Ristorante Acquapazza Cetara

We drove to Cetara for one reason: to taste the famous Colatura di Alici. It was December, off season, and we were celebrating our eleven-year anniversary on the Amalfi Coast. Still, we could not resist adding a few extra hours on the road just to reach Aquapazza. Here, they truly live by the idea that everything is better with colatura. We began with a gin and tonic infused with colatura. Unexpected and delicious. Then came anchovies with salt and local lemon zest, followed by the freshest crudo of the day and outstanding oysters. The pasta was exceptional, rich in flavor and perfectly balanced. For the main course, we chose the Pesce all’Acqua Pazza, prepared with great care and deep respect for local tradition. Dessert was elegant and satisfying, and the local amaro was so good that we brought a bottle back with us to New York. With the first opportunity, we will absolutely return.

Lovely place ! Super good staff, good location, delicious food !!!! Highly recommend. Their speciality is colatura di alici , which is a must try. Would be happy to come back here again! Also there is a cat that eats only a good piece of fish, don’t forget to share with her something nice .

I rarely feel compelled to write reviews, but my recent visit to Ristorante Acqua pazza was nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment we walked in, the service was impeccable—attentive, warm, and seamless. The food, however, was the true star of the show. Each dish was a breathtaking masterpiece, bursting with delicate yet bold flavors that danced on our plates like an explosion of culinary artistry. Every bite left us in awe of the creativity and care put into the menu. If you’re looking for an unforgettable dining experience in Cetara, this is the place to go—hands down, a gem worth raving about!

Loved it! ❤️ Both times my husband and I visited were absolutely amazing. We can’t wait to come back again!

One of the best restaurants we have tried in Italy. Best parts were the raw fish, you could real taste the freshness, and the homemade fish sauce paired really well with the bread and the pasta dish. The staff were friendly and the owner was very passionate about his fish sauce production. Would 100% come back!

Really well positioned in Cetara. Food was good and the service was nice. We followed the recommendation of the waitress for the wine and we were not disappointed. The dishes were well presented. Bad point: the chairs were very uncomfortable - I appreciate the effort in terms of visual design but no - just changed them as you break your back after few hours!

Seaside restaurant that serves everything anchovies! Absolutely fantastic. Had 4 anchovie courses for lunch and each one was gastronomic experience. Must see!!! Parking is an issue, our driver dropped us off in front of restaurant otherwise have to park 1/2 mile away

Hands down the BEST restaurant I’ve ever been to, cannot recommend it enough! If I could give them more stars I’d honestly do! Beautiful and warm atmosphere( we chose to seat outside) and incredibly warm and friendly staff. They made sure to make us feel welcome and accommodate all our needs from great drink and food recommendations, to explaining how our meals were made and making sure we had everything we needed. The food was so tasty, defo try the colatura di alici spaghetti (traditional food). Few ingredients yet out of this world tasty! You are getting the experience of a 5 star restaurant. Location is also great. It was my birthday today and they truly made my year. Sang me happy birthday, even gave me a gift! They even gave us complimentary food on the house to try out as appetizers. Everyone was so polite and friendly. I regreat not taking more pics of the rest of the food, I was just too invested in it to remember to take pics!

Worlds. Best. Anchovies. We stayed in fantastic Cetara for four nights. On our third night we chose this place. Simply because we liked the look and the location. Little did we know that we would eat what's probably the worlds best alici (anchovies). But let's start at the beginning. After getting a table we ordered a half litre of house wine. Took a while until it was served, but no problem about that. Then we ordered two mains: Pasta with Tuna Genovese and the Spaghetti with colatura di alici (homemade anchovie fish sauce). Shortly after Gennaro arrived at our table. The mastermind, the artist ... or simply: the headchef/owner of this place. He said that we really need to try his famous alici (anchovies) and he will bring us a free starter plate with them. And soon they arrived: The Worlds Best Anchovies - at least so far. Preserved in high quality oil, topped with some herbs and garlic. And then freshly grated Amalfi Lemons on top. Wow...what an explosion of flavours! A feast for they eyes and more importantly: your palate. Never have we ever tasted better and more flavorful anchovies. Try them, even if you're not into anchovies or fish in general. The mains were great as well. Fresh and perfectly cooked (al dente) Pasta with few, but fresh and perfectly matched ingredients. The Tuna tasted great and the colatura alici was delightful. Not too fishy and smooth. Great stuff (Gennaro does produce it himself). We were so happy that we returned the next night and made a reservation right away (can get packed on weekends). We got a nice table - and again our dog was very welcome. This time we ordered a nice bottle of White: a 2010 Ester (Greco Di Tufo). A fantastic wine, deep yellow/gold color, but at the same time not too sweet and a perfect match for pasta dishes. Then of course: two servings of the brillant anchovies. For mains we had Pesto Pasta (handmade - very filling) and Gnocchi with grated dried fish roe! What might sound fishy is actually just a bit salty, very balanced and delicious. Another great dinner here at Acquapazza. Gennaro came by our table again and had a bit of a chat. Great guy! First night we paid 48 Euros, the other 70 Euros. Fair prices for dinners of this high quality. Innovative Italia food, but still faithful to its roots with few but great ingredients. Some of the best dishes we've had on this Italian Road Trip. Highly recommended!

At this restaurant I had one of the best meals of my life. The food was outstanding, the service was impeccable and the experience was amazing. In a charming picturesque Italian fishing village, you will find an Italian culinary experience. This place is a foodie's dream. From the salt cured anchovie appetizer to the amazing variety of desserts and lemoncello it was a meal to die for! I didn't even think I liked anchovies but after this meal I now know I do. The owner was so friendly and the chef here is amazing! Each course was even better than the last. We had salt cured anchovies, fried anchovies, a fantastic spiral pasta with a pine nut sauce, a simple spaghetti pasta with anchovie oil and we ended with some great desserts. The selection of dessert liqueurs was outstanding as well. We had fennelcello, mandarincello, lemoncello, and chocolate lemoncello. At the end of our meal, we felt like we had joined their family. The owner, chef, and 4 other members from the town jumped in the photo with us. Although you could go here on your own, We had an amazing guide named Marco who can be emailed at: marco.predieri@aruba.it he made the experience even more amazing. Knowing a local person here will help your foodie experience. Happy eating!!

One of the best seafood restaurants on the Amalfi coast - well known to Italians, who make a pilgrimage to eat here. While all of their fish and seafood is outstanding, they are known for their anchovies (alici) dishes, including their homemade cured anchovies (must have appetizer) and their colatura di alici (fish sauce). Their spaghetti con la colatura di alici is simple and brilliant. If you're a fan of fish sauce in any form (Nam Pla, Nuoc Mam, Garam), Acquapazza's is hands down the best (with all due respect to the renowned Nuoc Mam fish sauce from Phu Quoc in Vietnam). Lunch goes late into the afternoon, and dinner service starts around 20.30 and runs until about 1.00a.

Amazing restaurant which offers the authentic taste of the Sea in the tiny fishing village of Cetara. The Grilled Octopus was fantastic