Ristorante Acquapazza Cetara — Restaurant in Cetara

The Best Anchovies ..... in the world!

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...

I’ve been planning my trip to Cetara for some time and had stumbled upon various reviews of Acqua Pazza. I finally made it here today and must say that it exceeded the reviews I read.

The food was fresh, exquisite and simple. And that last one is what makes a great restaurant even greater. The simple ingredients that compliment each other, while some burst in your mouth and others caress your palette.

Tonight I had their signature dish, Spaghetti with colatura de alci. It danced in my mouth. I was surprised when they offered me a bib and then I understood why. I didn’t know if it was the sauce or the fact I was drooling over the flavors. I had to leave some noodles to make space for the fish. The daily catch that I chose (there were a few) was the Luvaro. I chose it grilled and Gennaro (the chef and co-owner) came to my table to peel it and platter it on my dish with no skin, bones or tail. The fish was grilled to perfection. His kindness was the final touch.

The food is great but their secret ingredient is their people. The smiles and warmth make a strong competition with the food. lol

If you are in the Amalfi Coast, get a boat and stop here. You...

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...