My wife and I enjoyed dinner at Al Grottino on a rainy Wednesday (note that Wednesday most restaurants in Capri are closed but Al Grottino is open). We were seated by a gentleman, who we think is the owner and we occasionally observed in the kitchen cooking, and served by another local Italian. Both had passable but not great English. The restaurant is a small, elegant, restaurant just off the main square in Capri. It's an intimate setting with pretty white ceilings. We ordered a few pasta dishes to share based on recommendations from our server. The first, an excellent seafood pasta that we highly recommend. Both of us cleaned our plates with bread because the sauce was so flavorful. The second, a ravioli filled with mozzarella and served with tomatoes and fresh basil - also excellent and we were both members of the clean plate club. The third, a risotto, never arrived. We think it may have been lost in translation. No problem, we enjoyed a panna cotta for dessert which was excellent. Overall, a nice dinner and we would probably return. The restaurant did fail to serve us one dish we ordered and didn't do anything above and beyond but the food was great, atmosphere was cozy, and service was fine. read more

Let me first say that I rarely write reviews, but my experience at Al Grottino in Capri was so on another level that I had to let you all know. This is a very special place, the kind of amazing family oriented Italian restaurant that you dream about eating at. The owner, Jean Franco, mans the ship every night and treated us like we were a part of his family. At a glance Al Grottino looks like nothing special -- small indoor dining room with not-so-hip torquoise table cloths -- but as soon as you sit down you slowly realize you're in for a magical evening. The menu has a lot of items on it, and so we decided to trust the staff and just tell them what we were in the mood for -- they took that and ran with it. For antipasti we had the Octopus Carpaccio and it was phenomenal -- very light and the perfect way to ease into an adventurous local dish. Pasta course we had the Gnocci Bolegnese, only way to describe it was "umami". For secondi we had a special pork cutlet with wine / caper / green olive sauce that was unexpectedly delicious. Jean Franco poured us a half glass of wine with each course he selected to be paired. We eat at amazing restaurants in San Francisco all the time and this place was easily better than the best neighborhood Italian restaurant in North Beach. For what it's worth, we were waking down past Al Grottino on our last night in Capri and Jean Franco spotted us, called us back into the restaurant for glass of Prosecco on the house and we ended up spending the rest of the evening there -- we had a ravioli appetizer and the seafood pasta special, both to die for. Can't say enough about the service, staff, food, atmosphere, and just down to earth vibes. That combination can sometimes be hard to find on Capri, so this place is a diamond in the rough. read more

Al Grottino - Octopus - delicious! - Seafood Near Me - Capri, NA

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Came here because it had good reviews but I STRONGLY advise you not to come. Biggest mistake of our entire vacation. 1) I ordered the pasta w/ scampi (€14). This is a select your own pasta so I chose Gnocchi. I was presents their gnocchi dish with ragu sauce (€13) no scampi. not only was this not what I requested but when I asked where the scampi was the waiter said that I ordered the gnocchi dish. He said it is what it is. He offered to bring me the pasta with scampi after if I wanted but it would be too much food. 2) we ordered the special fish of the day he was advertising. It was mediocre. A whole fish fillet that is filled with bones and scales. Not what I expected for €36. 3) Still water is expensive €5. Half a bottle of wine is expensive €14. Given the prices we've seen in the area, this is very steep. While bill ends up being €76. And we aren't full or happy with the food we received. Not to mention the waiter/(owner?) is rude and pushy. Take your money elsewhere and dine at any other restaurant but this one. 1 star because there is free wifi read more

Al Grottino - Gnocchi. €13. Not that great. Overpriced for what you get - Seafood Near Me - Capri, NA

I was traveling alone in Capri the last couple of days and happened to stumble into Al Grottino. What a hidden treasure! They had an extensive wine list, in which I appreciated and food options for everyone. I ordered the caprese salad and prawn pasta. It did not disappoint! Wonderful, fresh flavors! John Franco, the owner was very attentive and extremely knowledgeable. At the end of the meal he even gave me a limoncello highly recommended this place! read more

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It's a hike up but very pretty view! Very authentic Italian restaurant. Lunch would be best

