Some restaurants have a sea view. Others make you wonder why you ever agreed to eat indoors. Frankly, if you’re dining with me, it will be an early frost before I will agree to eat indoors. From tables carved into cliffs to barefoot lunches beside the Faraglioni, these are the Italian restaurants where the location is very much part of the order.

Oh and as a heads up from your girl….Prices below are a rough guide per person for food, before getting ambitious with the wine list. We’ve all dropped the ball with that one.

Il Riccio

Area: Anacapri, Capri
Vibe: Polished Capri glamour perched above impossibly blue water. Seafood, sunshine and a very famous dessert room.
Price: €€€€ – approx. €150+ pp
Three words: Blue. Chic. Capri.

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Grotta Palazzese

Area: Polignano a Mare, Puglia
Vibe: Dinner inside a natural sea cave suspended above the Adriatic. Completely dramatic and absolutely not subtle.
Price: €€€€ – €250-€300 pp (Grotta Palazzese)
Three words: Cave. Drama. Iconic.

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La Sponda

Area: Positano, Amalfi Coast
Vibe: Le Sirenuse’s legendary terrace overlooking Positano. Romantic, immaculate and one of those views you’ve seen a thousand times for good reason.
Price: €€€€ – approx. €180+ pp
Three words: Romantic. Iconic. Positano.

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Lo Scoglio

Area: Nerano, Amalfi Coast
Vibe: Family-run, wonderfully unfussy and sitting directly over the water. Come hungry and order the spaghetti alla Nerano.
Price: €€€ – approx. €100-€150 pp
Three words: Jetty. Pasta. Institution.

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Langosteria Paraggi

Area: Paraggi, Liguria
Vibe: Langosteria’s glossy take on pieds-dans-l’eau dining, right on the tiny emerald bay between Santa Margherita and Portofino. (langosteria.com)
Price: €€€€ – approx. €150+ pp
Three words: Glossy. Seafood. Portofino.

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Glicine

Area: Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi
Vibe: Michelin-starred fine dining on a panoramic veranda above the Amalfi Coast. Elegant rather than scene-y, with the view doing most of the showing off. (Hotel Santa Caterina Amalfi)
Price: €€€€ – approx. €180+ pp
Three words: Refined. Panoramic. Michelin.

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Il Pellicano

Area: Porto Ercole, Tuscany
Vibe: Old-school Italian Riviera glamour at one of the country’s most photographed hotels. Linen, sunglasses, excellent people-watching.
Price: €€€€ – approx. €150+ pp
Three words: Timeless. Tuscan. Glamour.

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La Terrazza at Splendido

Area: Portofino, Liguria
Vibe: The grand dame option. High above Portofino harbour with one of the most recognisable dining-room views on the Italian Riviera.
Price: €€€€ – approx. €160 pp (TheFork)
Three words: Grand. Elegant. Portofino.

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Le Terrazze Ritual

Area: Baja Sardinia, Sardinia
Vibe: Dinner inside ancient granite ruins overlooking the Costa Smeralda, preferably arriving for sunset and leaving considerably later. Note that it’s adults only. (Ritual Club)
Price: €€€€ – €130 minimum spend, realistically more (Tripadvisor)
Three words: Sunset. Sexy. Sardinia.

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Conca del Sogno

Area: Nerano, Amalfi Coast
Vibe: Hidden cove, turquoise water and boats pulling up for lunch. Exactly where you want to lose an entire afternoon.
Price: €€€€ – approx. €120-€180 pp
Three words: Cove. Boats. Lunch.

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La Fontelina

Area: Capri
Vibe: Capri in one photograph – blue-and-white umbrellas, rocky terraces and the Faraglioni looming behind lunch. Best approached by boat if we’re doing this properly.
Price: €€€€ – expect €200+ pp for the full beach-club day; current reports note a €200 minimum spend. (capri.com)
Three words: Faraglioni. Famous. Fabulous.

If you like your spaghetti alle vongole with a side of mediterranean vista… then book a table at one of these…. and book me one too. Ill see you in vicino al mare xx