Eating, drinking and dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Capri.
Restaurants
Da Paolina
This restaurant can boast several celebrity connections; Tom Cruise was, apparently, very polite during his meal (probably no one spotted him, since the restaurant is set in a lemon grove where the huge trees drip with enormous lemons).
Via Palazzo a Mare
(+39 081 8376102)
L'Olivio
The terrace affords guests splendid views over the Bay of Naples, whilst the chic interior has the feel of a drawing room, complete comfy sofas, stone fireplaces, antique mirrors and bookcases. The food at this Michelin-starred restaurant in the super-smart Capri Palace Hotel is not bad either.
Via Capodimonte, 2/b
(+39 081 9780111)
Add'o Riccio
Family-run restaurant with access to the sea along the cliff from the Blue Grotto. Indulge in the house special – fresh seafood on the terrace or pergola.
Via Grotta Azzurra
(+39 081 8371380)
Da Gemma
Nestling under the arches of a tiny lane, this restaurant has been around since the 1930s and was frequented by Graham Greene. It’s still going strong with its trademark pizzas and seafood pasta.
Via Madre Serafina, 6, just behind La Piazzetta
(+39 081 8370461)
Cafés
Scialapopolo kiosk
A tiny brightly coloured window on one the most prestigious shopping street in Capri, this old-fashioned kiosk conjures up ice creams, granite, cocktails, toasted sandwiches, warm bread rolls, and panini, as if from nowhere.
55, via Vittorio Emanuele
(+39 081 8370558)
Buonocore
For espresso and cakes and, arguably, the best torta Caprese, make sure you don't miss Buonocore.
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 35
(+39 081 837 7826)
Guarrachino
This ultra-modern bar is popular with the locals and tourists alike. They serve a wide range of beers, wines and spirits. This is a great place to go and have a few drinks, while mixing with some of the locals.
Via Castello, 7
(+39 081 8370514)
Bars and clubs
Piccolo Bar
This is the oldest bar in the island's central showing-off point.
La Piazzetta
+39 081 8370325
Gran Caffe
A chichi bar in the Piazzetta, the centre of the island's social life, another great place for people-watching from behind a pair of dark glasses.
Piazza Umberto
(+39 081 8370388)
The Terrace Bar
If you can get in, this bar at the Grand Hotel Quisiana, Capri's most expensive hotel (Ernest Hemingway and Sting have both stayed) does classic cocktails to perfection.
Via Camerelle 2
(+39 081 837 0788)
Taverna Anima e Core
The vibe can be a little 'ageing Lotharios vs olive-skinned lovelies', and the drinks are anything but cheap here at the ‘Heart and Soul’ bar - but this is the most famous of Capri’s late-night drinking dens, hidden behind a nondescript doorway.
Via Sella Orta, 39/e
(+39 081 8376461)