We came to Al Grottino on our first night in Capri and have been back three times this trip! This is our new favorite spot. The food is above excellent and the warm service is even better. The owner Gianfranco always has a smile and is very accommodating. This will quickly become your favorite spot. Walk down Via Longano which originates in the piazzetta and 100 feet later you'll be at Al Grottino. Tell Giancfranco I sent you! Molto Bene!!! read more

Best Restaurant in Capri and one of my favorites in Italy. Friendly owner and staff, excellent service, and amazing food! read more

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I highly recommend this restaurant. A reservation is a must. We stopped in the day before and asked for 8pm reservation for 4 people - otherwise would not have been able to get a table. We ordered their signature local lobster pasta dish but they ran out of lobster so substituted 4 prawns for us which was better since there were 4 of us. That was a really delicious dish. All the food there was wonderful. The owner is very attentive and clearly takes great pride in his restaurant. I would certainly return if I am in Capri. read more

Nice intimate place. Friendly service. The food was very good. Great place to eat to get away from the crowds.

Place is great very authentic restaurant. Tons of good wine and bourbon. I got the veal which was delicious. Their manager or possibly owner was greeting everyone too. Best Italian food I had in Capri read more

Our dishes were custom prepared to our liking and presented table side. I highly recommend the steak and sea food dishes ! read more

Al Grottino - Seafood Near Me - Capri, NA

Fantastic! Wife and I came here and were so happy we did. The food is absolutely phenomenal and the staff is so kind. The owner really takes pride in his restaurant and we loved every second of our meal. Highly recommend!! read more

So apparently there was a washed up former American TV star there that sucked up all the attention of the owner and wait staff. I think the owner prides himself more with yapping about pseudo celebrities that appear there rather than providing a great meal experience. We ordered the octopus salad, which was mediocre, and the ceviche, which was absolutely horrible. It was a scant amount of fish, pounded tissue paper thin and draped over a bed of plain, unseasoned lettuce. Shockingly uninspired for the $20 price. My wife got the pasta with mixed seafood, and I got the fish of the day, both were flavorless and overpriced. They charged $80 for an 8" roasted red snapper, which for the price I can only assume was flown onto the island via its own private helicopter from wherever red snappers are born, to be hand delivered to its dishonorable and forgettable death, much like the many poor sodomized victims at the hands of Emperor Tiberius elsewhere on the island in the first century AD. In the end I spoke to the owner about the quality of the overpriced meal and after violating my personal space for 20 minutes and trying to defend his restaurant, he discounted our bill by 9 euros, which did not help our disappointment. Literally eat anywhere else except this place. read more

Excellent local wine (Irpinia Anglianico by Salvatore Molettieri), and my meal was perfect: Scialatielli fior di zucchine e tartufo estivo. Warm atmosphere and wonderful service. read more

What an incredible meal. The specialty of the house is a homemade pasta with seafood, the Cocotto. I've been eating pasta my whole life and this may have been the most delicious ever. We added Mediterranean lobster, very distinctive from our usual Maine lobster. Expensive, yes, but worth it. The owner Gianfranco takes much pride in his cooking and deservedly so. Worth a visit while on Capri. read more

We visited close to the end of the season, and luckily, the crowds at Capri were much more manageable. This made for a minimal wait for what we searched for, the Cocotte. This was by far the best pasta during our 8 days in Italy. Fantastic chew, flavorful sauce, and fresh seafood, all on one plate. Our server was also quite attentive, being sure to refill our water, wine, and bread without us even asking. If you are in or around the Amalfi Coast, you MUST make this a stop for a meal. read more

Al Grottino - Seafood Near Me - Capri, NA

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Amazing food, great service. Owner was wonderful. Delicious and authentic. The risotto, seafood and homemade pasta was unreal. The charm of the owner, restaurant and overall experience makes you want to come back for more. They open at 6pm which is a plus too! read more

Al Grottino - Finished everything it was so good! Pasta, fish, everything is amazing! - Seafood Near Me - Capri, NA

Best restaurant we've been to here! We found it randomly, not expecting much. I got the truffle pasta- it was amazing! My grandma got the lemon pasta- it was amazing! And my mother got the seafood risotto, which ALSO was great! Everyone who worked there was nice and it was the best meal we've had, even though it was the only one which we found completely randomly. They gave us some dessert for free too read more

Overall best dinner I had in Italy. The food was amazing (get the seafood pasta). The owner was so sweet and even sat at my table to help explain the rest of my trip. I would recommend this place to anyone! Stop in and get the best dinner of your life. read more

