The Amalfi Coast has it all when it comes to evening entertainment, from classic cocktails served by white-jacketed waiters to more relaxed beachside venues where you can soak up the sun in one day and enjoy a sunset Campari spritz. You can even go all out and dance the night away on the waves at a club housed in a cave with a glass dance floor.
For more Amalfi Coast inspiration, check out our guides to the city’s best hotels, restaurants and things to do.
Find bars by area
Positano and surroundings
Piccolo Bar
There’s arguably no more swanky place in the world to sip a cocktail than Capri’s famous Piazzetta. It’s an open-air lounge in a tiny, painfully picturesque square, filled with tables from four rival bars. Piccolo is the oldest of the four bars and the favourite of the locals, so grab a table, order a Campari from one of the white-jacketed waiters and settle in to watch the world go by; everyone passes through this see-and-be-seen square at some point, and the fashion parade is second to none. Address: Piazza Umberto 1, Capri
To contact: piccolobarcapri.com
Prices: ££
Music on the Rocks
With the recent closure of the historic L’Africana club in Praiano, Music on the Rocks (located at the eastern end of Positano’s Spiaggia Grande) remains Costiera’s only real club. Opened in 1972 and occupying a huge sea cave carved out of the rock beneath an old tower (accessed from the beach), its dance floor—where both resident and internationally renowned guest DJs spin mainstream house and disco music—looks directly out onto the water. There are two restaurants: Rada serves upscale cuisine on an upper terrace with stunning water views, while the more casual Beach Bistrot is right on the sand. And if you want to relax after dinner, the rooftop Flybar offers live jazz and other soothing sounds.
To contact: musicontherocks.it; radapositano.it
Prices: Free entry in low season; ££ drinks included in high season
Franco’s Bar
Franco’s is a stylish, intimate open-air addition to the beachfront cocktail scene that harks back to an era when ‘bars were bars.’ Signature cocktails from veteran mixologist Mattia Pastori include the Franco’s Fizz (a citrus-infused combination of bergamot, lemonade, juice from local Amalfi lemons and almond milk), but there are also classics (Hemingway Daiquiri, Moscow Mule, Old Fashioned etc.) plus top-notch spirits and sparkling drinks. Apart from a few gourmet snacks, there’s no food on offer to detract from the stunning views or the quality of the drinks, but the sleek design is sure to catch the eye: a pearly-white floor made of hand-baked tiles, custom-made chairs and tables crafted from tubular steel, blue and white-striped Murano glasses and a bright yellow ceramic fountain by Giuseppe Ducrot.
To contact: francosbar.com
Prices: ££
At Aldo’s Le Sirenuse hotel
Named after Aldo Sersale, one of the founders of the Sirenuse hotel and the current owner’s late uncle, Aldo’s is the epitome of relaxed costiera chic. Its pretty terrace overlooks the pastel-hued houses of Positano and the open sea, and it’s regularly filled with beautiful people from early evening onwards. It’s a magical place for a relaxed dinner of oysters and caviar, sea bass tartare, veal Milanese or even a simple insalata caprese on a warm summer evening, but the secret is to linger late over after-dinner drinks as the temperatures drop, the lights flicker and the sky turns inky blue. Note that you can reserve a table for dinner, but only for drinks, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
To contact: sirenuse.it
Prices: £££
From Praiano to Amalfi
Pirate
Accessed via a narrow cliff path from Marina di Praia, this venue is a multi-functional space that serves as a beach club, restaurant and cocktail bar. You can work on your tan during the day (the sunbathing platforms are built into the rocks), snack on a salad for lunch and then order a Campari spritz from the cocktail bar carved into the sheer rock face. With tables set right over the water and regular live music sessions, this is a great evening hangout and if you decide to spend the night, the restaurant menu offers options such as pasta with sea urchin (a local speciality) and calamari fritti.
To contact: ristoranteilpirata.net
Prices: ££
Cafe Mirante
If you follow the long, stepped path from Praiano’s main street to Gavitella beach, you’ll pass the tiny Café Mirante on the way down, an under-the-radar coffee and aperitivo bar with a menu of delicious snacks, nestled into the hillside with some of the best views on the coast. There’s not much room on the small terrace, but it’s a magical place at sunset; try to grab a table overlooking the sea, put on your sunglasses, order a Campari Spritz or Lemon Zest (the house speciality with a strong chilli kick) and enjoy the soothing background sounds as you watch the sun set over the length of the Sorrentine peninsula and the faraglioni of Capri.
To contact: 00 39 3661718593; facebook.com/cafemirante.praiano
Opening hours: May-October, every day, 09.30-22.00
Prices: £
A fire
Gavitella beach (accessible by climbing down about 400 steps from Piazza San Gennaro in Praiano) is the only spot on this stretch of coast where the sun sets before sunset, so it’s a great place for an aperitivo, and there are great views along the coast to Capri. One Fire is a small, welcoming bar with a relaxed, casual atmosphere and delicious ice-cold beer, great cocktails and fun music. It also doubles as a lido where you can rent sun loungers and parasols, so you can spend the day here. If you can’t make it up the stairs, there’s a boat service to Positano.
Address: Cala Gavitella, Praiano
To contact: 00 39 338 3508555, Facebook
Opening: Every day 10:00-19:30
Prices: £
How we choose
Every bar, venue or experience on this curated list has been tried and tested by our visiting destination expert to give you the insider’s perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from relaxed pubs to sophisticated cocktail bars, to suit every type of traveller, and take service, drinks, atmosphere and price into consideration in our recommendations. We regularly update this list to keep up to date with the latest openings and up-to-date recommendations.