The ultimate Positano Dining Guide for every budget (2024)

March 10, 2021

Positano is a true jewel on the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy and considered one of the most beautiful towns in the world. I’d been dreaming of visiting Positano for years prior to visiting. However, planning a visit to Positano isn’t as easy as dreaming about it.

One of the main challenges is dining in Positano. Luckily for you, I’m going to share my ultimate Positano Dining Guide for every budget below. It can be difficult to navigate between tourist traps, Michelin stars and hidden gems, especially when you’re on a budget. Positano is one of the most exclusive and popular vacation spots in Europe. The geographical limitations caused by the terrain makes it crowded and there’s simply not enough space to fit all the visitors. Roads are narrow and not for the faint of heart. During summer it can be impossible to get to where you want due to the crowds flocking the streets, hotels and restaurants.

I did a lot of restaurant research prior to our visit to Positano, and I’ve also read many tips and advice from other sources. I’m also one to frequently mix budget and high -end experiences, which makes me feel confident about stating that this actually is the ultimate Positano Dining Guide for every budget. Today I’m sharing my knowledge from my research as well as my own experience.

If you’ve been to a good restaurant in Positano and want to share a few sentences and a picture, I’m happy to share it here after making my own research on it as well.

Practical dining tips

It wouldn’t be the ultimate Positano Dining Guide for every budget without practical tips for how to navigate the dining scene in the area. The below section is to help you make decisions and ensure that you are one step ahead when planning your trip.

• Plan ahead. Restaurant tables fill up fast in Positano. If you want to have dinner somewhere, make sure to book a table as far as you can in advance. It’s usually possible to book by e-mail or on the restaurant websites.
• When reservations need to be made by phone, I highly recommend asking the concierge at your hotel (or the receptionist) to help you. If you’re not yet staying at the hotel, e-mail them your plans and they can arrange the bookings for you.
• Consider when choosing where to eat. Positano is (along with Capri) the most expensive town we visited during our trip. Depending on how much time you’re going to spend in Positano and your budget, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and estimate the daily costs for your time in these places. The expenses will vary a lot depending on where you eat, and money disappears fast in this town.
• Stay away from the beach. The restaurants right next to it are as expensive as it gets in relation to experience, and they’re not known to be particularly good either. There’s one spot, Chez Black that every blogger seems to have been too but I’ve seen very mixed reviews on it. If I were to visit one restaurant by the beach, that would be it though as it’s the only one that’s actually had a few good ones. Check out their website HERE.

Breakfast, treats and snacks

If you’re staying at a hotel that offers breakfast, this might not be for you. However, there are plenty of accommodation options in the lower price range that don’t include breakfast, so I thought I’d share a few options below. These are all great ideas for a light lunch, snacks, gelato or pastries as well:

• Collina Bakery has a beautiful terrace and offers classic breakfast, beautiful salads, baked goods and gelato. They also serve the infamous lemon sorbet inside a lemon. It’s definitely in the more affordable range too. Check it out HERE.

• La Zagara is the perfect hidden gem with their quiet outdoor patio overlooking the hills of Positano. It’s essentially a bakery offering light food, desserts and pastries.

I really enjoyed visiting this spot for a lemon sorbet, and they had plenty of other yummy options as well. You can find their website HERE. The tables on their outdoor patio are painted in classic Amalfi Coast colours and designs.

co*cktails

Enjoying a co*cktail while watching the sunset is always a good idea in Positano. There are plenty of options available, and it’s also the most affordable way to spend some time at the most luxurious establishments in the area. Exploring these astonishingly beautiful properties that you’ve always dreamed of visiting from Instagram is going to be one of the most fantastic experiences of your trip.

• Franco’s Bar at Le Sirenuse. This is the most famous hotel in Positano, and I’ve written an entire review on my dining experience there. Something I wish I’d also done, is to visit their rooftop bar for a co*cktails while seeing the sun go down. The views are magical, and the co*cktails look marvellous too.

• Il Tridente (which I’m sharing more about below is great for co*cktails. They have a lovely outdoor rooftop bar and an impressive co*cktail menu. We

Lunch & Dinner

There are plenty of good restaurant options in Positano for lunch and dinner. However, you will need to plan ahead and make reservations, but if you do, you’ll have plenty of options!

Il Tridente

• My personal favorite when visiting Positano was Il Tridente, which we visited for my birthday. It was a quiet day in Positano, and only two other groups at the restaurant during our visit. It was an absolutely gorgeous venue, and the food was amazing too. Our main reason for booking was, however the views of the hills of Positano as well as the Tyrrhenian sea. You can find more information and make your own reservation HERE.

The service at Il Tridente was impeccable. Prior to the visit, they offered to make me a personalized birthday cake at an additional cost of 40 euros. I didn’t think it was necessary for two people but definitely a sweet gesture.

La Sponda

• Our dinner choice in Positano was La Sponda at Le Sirenuse. I’d been dreaming of dining there for years and it’s known to be one of the most romantic restaurants in the world. I am, however not as happy with the experience as I thought I would be, even if it was a really magical evening.

I’m sharing a lot more about Le Sirenuse and La Sponda in my full review HERE.

Overall, I was actually happier with my visit to Il Tridente than I was with the visit to Le Sirenuse. It also taught me more about not expecting perfection based on a price tag, and that sometimes you simply don’t get value for your money. However, I still need to emphasize that it’s a stunning location and definitely worth visiting.

La Tagliata

• A place that I wish I’d tried out for dinner is La Tagliata. It’s located in the mountains, however if you’re staying in Positano, they’ll take you to the restaurant and back. They don’t have classic menu but about six courses of authentic Italian food that you’ll get to try for a price of 50 Euro per person. The restaurant supposedlyhas a true family feel, perched in the hilltops with magical views. For Positano, the price is also in the more affordable range for dinners. I’ll definitely make a reservation here for my next trip to Positano.

By now, you’ve probably realized that here are plenty of great choices available. The choices I’ve included here are all unique in their own ways, and well deserving of their spot on my ultimate Positano Dining Guide for every budget.

Have you visited Positano and have any favorite dining spots in the area? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to include them in this guide as well!

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