I stepped onto the terrace at Palazzo Avino in Ravello and forgot to breathe for a second. The cliff drops a thousand feet straight down to the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the infinity pool below melts right into the horizon. That is the setting for Rossellini’s, one of two restaurants on this ridge that have turned cliffside dining into something close to performance art.
Rossellini’s at Palazzo Avino ranks #13 in the Top 50 Restaurants with the Best View in the World, with a 10/10 score for both ambience and food.
Ravello sits higher than any other town on the Amalfi Coast, and that altitude changes everything. The air is cooler, the crowds thinner, and the views stretch from the Gulf of Salerno all the way to the mountains behind. I came here to figure out whether Rossellini’s or Belvedere Caruso — the two big-name cliffside restaurants in town — actually delivers on the price tag and the hype. This guide covers what each one costs, how to book a good table, and where the real differences are.
If you can only book one, Rossellini’s wins on pure drama and food consistency. Belvedere Caruso gives you a more polished resort experience and a slightly higher perch. Either way, book eight to twelve weeks ahead, specify your table at booking, and don’t skip blue hour.
Couples
Fine dining enthusiasts
Photography lovers
Food & Drink
Rossellini’s at Palazzo Avino — the cliff-edge two-top
Rossellini’s is the restaurant that made me understand why people fly across the Atlantic for a single dinner.
The dining room is a covered terrace wrapped around the edge of Palazzo Avino, a former 12th-century villa turned into a five-star hotel. Every table faces the sea, but the real prize is the two-top at the very edge of the cliff. I watched a couple sit there at sunset and honestly, the waitstaff choreograph the service so precisely around the light that courses arrive just as the sun hits the water — first courses in golden hour, mains through blue hour, dessert after dark when the coastal town lights start flickering on.
Dinner at Rossellini’s runs between 180 and 260 EUR per person, depending on what you order from the modern Mediterranean menu. That puts it in the same bracket as most Michelin-starred tables on the coast, even though Rossellini’s itself does not carry a star. The kitchen uses local Amalfi ingredients — think anchovies from Cetara, lemons from the terraces above the town, and seafood pulled from the Gulf of Salerno. I found the pasta course the strongest part of the meal, specifically the hand-rolled paccheri with scampi and bottarga.
Specify the cliff-edge two-top and the sunset slot when you book. Without that, you may end up seated toward the back of the terrace where the view is partially obscured by the hotel structure.
Food & Drink
Belvedere Caruso at Belmond Hotel Caruso — higher, quieter, resort-polished
Belvedere Caruso sits 1,200 feet above the coast — two hundred feet higher than Rossellini’s — and that extra altitude changes the angle on everything.
From the terrace at Belmond Hotel Caruso, the view sweeps past Atrani and the terraced lemon groves and lands straight on the open Mediterranean. The infinity pool here is the famous one — you have seen it on Instagram even if you do not recognize the name. The restaurant, Belvedere Caruso, shares that pool-edge positioning, and the best table is the two-top right at the pool edge facing the cliff drop at sunset.
The price runs 200 to 290 EUR per person, slightly above Rossellini’s, and the cuisine is labeled modern Italian rather than modern Mediterranean — a small distinction that shows up in the ingredient handling. The kitchen leans harder on local pastas and vegetable sides from the hotel’s own garden. I thought the food was very good but not quite as sharp as Rossellini’s. The ambience, though, is genuinely spectacular. The pool reflects the sunset colours in a way that the cliffside terrace at Rossellini’s cannot match.
Booking lead time is eight to twelve weeks — longer than Rossellini’s. You also need to book a room at the hotel first; the restaurant prioritises hotel guests for the prime tables. Without a hotel reservation, you may end up with a later slot or an interior table.
Rossellini’s vs Belvedere Caruso — which one should you book?
Both restaurants deliver a three-hour cliffside dinner that you will remember for years. But they are not interchangeable.
| Rossellini’s | Belvedere Caruso | |
|---|---|---|
| Height above sea | 1,000 feet | 1,200 feet |
| Price per person | 180–260 EUR | 200–290 EUR |
| Booking lead time | 8–10 weeks | 8–12 weeks |
| Food score | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Ambience score | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| Best table | Cliff-edge two-top | Pool-edge two-top |
| Cuisine style | Modern Mediterranean | Modern Italian |
| Closed | Low winter | Winter |
| World ranking | #13 Top 50 View Restaurants | #35 Top 50 View Restaurants |
Rossellini’s scores higher on food and its view ranking is significantly better. Belvedere Caruso costs more and takes longer to book but offers a resort experience that Rossellini’s cannot match — you can spend the whole day at the Belmond pool and walk upstairs for dinner. For most people, Rossellini’s is the better pure-dining pick. For a full anniversary or honeymoon evening where the hotel matters as much as the meal, Belvedere Caruso edges ahead.
Both restaurants are open April through October, and both require you to book a hotel room first to guarantee the best table. Neither is suitable for young children — the dining pace is slow, the setting is formal, and the cliff edge is not something you want to worry about with a four-year-old. Michael and I left Lily and Ethan with a sitter at our hotel in Amalfi and treated it as a rare date night.
