Ristorante Da Adolfo — Restaurant in Positano

We had a fabulous time at Da Adolfo!

All the negative reviews here are a disgrace and must come from people who haven’t done their research on the schedule of the boat, the prices for the beach, or how to book a table.

We booked our table 10 days before traveling to Positano with no issues at all. We requested a table for lunch, two sunchairs and a parasol for the day which were set up as we requested.

When we got to the beach, we went up to the bar and ordered some coffee. They’ve just opened up so we had to wait a couple of minutes for the machine to heat up, but were served excellent cappuccini!

Our lunch was superb! Excellent! It literally made me shed a tear of joy. We had Tuna Carpaccio, Parmigiana and Aglio e Olio. The pasta was al dente and had a really nice balance between the garlic, herbs and olive oil. The parmigiana was the best I’ve ever had in my entire life - I actually felt sad I didn’t get a portion for myself but had to munch up the leftovers of my girl.

When we asked for a dessert recommendation, they suggested we order the lemon tiramisu and boy o boy… The following account actually happened)…

After we finished the main course, the sun hid itself behind the clouds and some raindrops fell through the fabric above us. But when the waiter brought out the lemon tiramisu and the very first bite touched my gums, the sun came out again. It was the most delightful dessert we’ve had on our trip to Italy this year, and it felt like god himself was lighting up the sky from above and within. The flavors of this tiramisu captured to essence of Campania. Bite by bite we were lured more and more into la dolce vita and tipped our hat to the chef and his staff. WOW! What a food experience.

If you are going to Positano, book a table in advance. There is also a way of booking a table without calling… (research goes a long way 😉) Don’t go to the pier and ask for a free ride as they won’t take you there without a reservation.

Also: If you want to show some respect to the workers at the bar, learn the most basic words and phrases in Italian. This goes a very very long way and will make your overall experience so much more pleasurable. Don’t be a stereotypical American or German tourist by expecting them to speak your language. Even if they do… you’re a guest in their country and at their restaurant. Have some dignity, respect and you will be treated with such!

11/10 recommendation! Would and...

This place is like a secret club. Virtually impossible to get in but amazing when you make it.

You need to book, don’t just turn up - you’ll get turned away. You probably won’t have any luck booking by phone as they don’t answer, get your hotel to book for you (probably by texting the owner). They fully book up the venue, so there will literally not be a table for you unless you book.

You’ll then get picked up at 11 from the main ferry wharf at Positano. The boat only seats 12 and there will be a big crowd, so get there early (10 45) or prepare to wait about an hour until everyone is ferried across. A round trip is about 20 mins.

You’ll then be dropped off at the private beach area. It’ll look like there are no sun beds for you, but there are - you just need to find the beach guy (red shorts) who will pull a bed out of the shed for you if you ask him. It’s 10 euro per sun bed and 5 euro for an umbrella. Get the umbrella, the beach is shaded in the morning but gets hot in the afternoon.

Lunch is served from 1 pm and it is amazing. The food is usual seaside trattoria (very heavy seafood focus- maybe 3 non seafood options) but done very well. The wine list is brief and the service chaotic but friendly. To get the best out of this place, you need to settle in for a long lunch. It’s not a quick eat then back on the beach venue. Pricing is pretty standard for Positano - don’t expect a discount for the remote venue!

Once you have finished eating, get back into the beach to recover and swim. The kitchen stays open until about 4 pm and the bar well after that, so there is plenty to eat and drink on the beach. It’s a fun vibe, like a friendly family beach party.

The boat taxi service runs from about 3 pm to close to take you back to Positano.

We enjoyed our day with Da Adolfo. This isn’t a quick lunch stop, it’s a full day commitment. Booking, getting over and then working out how everything works is stressful but ultimately worth it....

The food was good. Well cooked and seasoned. But not spectacular. 4/5 for the food

The service was not great at all. First of all, if you have a reservation for later in the afternoon, you must take the last boat shuttle by 1pm. Between 1-4pm there is no boat shuttle from the Positano marina to the restaurant. At 4pm,the shuttle begins again from the restaurant back to main land. This was not communicated to us. Therefore we were left at the marina in Positano and had to pay 40 euros to take a private boat taxi to the restaurant. Speaking of communication, this brings me to my second point. They NEVER pick up their phone, therefore you can't even ask instructions or speak to anyone at the restaurant while waiting. Locals also agree with this point and have heard many stories of disappointed tourists. Third, once we got there, we were rushed by the staff to get seated, and then were not attended to for about 20 mins. Nor was water brought to the table for the entirety of the meal. Furthermore, you're being served by gentlemen that don't appear or smell pleasant at all. Very unkept. Food did come out quite quickly once orders were finally taken.

Pricing: if you want to use a day bed to lay down at their beach, it's 25 euros per bed and does not include an umbrella. Also, when we booked online, they charge a 30 euro deposit per head which was not applied to our total bill, nor was it reversed on our credit card. Other's who were lucky enough to get a reservation via a local calling for them did not pay this deposit fee and therefore did not incur an extra 30 euro per person fee.

Overall I think this place is wayyyyyy overhyped due to social media influencers and for the "experience" of going to a restaurant only accessible by water. Definitely would not recommend,...