients of the highest quality in its adventurous nouvelle creations. Ask your waiter what inventive sea and land dishes make up the day's specials and tasting menus.

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.