The Best Pizzas on the Amalfi Coast - Amalfi

The Neapolitan area is synonymous with pizza. And the Amalfi Coast is no exception.

Halfway between Praiano and Positano is Taverna del Leone, a restaurant that has maintained the high quality of its pizza. Despite the lack of a view, unusual for the area, parking is easy and the Taverna has great pizza, excellent service and a good wine and beer selection. The appetizers are also excellent as are the desserts, prepared with skill and passion by the owner, Fortunata.

For pizza in Positano, the Ristorante il Fornillo or the Pizzeria Ristorante Saraceno d'Oro are excellent choices. Both are in the upper part of town, in a neighborhood called Fornillo, both are family owned and equipped with wood-burning ovens. Pizza is offered for lunch and dinner, but in general dinner is best since, after hours of use, ovens tend to produce better pizza. Both restaurants are along the main road but Il Fornillo has a better view.

In Amalfi, among the many choices, I would suggest the old pizzeria, da Maria, in the old town center. The interior is huge, while the tables outdoors on the street are few. The pizzas are excellent, well-leavened and well-cooked. Try the pizza rustica.

Another good choice in Amalfi is Masaniello.

In Atrani, the quaint village adjacent to Amalfi, I would recommend le Palme, in the square immediately at the entrance of the historical center. Here the oven is electric, but the pizza is still great. It's light but rich with great ingredients (and parking right in front of the restaurant is a plus for the area).

In the area of historic Villa Ruffolo, in Ravello, you’ll find the pizzeria Vittoria, a corner of paradise just a short walk from the main town square (and parking). Here you can enjoy a good pizza, either whole in the classic Italian style or by the slice. The ingredients are always fresh and tasty, as they are mostly locally produced, and the wine list is ample, with many regional labels.

In Minori the pizzeria par excellence is the il Giardiniello, so named because it is set in a beautiful small garden. Cooked in a wood-burning oven, the pizza is thick and crisp. Also good are the wines and the appetizers, both from the sea and from the land. As Minori is home to the renowned pastry chef, Salvatore De Riso, it is hard not to find a choice of great desserts.

In Maiori, at the end of the beautiful promenade along the sea, there is Pizzeria Nettuno, with a beautiful view of the Amalfi Coast. The pizza, cooked in a wood-burning oven, is excellent.

Finally, in Vietri sul Mare, I would suggest the Ristorante/pizzeria Antico Mulino, with its small outdoor pergola and warm dining room. The pizza is really good, high, crisp and made with local ingredients in a wood-burning oven. The service is extremely friendly thanks to the attentive and hospitable owner. The wine list.is also good.

* Baldassarre Fiorentino was manager of a restaurant in Positano and one in the province of Trento and, until 2013, has been owner/manager of one of the highest-rated restaurants in Praiano. He is also a sommelier and producer of quality wines.