I am standing in a kitchen so narrow I can touch both walls with my elbows. Salvatore, the owner, is rolling ndunderi — a ricotta-based pasta shape that looks like tiny oval pillows — on a wooden board barely wider than his hand. Behind him, a single gas burner simmers tomato sauce. The dining room seats maybe twenty people, all of them watching the open door like it is a stage.
Minori is a seaside village on the Amalfi Coast, 3 miles from Amalfi, reachable by a 15-minute boat ride.
– The Sun
Minori is the Amalfi Coast town you skip if you want glitz, and the one you seek out if you want to eat well, without a line, and watch a family cook food they have made the same way for generations.
Food travelers
Families with young kids
Solo slow travelers
Minori does not have a famous beach club or a celebrity hotel. It does not appear on most Amalfi Coast bucket lists. What it has is a kitchen the size of a closet, and a pasta tradition that goes back to ancient Roman times, according to local food historians. That is the whole reason I came. And I am not leaving hungry.
Why Minori’s Kitchen-Sized Restaurants Work Better Than Positano’s Big Dining Rooms
The first thing you notice in Minori is how small everything is — the harbor, the beach, the restaurants — and how that smallness makes the food taste better.
Positano has restaurants with white linens and waiters in bow ties. Minori has places where the owner’s grandmother is shelling peas at a table near the bathroom. I ate at a spot called Ristorante 34 Da Lucia in Vietri sul Mare on a different trip, and loved the boat-shaped ceramic bowl the seafood came in. But that was a performance. Minori’s kitchens are not performing. They are cooking.
Sal De Riso is the most famous name in Minori. But the real magic is in the places that do not have a website. One evening, Michael, Lily, Ethan, and I walked past a doorway with no sign. Inside, a woman was rolling ndunderi by hand. We sat down. She brought out a plate of that pasta — ricotta-based, not potato — with a simple tomato and basil sauce. Lily ate two servings. Ethan tried to eat the basil leaves separately. That meal cost around €12 each and was the best thing I ate on the entire Amalfi Coast.
Look for restaurants on Minori’s side streets, not the main lungomare. The ones with no English menu outside are usually the ones where the grandmother is cooking. Point at what the table next to you is eating.
The Path of Lemons and the Pasta Houses That Line It
The Sentiero dei Limoni connects Minori to Maiori through terraced lemon groves, and along the way you pass pastifici that have been making pasta since before Italy was a unified country.
The Path of Lemons takes about 90 minutes, with an initial climb of several hundred steps, according to The Sun. It is not a hard hike, but it is steep in spots. Bring water and wear shoes with grip. The path is lined with lemon trees, and the smell is incredible — sharp and sweet at the same time. Halfway through, there is a bench where you can sit and look down at the sea. I stopped there and wrote a few lines in my journal while Michael took photos of Lily trying to climb a low lemon tree branch.
The path ends in Maiori, which has a longer beach and more tourist infrastructure. But I would turn around and walk back to Minori. The best part of the walk is the return, when the light hits the lemon groves from the west and the whole hillside glows yellow-green.
What to Order in Minori (and Where to Find It)
Minori calls itself the City of Taste, and the menu is short, local, and seasonal.
The dish you need to eat is ndunderi. It is a pasta shape unique to this part of the coast, and it is nothing like gnocchi despite looking similar. Traditional ndunderi is made from ricotta cheese, not potatoes, and is rolled into small oval shapes by hand, as noted by exploredbymarta.com. The texture is soft and slightly pillowy, and it holds sauce better than any pasta shape I have tried.
You can find ndunderi at most restaurants in Minori, but the best version I had was at a tiny trattoria near the Basilica of Santa Trofimena. The sauce was a simple pomodoro with fresh basil and a drizzle of local olive oil. No cream, no cheese on top. Just the pasta and the tomatoes. That is the Amalfi Coast I want to remember.
The Basilica of Saint Trofimena dates to the 9th century, with its current design from the 18th century. It sits near the sea and is dedicated to Minori’s patron saint. The interior is cool and quiet, a good break from the midday sun.
For dessert, the Delizia al Limone at Sal De Riso is the obvious choice. It is a sponge cake soaked in lemon syrup, filled with lemon cream, and topped with lemon glaze. It is sweet but not cloying, and the lemon flavor tastes like actual lemons, not extract. Salvatore De Riso, the chef who created it, is a local celebrity. The pastry shop is usually busy, but the line moves fast.
