Restaurant in Positano, Italy
Positano's most considered room. Book early.
La Serra is Le Agavi Hotel's Michelin Plate-recognised restaurant in Positano, earning back-to-back recognition in 2024 and 2025 for Chef Annarumma's contemporary take on Campanian cooking. At €€€€, it is the most seriously run kitchen in Positano, with a wine program led by a knowledgeable sommelier who specialises in Champagne and rosé pairings. Book well in advance, especially in summer.
If you've eaten at La Serra once and left thinking it was pretty good, you're underselling it. This is the most considered dining room in Positano at the €€€€ tier, and it earns that position through specific cooking rather than scenic spectacle. Chef Annarumma's kitchen takes Campanian ingredients seriously, applying contemporary technique without abandoning regional identity. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 confirms what regulars already know: this kitchen is working at a level above most of what surrounds it on the Amalfi Coast. Book it for a night when the meal is the point, not just the backdrop.
Sit at the right table and you get large windows framing the sea, Positano lit up below, and a room quiet enough to actually hear your guest across the table. The terrace, when conditions allow, puts you outside with the same view. That setting would be enough for many restaurants on this coast to coast by on atmosphere alone. La Serra does not do that.
What separates a second visit from a first is understanding how Chef Annarumma structures a menu. The cooking is rooted in Campania — the region's traditions, its seafood, its produce — but the technique is contemporary in a way that reads as confidence rather than novelty. You are not eating a museum piece of southern Italian cuisine, and you are not eating something trying to look like a northern European tasting menu. The cooking occupies a specific position between those two poles, and it holds that position with discipline.
The wine program deserves attention on a return visit if you moved through it quickly the first time. Sommelier Emilia has built a list that moves beyond Italian territory with intention, emphasising Champagnes and including a serious selection of rosés. That last point is worth noting for the context: most restaurant wine programs in this price tier treat rosé as an afterthought. This one does not. If you want guidance on pairing, ask for it , the advice offered here is grounded rather than upselling. For those exploring Italian fine dining more broadly, the wine approach here sits in interesting company alongside coastal-focused programs at places like Il Buco in Sorrento or destination kitchens further north such as Uliassi in Senigallia.
The room with large windows functions differently depending on when you arrive. Earlier in the evening, natural light still reaches the table and the sea is visible as a wide blue fact outside the glass. After dark, illuminated Positano takes over as the view. Both are worth experiencing, but for a second visit, arriving at the edge of that transition , just as the sky darkens and the town lights come on , gives you both. Book for early evening and sit with it.
Editorial angle worth pressing on for returning guests is what the room and service setup enables that a more casual Positano dinner does not: actual conversation about what you're eating and drinking, conducted at a pace that isn't rushed. The sommelier interaction here is not a formality. Emilia's advice on Champagne pairing specifically, and on the rosé selection, reflects genuine knowledge of the list. Treat the wine service as part of the experience rather than a transaction to complete quickly, and the meal changes character. This is the kind of engagement you get at places like Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone, where front-of-house depth matches kitchen ambition.
La Serra sits within Le Agavi Hotel, which matters for one practical reason: the approach and setting feel removed from the pedestrian intensity of central Positano. If your previous visit was squeezed between activities, a return visit with La Serra as the evening's anchor , rather than a stop , reveals more. The kitchen's contemporary take on Campanian cooking rewards attention. Parallels exist with Italian restaurants that take regional identity seriously while refusing to be constrained by it, from Reale in Castel di Sangro to, at the absolute leading of that register, Osteria Francescana in Modena. La Serra is not in those conversations for accolades, but the cooking philosophy is recognisably related.
For context on where La Serra sits within Italian fine dining more broadly, the Michelin Plate is a recognition of kitchen quality without a star, signalling consistent, competent cooking that inspires consideration for further recognition. Alongside restaurants like Dal Pescatore in Runate and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico at the higher end of Italian dining, La Serra occupies a serious tier for the Amalfi Coast specifically. On this coast, at this price point, there is not a longer list of kitchens doing more rigorous work.
Reservations: Book well in advance , this is the specific guidance attached to the restaurant by Michelin, and given the room size and view positioning, it reflects reality. Booking difficulty: Easy relative to starred restaurants, but do not assume availability at short notice during summer months on the Amalfi Coast. Budget: €€€€ , plan for a full dinner with wine pairing. Location: V. G. Marconi, 171, Positano, within Le Agavi Hotel. Dress: Smart casual is the floor; the setting and price point suggest dressing up is appropriate and will not feel out of place.
La Serra is one point on a longer Positano dining map. For a full picture of where to eat across budgets and styles, see our full Positano restaurants guide. For where to stay, our Positano hotels guide covers the full range. If you want to extend the evening, our Positano bars guide has options. For broader exploration of the region's food culture, our Positano wineries guide and experiences guide are worth checking before you arrive.
Other Positano tables worth knowing: Al Palazzo, Li Galli, Chez Black, Da Vincenzo, and Il San Pietro di Positano. For Mediterranean cooking at a similar register in a different setting, La Brezza in Ascona is a useful comparison point.
La Serra is a Michelin Plate-recognised restaurant inside Le Agavi Hotel in Positano, serving contemporary Mediterranean cooking grounded in Campanian traditions. The €€€€ price point means this is not a casual drop-in dinner , come with time, come hungry, and treat the wine service as part of the experience. The view of the sea and illuminated Positano is real and worth positioning for, so when you book, ask about table placement.
