Nestled among the limestone cliffs directly opposite the Faraglioni of Capri, La Fontelina restaurant and beach resort, one of the most beautiful in the world, is the very essence of the island, its romantic, cinematic, and natural ideal.

It was 1949 when Lucia Fiorentino and Peppino Arcucci, braving the sea, erected a wooden shack and opened a trattoria. Stormy seas destroyed it once, twice, three times, but they, along with Pasquale and Antonio Gargiulo, who had joined the team in the meantime, always rebuilt it.

A place that is part of Capri’s history even before its legend was born: the name “Fontelina” derives, in fact, from “the linen springs,” because once upon a time, Capri women came here to soak flax leaves in the natural pools that formed along the cliffs to create linen thread, used for clothing and fishing nets.

If there was a sea in Heaven, it would be the Fontelina sea.

In the 1960s, stars began to flock to Capri: Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Clark Gable, the Shah of Iran, and many others regularly stopped at La Fontelina, creating its legendary status.

In 1987, after a more violent storm than any other completely destroyed the restaurant and the establishment, the helm passed to Antonino Arcucci and Gaetano and Mario Gargiulo, who still today, along with their families, welcome customers old and new, famous and unknown, every day.

Its white and blue umbrellas, white limestone rocks, and breathtaking cobalt-blue sea, accessible only by iron ladders that invite timeless dives, have become, in the collective imagination, the very dream of Capri and of the most exclusive Italian vacations.

Lunch at La Fontelina, for those who aren’t already familiar, is one of those experiences worth having at least once in a lifetime, under the characteristic pergola overlooking the sea, perhaps starting with the famous peach sangria, served in ice-cold pitchers.

Chef Mauro offers cuisine that celebrates local seafood and the island’s vegetable gardens, with traditional dishes like Fontelina linguine and seafood classics like spaghetti with clams, fried mixed seafood, and seafood salads.

Reaching La Fontelina on foot (Capri is entirely pedestrianized) from the Piazzetta is one of the island’s most beautiful (downhill) walks, crossing Via Tragara to the Belvedere and from there a winding path filled with the scents of the Mediterranean scrub.

But don’t worry about the climb back up: after lunch or a day at the beach, La Fontelina offers a shuttle service aboard a beautiful traditional wooden gozzo boat that takes you to Marina Piccola (Scoglio delle Sirene), where you can take a convenient taxi back to the Piazzetta.

Here, the blue is unlike any other blue; a new word would be needed to define it, because it’s unique in the world.

The Secret

Two thousand years ago, the Roman emperors Tiberius and Augustus were captivated by the beauty of the place and had their villas built on this side of the island, docking ships loaded with supplies at the foot of the Faraglioni and building water cisterns.

Useful Info

La Fontelina
Località Faraglioni
80073 Capri, Napoli
Tel. +39 081 8370845

For beach and restaurant reservations during the high season from May 29 to September 13, a minimum spend of €200 per person is required. This can be reached throughout the day by adding the beach entrance fee, any extras, and bar and restaurant drinks.
For restaurant-only reservations, there is no minimum spend.

Appetizers: from €25
First courses: from €25
Second courses: from €28