Another local specialty is the pasta from Pastificio Vicidomini, which you can buy dried and take home. I brought back two bags of ndunderi and one of their long fusilli. I am saving them for a dinner party where I can pretend I learned how to make them myself.
Minori vs. Amalfi Town: Which One Wins for a Food-Focused Day?
If you have one day on this stretch of coast and you care about food, do not default to Amalfi town.
| Minori | Amalfi Town | |
|---|---|---|
| Crowds | Quiet even in peak season | Packed from 10am to sunset |
| Pasta specialty | Ndunderi (ricotta-based, handmade) | Standard Italian menu, fewer local shapes |
| Pastry scene | Sal De Riso (original Delizia al Limone) | Pasticceria Pansa (historic, since 1830) |
| Beach | Small free + paid section, family-friendly | Lido Azzurro, more crowded, pricier |
| Kitchen size | Closet-sized, family-run | Larger commercial kitchens |
Amalfi town has its charms — the Duomo is stunning, and Pasticceria Pansa has been operating since 1830, serving sfogliatelle and delizia al limone. But the crowds in Amalfi can be overwhelming, especially between May and September. Minori is a 15-minute boat ride away and feels like a different world.
I would do this: take the morning ferry from Amalfi to Minori, eat ndunderi at a family trattoria, walk the Path of Lemons after lunch, buy pasta to take home from Pastificio Vicidomini, and catch the late afternoon ferry back. That day cost us about €40 per person including lunch, a pastry, and the ferry, and it was the best day of our trip.
- Skip Amalfi town for lunch and take the 15-minute ferry to Minori instead.
- Order ndunderi — it is ricotta-based, not potato, and unique to this village.
- Walk the Path of Lemons in the late afternoon for the best light and fewer hikers.
Before You Go to Minori
Is Minori worth visiting if I only have one day on the Amalfi Coast?
Yes, but only if you care about food and quiet. If you want big views and a famous beach, go to Positano or Ravello. Minori is for eating, walking, and watching families cook in tiny kitchens.
How do I get from Amalfi to Minori?
Ferries run regularly from Amalfi’s port. The ride takes about 15 minutes and costs around €5 each way. You can also take the bus, but the ferry is faster and more scenic. Schedules change seasonally, so check at the port when you arrive.
What is the downside of Minori?
The beach is small and gets crowded on weekends. The free section fills up by mid-morning. The town is also very quiet at night — most restaurants close by 10pm. If you want nightlife, stay in Amalfi or Positano.
Can I visit Minori with kids?
Yes. The beach has shallow water, the Path of Lemons is manageable for older kids, and the restaurants are used to families. Ethan liked watching the pasta being rolled. Lily liked the lemon dessert. The main challenge is the stairs — Minori is built on a hill, and strollers are tough on the side streets.
Is Minori overrated?
No, but it is hyped in certain food circles. If you arrive expecting a hidden gem untouched by tourism, you will be disappointed. Locals know about Minori. The difference is that the tourism here is low-key and food-focused, not Instagram-driven. That is exactly why I liked it.
The Best Souvenir from Minori Is a Bag of Pasta
I brought home ndunderi from Pastificio Vicidomini, a jar of lemon marmalade from a small shop near the basilica, and a photograph I took of the kitchen where Salvatore cooked our lunch. The kitchen is smaller than my pantry at home. But that kitchen, and that pasta, taught me more about the Amalfi Coast than any boat tour or viewpoint ever could. For more on choosing which Amalfi Coast town fits your travel style, read my guide to the 10 best Amalfi Coast towns.
Sources and further reading
The Sun. “Amalfi Coast: the less crowded restaurants, travel and beaches.” 2024. 🔗
Explored by Marta. “Things to do in Minori, Italy.” 2024. 🔗
Stay in Amalfi Coast. “Minori’s pasta houses: where Italy’s slow pasta movement quietly lives.” 2024. 🔗
Condé Nast Traveller. “Best restaurants on the Amalfi Coast.” 2024. 🔗
Related reading on Emily in Italy
Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast: Which Italian Hike Is Better? — A direct comparison of the two famous coastal hiking regions, with practical tips on crowds, difficulty, and food stops.
Amalfi Coast Cliffside Villages — A deeper look at the smaller towns along the coast, including Minori, Atrani, and Praiano, and how to visit them without a car.
Your Guide to the Amalfi Coast’s Best Hotels — Where to stay based on your budget and travel style, from family-run B&Bs to luxury cliffside resorts.