- Book 8 to 12 weeks ahead and always specify your table and sunset slot at the time of reservation.
- Rossellini’s delivers better food and a more dramatic cliff-edge setting; Belvedere Caruso offers a higher perch and a full resort experience.
- Stay through blue hour — the view changes from gold to deep blue to city lights, and that transition is as memorable as the meal.
How to book a cliffside table in Ravello — the sequence that works
Booking these restaurants is not like calling a normal restaurant. There is a specific order that makes the difference between a great table and a mediocre one.
Both Palazzo Avino and Belmond Hotel Caruso give priority to hotel guests for the best tables. You can book the restaurant without a room, but you will likely get a later slot or an interior table. Reserve the hotel room, then call the restaurant directly — do not rely on email or online forms. Rossellini’s booking page on Restaurants for Kings has the direct contact details.
Say exactly which table you want — the cliff-edge two-top at Rossellini’s or the pool-edge two-top at Belvedere Caruso — and request the sunset seating. Without this specification, the restaurant may seat you toward the back where the view is partially blocked.
Both terraces close in heavy rain or high wind. Call the restaurant the afternoon before your dinner and ask about the weather outlook. If the forecast is bad, ask to move your reservation to the next clear evening.
Do not leave after the main course. The dining view at both restaurants changes register from golden sunset light to deep blue hour to full night when the coastal town lights appear. The dessert course is timed to arrive after dark for a reason.
I brought a compact drone with a 4K camera on this trip to capture the coast from above, and it was worth every gram in my carry-on. The cliffside perspective from Ravello is one thing from the terrace, but seeing the whole ridge drop into the sea from the air gives you a sense of the place that no photo from the restaurant can match. The model I use is beginner-friendly, under 249 grams so you do not need to register it in Italy, and it hovers steadily even in the moderate coastal winds that kick up around sunset.
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Before you go to Ravello for a cliffside dinner
How far ahead do I actually need to book?
Eight to twelve weeks for either restaurant, and longer if you want a weekend in July or August. Book the hotel night first, then call the restaurant directly to specify your table and time.
Is the food actually worth 200+ EUR per person?
Honestly, you are paying for the view first and the food second. The cooking at both places is very good — Rossellini’s scores a perfect 10/10 — but you can eat equally good pasta in Ravello for a fraction of the cost at a normal trattoria. The value is in the three-hour experience, not just the plate.
Can I go with a young child?
I would not recommend it. The dinner runs three hours, the dress code is smart, and the cliff edge is a genuine safety concern with a toddler. Leave the kids with a sitter and treat it as a date night.
What is the biggest disappointment people mention?
Getting seated at a table with a partially blocked view. If you do not specify the best table at booking, the restaurant may put you near the back or behind a pillar. That kills the whole point of spending this kind of money. Call and confirm your table position before you arrive.
Is Ravello itself worth visiting beyond these restaurants?
Yes. Ravello is calmer and more refined than Positano, with two major historic villas — Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone — that have gardens and views that rival the restaurants. I spent a full morning at Villa Cimbrone’s Terrace of Infinity and had it nearly to myself. I covered the full Amalfi Coast drive in this post, including where to stop between Positano and Ravello.
The thing nobody tells you about dining a thousand feet above the sea
What stayed with me after both dinners was not the pasta or the service or even the sunset. It was the moment during blue hour at Rossellini’s when the lights in Atrani came on one by one, and the whole coast turned into a string of tiny glowing points. A thousand feet up, with the sound of the sea barely reaching the terrace, I realised that the point of these restaurants is not the food. It is the rare chance to sit still and watch a place change from day to night without rushing. That is the thing you are really booking. For a deeper look at how the Amalfi Coast towns compare for a longer trip, this post on connecting Rome, the Amalfi Coast, and Taormina lays out the full itinerary.
Sources and further reading
Restaurants for Kings. “Rossellini’s Best View.” 🔗
Restaurants for Kings. “Belvedere Caruso Best View.” 🔗
Lux Travels Insider. “The Best Michelin-Starred Restaurants in the Amalfi Coast.” 🔗
The Glam & Glitter. “The Best Restaurants on the Amalfi Coast.” 🔗
Related reading on Emily in Italy
Amalfi Coast: How to Find La Dolce Vita — A practical guide to slowing down on the Amalfi Coast, with town-by-town tips on where to stay and eat without the crowds.
Maratea: Italy’s Hidden Amalfi Coast Alternative — If Ravello’s prices give you pause, this quieter coastal town in Basilicata offers similar cliffside views at a fraction of the cost.
Experience the Amalfi Coast’s Romantic Road — The drive along the SS163 is an experience in itself; this post covers the best viewpoints, parking hacks, and when to go to avoid the tour buses.
Four-Week Italian Journey: Coastal Drive to Sicily and Beyond — A full month-long itinerary that strings together the Amalfi Coast with Sicily, Calabria, and the Aeolian Islands for anyone planning a longer trip.