Al Grottino - Seafood Near Me - Capri, NA

Had a wonderful meal here last week. The place is sort of hidden (which is a benefit) and hard to find. But worth it. The Caprese salad, the pasta, everything perfect. Great service and prices reasonable. It's a little snug--maybe 15 tables where there should be 12, but it all works out. read more

Short walk from the funiculare and out of the sun. Excellent menu and amazing food. The seafood risotto was light but very flavorful. The lemon sea-bass was fresh catch of the day... highly recommend Al Grottino. read more

Don't sleep on this cute little spot off the main square. Literally some of the best food I've had in Capri. Caprese with buffalo mozzarella and rucola and basil was yum - best in Capri .... and the Caprese RAVIOLI was incredible. Most of all, I LOVE that ALL their pasta is handmade. I haven't felt that any other pasta on the island tastes this good. Their cakes and desserts are all made in house too. My lunch was so good / I came back for dessert after a somewhat disappointing dinner elsewhere. A Tiramisu (Amazing!), an espresso, and a sambuca later, I was ready for bed. The owner was so happy to see me again - showed me to "my table" and treated me like family. I may go back again tomorrow for the fish. read more

Al Grottino was our favorite restaurant on Capri. The staff was super friendly and made you feel like family, the food was incredible, and the overall atmosphere was perfect. I highly recommend ordering one of their seafood dishes and the desserts were the best we had in Italy. Definitely call ahead or stop in to make a reservation because it is a small place down one of the main alleys in Capri. The prices are reasonable and match the quality of the experience. If you go to Capri you have to make time for this restaurant! read more

We ate here twice. Excellent fresh pastas made at the restaurant. We had the huge seafood pasta which was both amazing and a full meal. We also had the scialatelli which was wonderful if a bit of a small portion. We shared the Caprese salad both times and it was very good. Great and friendly service. Good coffee and limoncello after. Excellent wine list! We had a, hard to find, Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino our first time and an Antinori Cervaro della Sala (white) the second time. Highly recommended as great value for money especially in what is generally over-priced Capri. read more

Al Grottino is a quaint restaurant right in Capri center. It is the most fresh and authentic Italian food I've had so far on this trip. It's worth the hike! If you want an incredible pasta dish, order the straccetti homemade pasta- it is incredible! A great pick! read more

My family had an amazing time - food and service were outstanding. I emailed with Gianfranco a week prior to our visit to reserve a table (we were a group of 9 people). In Capri, these little hidden-gem restaurants are smaller, so I wanted to make sure we would get a table. He said, no problem, we will be ready for you. When we arrived on time for our reservation, there was a 9-top ready for us. Gianfranco greeted me by name and welcomed my whole family with open arms. He suggested some delicious appetizers then took our order directly. The food was phenomenal and the service by Gianfranco and Luigi was unmatched. Upon my family's invitation, Gianfranco joined us to give thanks before our meal. By the end, we were all leaving with hugs! It was a true Italian family affair. Gianfranco and Luigi are hospitable, honorable and professional. We will go back every time to visit Ristorante Al Grottino and our new friends, Gianfranco and Luigi. Thank you!! read more

Really enjoyed our lunch here! Fresh pasta & clams & seafood risotto! Wonderful wine list Gaja/ Tignanello/ Ornellaia. Must stop in and say hi to John Franco! read more

Al Grottino - Delicious Risotto! - Seafood Near Me - Capri, NA

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If you are a non Italian speaking American be prepared to wait. We watched tables on all sides of us order, were served and completed their meals before ours arrived. Portions and presentations were different also. After 50 minutes we got up to leave. Owner gave us some BS story, gave us each a glass of wine. Reluctantly we stayed. Food is mediocre at best. There are plenty of other restaurants in Capri where your patronage is appreciated. read more

I've had Dinner here every night during my trip to Capri. One word, HOSPITALITY! They treat you like family! This is what you'll talk about when you go back home! read more

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We had a fantastic experience here! We spent our first honeymoon evening in Capri here and it lived up to expectations! We were so tired after our long journey here and wanted to eat early. The owner opened the restaurant early especially for us!!! We had incredible burrata and artichoke, and carpaccio octopus for appetizer. Then, we shared the amazing fish pasta for entre. Don't miss the homemade Limoncello! We hope to be back!!! read more

