To borrow an old joke: no-one goes to the Amalfi Coast anymore — it’s too popular. Once a string of tiny, traditional fishing villages, in the past half century the region has grown into a shimmering honeypot for the great, the good, and the sometimes not-so-good, too — a heady, bustling hive whose sun-kissed cliffsides can feel both overwhelmingly beautiful and overwhelmed.
But the UNESCO World Heritage site remains staggeringly gorgeous and rich in culinary tradition. And if you know precisely where to go, it’s still possible to see a totally unspoilt side to the place the locals call the Divine Coast.
Fortunately, as a travel writer who has spent many weeks in the area, I know just the person to turn to. Professore Giuseppe Salvia is the most famous Latin teacher on Capri. He is almost certainly the only latin teacher on Capri, by the way. But even if he wasn’t — even if Capri was flooded suddenly with 100 international classics luminaries, washed up on the shores following an unfortunate ferry incident — he would still be the most famous.
Il Professore has lived here all his life, and the shade of mahogany on his magnificent bald head suggests that’s around 80 years. Which means he knows absolutely everyone on the Amalfi coast who’s worth knowing — restaurateurs, hoteliers, bell hops, socialites — because they’ve all passed through his classroom at one point or another, and because he keeps up with them daily on his perfectly slow tours of the streets and squares of the island. “Ciao, Professore!” they shout, before looking terribly busy.
I first met Il Professore several years ago at Fontelina, the rock-slung beach restaurant, and helped him off a boat, and then stayed with him for several hours as we did the rounds. We now have each other on WhatsApp, and whenever I’m in the area — and whenever I’m not — I’ll receive dispatches from restaurants, bars, and cafes at all hours from the professor: old spots, new spots, always good spots.
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I consider this an education in itself, and it’s one I am taking seriously. I have included some of the best recommendations here - from beaches to . They’re often ones that the guide books and grand tourers won’t tell you about — but that, given just the right strength of amaro, a seasoned local might.
Flights now go directly from Gatwick to Salerno, too — meaning there’s really no excuse not to tick a few off the list.
Da Adolfo, just outside Positano
At the main jetty in Positano, look for the little boat with the red fish on its sail and hop right in. The pirates aboard (I mean this as a compliment) will whizz you over to a tiny, shaded bay where Da Adolfo has sat unchanged for decades — rickety, raucous and delicious.
Here, the house white comes on draught — exquisitely chilled, ever-so-slightly sparkling — and is served up in porcelain jugs with slices of juicy, fleshy white peach. The seafood is zippily fresh and incredible; the mozzarella from the local hills of Campania is grilled gooily over dark green lemon leaves; and the pesto pasta — which uses sweet green chillies and walnuts in place of basil and pine nuts — is revelatory.
La Tagliata, near Positano
High up in the hills above Positano, where the sea air seems to mingle with the clouds, La Tagliata is spread out over three jungled terraces — each a private mini-farm from which the entire menu is drawn. A miniature shuttle bus winds here from the centre of Positano and drops you into the lap of the three-generation family who still run the restaurant. There is no a la carte ordering here — just a succession of fresh vegetables, home-made pastas, and pillowy cheeses by the platter. And the views (don’t tell anyone) are possibly the most beautiful on the entire coastline.
Da Armandino, Praino
A tiny fishing village laid out over perilously steep cliffs somewhere between Amalfi and Positano, Praino is often overlooked by tour groups and box-tickers because it has no ferry port or grand dame hotel. But places like Da Armandino make it such a lovely destination — a simple white trattoria with tables scattered across a beachy terrace, down below the pale cliffs of the village. Armandino himself plates up the lovely seafood with typical elan from a menu based on whatever the local fishermen have caught that morning.
Hostaria da Bacco, Furore
Furore is known as ‘the painted village’ due to its rolling frescos and delicate murals, but the Amalfians remember it as the perch of Hostaria da Bacco, a family-run restaurant, hidden away up a series of switch-back roads, which has been here since the 1930s. The fish soup is wonderful, as are nods to the traditional hunters’ fare of stewed rabbit, caught in the green mountains above the village. But it’s the sweeping views from the sea-facing terrace which really stick long in the memory.
Hostaria da Bacco
Known as ‘the painted village’ thanks to its many murals and accessed by a series of switchback bends, sprawling Furore lies high above the coast road. Just outside the village and with a dizzying sea-facing terrace, family-run da Bacco has been around since the 1930s and serves up an interesting take on the local cuisine with a ‘slow food’ ethos.
Chef Erminia Cuomo’s signature dishes include ferrazzuoli alla Nannarella (pasta twists with smoked swordfish, tomato, pine nuts and rocket), and an unmissable zuppa di pesce, but there is also local chicken, rabbit and pork plus lots of seasonal veg. A crisp white wine such as Fiorduva from Erminia’s sister Marisa Cuomo’s award-winning winery is a must. Finish off with a few cicale di furore, small cakes made with almonds and prickly pears.
Arienzo Beach Club, Arienzo
Just a few hundred metres away from the long, crowded beach at Positano is Arienzo Beach Club — essentially a restaurant and bar with its own private cove. Marked by bright awnings and parasols of burnt orange, it is friendly, fun and distinctly more laidback than the churning main strength.
Il Fornillo beach, Positano
Known informally as ‘the locals’ beach’, the dove-grey pebbled fornillo lies hidden round the corner from the main Positano tourist stretch. It requires a fair slog down winding alleyways to get there, but is certainly worth it — and the beach bar at Hotel Pupetto, a long time, family-run favourite, will amply re-hydrate you once you arrive.
Bar Klingsor, ravello">Ravello
Set on a jolly little square beneath the shade of towering stone pines, Bar Klingsor was a long-time favourite of writer Gore Vidal, whose famous villa, La Rondinaio, perched on the nearby cliff edge like some glorious gull. Vidal’s photos still dot the walls, and it is a good place for an evening drink as you contemplate your own great society novel. And that way the Campari soda is almost tax-deductible.
La Fontelina, Capri
A longtime favourite of Il Professore, La Fontelina is reachable only with a reservation on its little blue wooden boat from the rocks at Marina Piccola. It hangs a mere leg-dangle away from the crystalline waters of the island, and gazes out at the ancient rock stacks which Slim Aarons once immortalised.
Though famous now for its influencer-friendly blue-and-white parasols, it remains, nonetheless, a beloved spot for locals, too. Sit in the shade of the restaurant for a couple of hours in the early afternoon and exchange digestivi with the handsome old couple next door.