No specific dietary restriction information is available in our data for La Serra. Contact the restaurant directly before your visit , at this price tier and with a kitchen doing contemporary technique, the expectation is that they can accommodate with advance notice, but confirm rather than assume.
Michelin's own notes flag that La Serra should be booked well in advance , and that advice applies most forcefully from May through September when Positano is at peak demand. Two to three weeks ahead is a safe minimum in shoulder season; for summer, four or more weeks is sensible. Booking difficulty is rated easy relative to starred restaurants, but that applies in low season, not July and August on the Amalfi Coast.
At the same €€€€ tier, La Sponda is the main comparison: it has stronger name recognition and a more theatrical candlelit setting, but La Serra's cooking credentials (back-to-back Michelin Plate) are a clear signal of kitchen seriousness. Li Galli is also €€€€ and contemporary, worth considering if you want a different register. If you want to spend less, Da Vincenzo at €€ delivers honest Campanian cooking without the splurge. For pizza and something informal, Chez Black covers that ground well.
Yes, with one condition: the occasion should be one where a serious dinner at the table is the event, not a backdrop to something else. The view of Positano at night, the Michelin Plate kitchen, and a wine program overseen by a knowledgeable sommelier all support a celebration where the food and wine are the focus. For pure romance with maximum theatrical setting, La Sponda competes on atmosphere. For a dinner where cooking quality matters as much as setting, La Serra has the stronger case.
At €€€€ on the Amalfi Coast, the value question is real. La Serra justifies the price through kitchen seriousness , consecutive Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025 , and a wine program that exceeds expectations for the category. You are paying for cooking that applies contemporary technique to Campanian ingredients with discipline, not just a scenic room. If you want a €€€€ dinner in Positano where the food is the reason rather than the view, this is the right choice over competitors that lean more heavily on atmosphere.
Specific tasting menu details are not available in our data. At a Michelin Plate restaurant in this price tier, a structured menu is likely the format that leading expresses what Chef Annarumma's kitchen does , the approach of combining contemporary technique with Campanian regional heritage tends to show most clearly across multiple courses. Confirm format and pricing directly with the restaurant when you book. Given the sommelier's strength on the wine list, pairing is worth asking about at the same time.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Serra | Le Agavi Hotel's gourmet restaurant features a room with large windows overlooking the blue sea and a small terrace with tables en plein air, as well as a view of illuminated Positano (book well in advance). The kitchen is run by the talented Chef Annarumma, who manages to combine a very contemporary technique with Campania's rich regional culinary heritage. The wine selection is very interesting, ranging even beyond the Italian territory, emphasizing Champagnes with an interesting selection of rosés as well. Emilia, the kind and professional sommelier, will be able to advise on the right pairing.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | €€€€ | — |
| La Sponda | €€€€ | — | |
| Li Galli | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Chez Black | — | ||
| Da Vincenzo | €€ | — | |
| Il San Pietro di Positano | — |
What to weigh when choosing between La Serra and alternatives.
La Serra sits inside Le Agavi Hotel and earns its Michelin Plate rating through Chef Annarumma's approach: contemporary technique applied to Campanian ingredients, not a generic hotel restaurant formula. The room has large windows over the sea and a terrace with views of illuminated Positano at night. Request a window or terrace table when booking — the room position matters significantly to the overall experience. At €€€€, you're paying for both the cooking and the setting.
Dietary requirements aren't detailed in La Serra's public record, but the kitchen runs a contemporary Mediterranean menu with regional Campanian produce at its core — a format that typically accommodates pescatarian and vegetarian preferences without difficulty. check the venue's official channels when booking to confirm any specific needs; at this price point and with sommelier Emilia on the floor, the service infrastructure is there to handle it.
Book well in advance — this is the specific guidance Michelin attaches to the restaurant, and it applies particularly during Positano's summer peak. For July and August, booking several weeks ahead is sensible. If you're visiting in shoulder season (May, June, September), a week or two may be enough, but given the terrace table demand and the limited room size, earlier is safer.
La Sponda at Le Sirenuse is the direct competitor at a similar price tier, with a more celebrated reputation and a longer track record — if budget isn't the constraint, La Sponda is the comparison benchmark. Il San Pietro di Positano offers a comparable hotel-restaurant setup with sea views. For something less formal at lower spend, Da Vincenzo delivers solid Campanian cooking without the occasion pricing. Chez Black is the casual end of the market, better for lunch on the beach than a dinner out.
Yes, it's one of the stronger cases in Positano for a special occasion dinner. The combination of a Michelin Plate kitchen, sea views, and professional sommelier service (Emilia handles wine pairings, including an above-average Champagne and rosé list) gives you the elements that make a dinner feel considered rather than just expensive. Request a terrace table for the Positano night view — that's the specific setup worth booking for.
At €€€€, La Serra is priced at the top of Positano's dining market, and it delivers at that level: a Michelin Plate for two consecutive years (2024, 2025), a kitchen under Chef Annarumma that takes Campanian cuisine seriously, and a room that earns its premium through setting alone. If you're comparing it to La Sponda, La Sponda carries more prestige; but La Serra is the better value play at that tier if a table with a sea view and skilled cooking is what you're after.
The tasting menu format suits La Serra well given Chef Annarumma's focus on combining contemporary technique with regional Campanian heritage — that kind of cooking is best experienced as a sequence rather than a single plate. Sommelier Emilia's pairing options, particularly from a wine list that extends beyond Italy into Champagne and rosé, add real value to the tasting format. Specific menu composition isn't publicly documented, so confirm current options when booking.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
