Restaurant in Massa Lubrense, Italy
Campanian cooking with a Capri view worth booking.
Relais Blu holds a Michelin star (2024) and serves authentically Campanian cooking from a kitchen garden-backed menu, with a terrace view directly across the water to Capri. Chef Fumiko Sakai's focus on regional breeds like Nero Casertano pork and Laticauda lamb makes this the most compelling food-and-setting combination on the Sorrento Peninsula. Book four to six weeks out minimum in summer.
Yes, and the view alone would make a lesser kitchen worth tolerating. The fact that the kitchen here holds a Michelin star (2024) makes Relais Blu one of the strongest arguments for choosing Massa Lubrense over Capri itself for a serious dinner. This is not a scenic restaurant that happens to serve decent food. It is a destination restaurant with a setting that reinforces, rather than distracts from, the meal. If you have already been once and are wondering whether to return, the answer is the same: the combination of Campanian cooking this grounded and a terrace view directly across the water to Capri's silhouette is not something you replicate easily on the peninsula.
Chef Fumiko Sakai runs the kitchen, and the detail worth knowing is that despite his Japanese origins, his cooking is authentically Campanian in its reference points. Returning guests should look past the setting on the second visit and focus on exactly how the sourcing works: vegetables come from the restaurant's own kitchen garden, fish drives the menu in the way it does at the leading coastal trattorias in the region, and the meat section includes Nero Casertano suckling pig and Laticauda lamb, two regional breeds that appear rarely even on serious menus in Campania. If you ordered fish on your first visit, the meat courses are the thing to push into this time. Both breeds have a distinctive flavour profile — Nero Casertano pork runs rich and fatty in a way that industrial pork simply does not, and Laticauda lamb carries a gaminess tempered by the herb-heavy pastures of the area. These are not decorative menu notes; they are the reason repeat diners come back.
For a restaurant at this price tier (€€€), the seasonal anchoring matters. Right now, summer service means the outdoor terrace is the place to sit, and the kitchen garden is at its most productive, so vegetable-forward dishes and seafood preparations built around what the garden and local boats supply will be at their peak. Booking a table for late evening in the current season gives you the view in fading light, which shifts the experience considerably compared with a lunchtime visit.
Campania's wine identity is the right lens through which to read the list here. The region produces whites built on Fiano and Greco di Tufo that have the acidity and weight to hold up against both the kitchen garden vegetables and the fish courses without overwhelming either. Falanghina from the Campi Flegrei and Falerno del Massico reds are the kinds of category 2 context that the sommelier at a Michelin-starred Campanian restaurant will draw on. A kitchen this committed to regional sourcing — kitchen garden, local breeds, coastal fish , should be matched by a list that does the same with regional producers, and at a one-star level you should expect the sommelier to steer you toward producers you would not find in an enoteca. On a second visit, it is worth letting the sommelier pair by the glass across courses rather than committing to a single bottle. The contrast between a structured Fiano against the suckling pig versus a lighter pairing with the seafood opening is the kind of decision the list here should support. If you are interested in exploring Campanian producers more broadly, see our full Massa Lubrense wineries guide for regional context.
Relais Blu is a hard booking. A Michelin star on the Sorrento Peninsula, a terrace with that view, and summer as the peak season create the conditions for a table that fills weeks in advance. Plan at least four to six weeks ahead for summer dinner reservations, and do not expect flexibility on short notice. The address is Via Roncato, 60 in Termini, a small fraction of Massa Lubrense, which means you will need a car, a taxi, or to arrange transfer from Sorrento. The drive from Sorrento takes roughly 20 minutes but the roads are narrow and parking near the restaurant is limited, so a taxi or pre-arranged transfer is the practical choice for an evening with wine. For options closer to town, Lo Scoglio and Terrazza Fiorella are the nearby alternatives worth knowing, and our full Massa Lubrense restaurants guide covers the wider picture. Google reviewers rate Relais Blu at 4.7 across 621 reviews, which at this price tier indicates consistent delivery rather than occasional brilliance.
Relais Blu works leading for two people on a special occasion dinner, for food-focused couples who want Campanian cooking at its most rigorous, and for anyone willing to combine the meal with a night in Massa Lubrense rather than treating it as a day-trip destination. It is less suited to large groups expecting a relaxed shared-plates format, or to diners whose primary interest is the Capri view rather than the food , for whom a simpler restaurant on the island itself might be more appropriate. If your priority is wine depth over cooking ambition, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence operates at a different level of cellar investment. For coastal Mediterranean at a similar star level on the Adriatic, Uliassi in Senigallia offers a useful comparison point. But for dinner on the Sorrento Peninsula with a Michelin-calibre kitchen and a view that earns its reputation, Relais Blu is the clear choice. See also: Il Buco in Sorrento and La Brezza in Ascona for further Mediterranean comparisons. For a broader trip, our Massa Lubrense hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the rest of what you need.