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We came here on a recommendation from people we met at our hotel and it did not disappoint. The gnocchi was the absolute best we've ever eaten. The red sauce was amazing and the eggplant parmagiana was incredible. We had a great caprese type salad with a smoked cheese that we loved and a scampi pasta that was also good. Overall, this wound up being one of if not the best meal we had in Capri. read more

Very authentic Italian cuisine. Owner greeted us and was very friendly. Food is amazing. We had lunch and dinner here twice during our stay in Capri. Best food we've had in Italy so far!!! read more

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Great location, good food, service ok. Owner did not go into a lot of effort when I asked for a wine recommendation, but food was good. Ravioli and scallopini were good. Get a bottle of Chianti Classico Reserva Leonardo 2012 to go with your pasta. Enjoy. read more

This place is only good for seafood. Was disappointed in my meal but other members of our family enjoyed their seafood dishes.

Stumbled upon this hidden gem wandering through the tiny corridors in Capri. We noticed the impressive selection of wines in the window and the beautiful decor inside the "grotto" like restaurant. Fresh, red roses were in silver vases on each white linen tablecloth. The proprietor John Franco welcomed us in and upon finding out we just got married the day before sent over Prosecco & promptly put all of the roses from the other tables in a big vase for our table. He insisted on taking lots of pictures of us. Hopefully our photo will join the 100s of others that are tastefully framed throughout the restaurant. Showing the history of the restaurant with John Franco hosting everyday customers as well as many celebrities. His stories were great as well. We enjoyed a fresh, delicious seafood risotto cooked perfectly al dente & fresh lemony clams over linguini. You know you made the right choice when the owner is eating the same for lunch! We are big fans of Gaia wines so we enjoyed white with the seafood. Again we were sent over an extra glass of wine at the end of our meal along with hugs and kisses from the owner. It was a great way to spend the afternoon before shopping at his great recommendations for a handmade sandal factory. The views are hard to pass up in Capri... but I highly recommend taking a stop in this cozy, charming restaurant! read more

I absolutely loved this place. The owner was so incredibly friendly and treated me and my boyfriend like family. We were there celebrating my birthday, and he made me feel so special. We ordered the Caprese Salad, the fresh pasta with arugula, and the roasted chicken. Everything was amazing! The prices were fair, too. We would definitely come back here again! read more

In our two week trip, stumbling into this sparkling jewel of the island, was one of the highlights! We sat down just grateful to have found a place to seat us during siesta with no foreshadowing that we would be nearing consumption of some of the best food of our lives. For a little context, wine, charcuterie, and cured meats are some of the reasons that we decided to have our wedding here in Italy and as diners we are discerning. So when I say the braseolo and prosciutto were the most savory, smoky, melt into your tongue that I have ever tasted, this is a dire and earnest account. The burrata paired with wine and was cool, clean, and divine. I had the baked terrine of lobster, mussels, and clam pasta in a creamy tomato cream based sauce. The seafood was all so fresh and the serving hand scraped lovingly from a massive aged cast iron pot to extricate each morsel of deliciousness to our dishes. In sneaking a taste from my nieces ravioli I was equally stunned, the pasta both hearty and mild but full of light air. At once you get the almost religious sensation that this is how Italian food was intended to taste. Thank you for excellence in food and service!!! Bravo! read more

Cozy and intimate little restaurant a short walk from the main piazza. Service was very good. We ordered the linguini with shrimp and the spaghetti with clams. Both dishes were delicious. read more

My wife and I ate here on our last night of a 3 week Europe trip. We were the first guests of the evening and the owner took GREAT care of us... We ordered an appetizer starter and a carafe of the house white. The green olives on the starter were the best olives we'd ever had. When we complimented them, he brought out a small plate with a few more for my wife... it was great. For dinner my wife had the homemade gnocchi and I had the calamari. Both were some of the best food we'd had across 5 countries. The atmosphere is nice, but it does fill up early... so do what we did, be the first! read more

I had lunch in this restaurant during my stay in Capri and I really recommended to anyone. The food was great and the service was exceptional. We asked for recommendations on what to had and the owner came out and gave us an excellent recommendation. This place exceeded my expectations, best pasta in Italy ! read more