Eating on Ischia
The best seafood restaurants on Ischia: a local's guide
Ischia lives off the catch. The restaurants that matter share one rule: fish is picked in the morning from the harbour boats — and the kitchen touches it as little as possible.
01
What to look for (and avoid)
A good seafood restaurant on Ischia shows the day's catch, tells you which boat it came from, and has a wine list featuring Biancolella, Forastera and Per'e Palummo. Be wary of tourist menus with laminated photos, and of restaurants serving sea bass year-round without saying 'di lenza' (line-caught) or 'di paranza' (trawler).
02
Lacco Ameno
The Lacco Ameno corso is historically one of the island's most consistent stretches for seafood cooking. On Corso Angelo Rizzoli, La Cantina del Mare (no. 20) is a family-run restaurant serving the day's catch from Lacco and Casamicciola boats, alongside a list of the island's volcanic wines.
03
Ischia Ponte
The old town below the Aragonese Castle hosts historic trattorie on the pier. Fishermen's tradition: scorfano soup, spaghetti alla pescatora, fried paranza.
04
Sant'Angelo
In the pedestrian village, waterside restaurants serve raw fish, tartare and pasta with the day's catch in a quiet setting.
05
Forio
The west coast is more informal: trattorie, beach kiosks at Citara, char-grilled fish.
06
One tip
In summer, always book, even on Mondays. In low season (October–May) restaurateurs have more time to tell you what they caught — often the best moment for a real Ischian dinner.
Frequently asked
- The signature dish?
- Spaghetti with local vongole veraci, or pesce all'acqua pazza.
- Which wine to order?
- A Biancolella d'Ischia — the natural pairing for local fish.