At €€€ for a Michelin-starred kitchen with kitchen-garden sourcing, regional breed meats, and a terrace view across to Capri, yes. You are paying for a combination of credentials and setting that is hard to replicate on the peninsula. If price is the primary concern, the coastal trattorias around Massa Lubrense offer good seafood at a fraction of the cost, but they are not competing with this kitchen.
If you want to understand what Fumiko Sakai is doing with Campanian ingredients, the tasting menu is the right format. It will take you through the kitchen garden vegetables, the coastal fish, and the regional meats in sequence. For a first visit, it is the leading way to calibrate the kitchen. On a return visit, ordering à la carte and focusing on the Nero Casertano pork or Laticauda lamb is a reasonable alternative if you want to spend more time on the savoury courses.
Prioritise the regional meat dishes, particularly the Nero Casertano suckling pig and Laticauda lamb, which are the most distinctive things on the menu and rarely appear elsewhere in Campania. Fish is the backbone of the menu, so any seafood preparation built around the day's catch is a safe anchor. Let the sommelier guide you toward Campanian whites for the seafood courses.
Smart casual is appropriate for a Michelin-starred restaurant at €€€ in this region. No formal dress code is confirmed in available data, but the setting and price tier mean that beach attire is not suitable. Think linen trousers and a shirt, or an equivalent standard for the evening.
Specific dietary accommodation policies are not confirmed in available data. At Michelin-starred level, kitchens generally handle dietary requirements when notified in advance. Contact the restaurant directly at the time of booking and confirm any restrictions then , do not assume they will be handled without prior notice.
Lo Scoglio is the most prominent nearby alternative for seafood at a lower price tier. Terrazza Fiorella is worth considering for Italian contemporary cooking with views. For a broader comparison, see our full Massa Lubrense restaurants guide. Further afield but at a higher tier, Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone operates at €€€€ and is the regional competitor with the most comparable coastal setting.
Yes, this is one of the strongest special occasion options on the Sorrento Peninsula. The Michelin star, the terrace view to Capri, and the regional sourcing combine to make it feel considered rather than generic. Book the terrace for an evening slot in the current season and plan the wine pairing in advance with the sommelier. Two people works better here than a large group.
Possible but not the natural fit. The experience here is built around a setting and a multi-course format that rewards shared attention. Solo diners at the bar or counter (if available) can engage with the kitchen, but specific counter seating is not confirmed in available data. If solo dining is the goal, confirm arrangements directly with the restaurant when booking.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Relais Blu | €€€ | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | €€€€ | — |
| Dal Pescatore | €€€€ | — |
| Osteria Francescana | €€€€ | — |
| Quattro Passi | €€€€ | — |
| Reale | €€€€ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Dress for a Michelin-starred dinner on the Sorrento Peninsula: neat, polished clothing is appropriate. A Michelin star at €€€ pricing sets the tone, so leave beachwear at the hotel. Think linen trousers and a collared shirt for men, a sundress or similar for women — this is not a flip-flops occasion.
If Campanian cuisine at Michelin level is what you're after, yes. Chef Fumiko Sakai's kitchen draws on the restaurant's own kitchen garden and regional breeds like Nero Casertano suckling pig and Laticauda lamb, which means the tasting menu format gives the cooking room to make its case. At €€€ pricing on the Sorrento Peninsula, it competes favourably with the broader Campania fine dining tier.
Quattro Passi in nearby Nerano is the closest like-for-like: Michelin-starred, fish-forward, and similarly positioned on the peninsula with coastal views. For a more accessible price point without the star, the Sorrento and Meta di Sorrento restaurant strips offer solid Campanian trattoria options, though none match Relais Blu's kitchen credentials in the immediate area.
Dietary requirements are not documented in available venue data, so check the venue's official channels before booking — especially relevant given the tasting menu format. The kitchen's reliance on fish, regional meat breeds, and kitchen garden produce suggests strong flexibility for pescatarians, but confirm in advance.
Fish is the kitchen's anchor, so lead there. The kitchen garden vegetables shape seasonal dishes, and regional meat like Nero Casertano suckling pig and Laticauda lamb appear on the menu when in season. Specific current dishes are not confirmed here, so treat the menu as a guide rather than a fixed list and ask the front of house what's running that evening.
At €€€ with a 2024 Michelin star, Relais Blu is priced correctly for what it delivers: rigorous Campanian cooking from a kitchen that grows its own produce, served with a view of Capri from the terrace. On the Sorrento Peninsula, there are few kitchens operating at this level, which makes the price easier to justify than it would be in a more competitive city dining market.
Yes — this is one of the stronger special occasion cases on the peninsula. A 2024 Michelin star, a terrace facing Capri, and a kitchen serious about Campanian cooking make it a credible choice for a milestone dinner. Book the terrace if you can; the view is a material part of the experience.
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