7 Best Restaurants in Capri, Ischia, and Procida, Italy

Tucked away from Via G. Orlandi, there's always a warm, relaxed family welcome and deliciously simple Caprese food here. Do book a spot in the gorgeously gnarled, vine-dappled garden setting. Opened in 1960 as a rustic family inn, each generation has added innovative menu touches, including scialatielli pasta with potato in the mix, wood-fired pizza and homemade desserts including tiramisù.

In a 14th-century building close to the Piazzetta, this small, friendly, family-run restaurant has arched ceilings, autographed photos of famous patrons, and lots of atmosphere. Specialties include scialatielli ai fiori di zucchine e gamberetti (with zucchini flowers and shrimp) and cocotte (house-made pasta with mussels, clams, and shrimp), but the owner delights in taking his guests through the menu of regional dishes.

Take the staircase behind Piazza Vittoria's bus stop to the covered terrace of this ristorante-pizzeria with panoramic views of the Barbarossa castle and the sea. The no-frills ambience belies the quality of the à la carte cucina: besides pizze they specialize in local dishes—including risotto con gamberi a limone (shrimp with lemon). Beware of the below-par-quality prezzo fisso used by the tour party hordes. The restaurant is open all year-round.

This inviting restaurant with a terrace is on the causeway that links the Aragonese castle to the rest of Ischia. It's renowned for its fresh seafood, which is highly prized by the Ischitani: shoreline classics dominate, including the antipasto polipo con patate (octopus with potatoes) and primo summer favorite spaghetti allo scoglio (mixed seafood).

This waterfront restaurant, family run since 1964, is as rustic as they come, with food served on plastic tables outside. For starters, try the bruschette and the seafood specialty (a selection of shellfish, octopus, and anchovies big enough for two); the impepata di cozze (mussels in pepper) is a must, as is the island's best granita di limone (lemon crushed ice), freshly made here everyday. Leave room for the locally made cakes.

A meal at this restaurant, on the beach about a half-mile east of Corricella, encapsulates Procida's seaside simplicity. Lapping waves and views of the marina and Capri form the backdrop for the fresh seafood and vegetable creations. Access the restaurant either by foot down the steps from Via Pizzaco or by the free orange boat every two hours from the Corricella harbor front—phone the owner for times.

In a gorgeous seaside location just off the pedestrian stretch, this is the ideal place to enjoy fresh seafood—the name, "owner of the sea," says it all. For more than 75 years, O' Padrone Dò Mare has been an institution on the island, and locals and visitors crowd the terrace. Franco, the padrone himself, is justifiably proud of his shellfish-filled spaghetti misto mare (mixed seafood).