Order the pizza all'acqua first, then Aversa's crudi and ravioli capresi. Capri's oldest room still cooks properly under the photographs.
Start With the Pizza All’Acqua
Every Capri regular orders it before the menu arrives: pizza all’acqua, a wafer-thin disc with olive oil, chilli and basil that Gennaro D’Alessio invented in the 1970s to let his regulars eat pizza without the weight. At Aurora it runs around €25 to €30 depending on the season, and the mozzarella-and-red-pepper version is the family’s own second act. Order one to share while you read the rest.
Aurora has held its corner of Via Fuorlovado, two minutes off the Piazzetta, for more than a hundred years. The walls carry a century of signed photographs, and the third generation of the D’Alessio family runs it now, with Mia D’Alessio out front and chef Franco Aversa in the kitchen.
What to Order After the Pizza
Move to the ravioli capresi, the island’s own dish done here at reference standard, and the pezzogna all’acqua pazza — local blue-spotted bream cooked in “crazy water” with tomato and herbs. When the boats cooperate, the red-prawn and amberjack crudi are the raw plates to take. Primi land around €28 and secondi from €38. Finish with torta caprese, the flourless chocolate-and-almond cake the island claims as its own.
What It Costs
Pizzas start around €25, primi around €28, secondi from €38, and a 15% service charge rides the final bill. Plan on roughly €100 a head for dinner before the wine list starts to tempt you. It is a Capri price on a Capri stage — you are paying for the island’s oldest room and its front-row view of the passing crowd, and the kitchen holds up its side.
The Value Play
Lunch is the move. Same kitchen, same pizza all’acqua, an easier table, and the Piazzetta scene at its calmer hour, served noon to three. For dinner, book the first service and take a terrace table on Fuorlovado; by the second service in August the room belongs to whoever the photographs will show next. To book the table itself, read our guide to booking Aurora in Capri.
Not for a quiet, budget dinner or anyone who wants the kitchen to be the whole show. Aurora is Capri's social clearing-house, priced for its stage and its history. For a still, view-first dinner, book Il Riccio or L'Olivo instead.
View Aurora on Restaurants for Kings →
Related Reading
- Our full profile: Aurora on Via Fuorlovado.
- Book the table: how to book Aurora in Capri.
- The wider island: Capri dining guide.
- Nearby tables: Da Paolino under the lemon trees, Il Riccio by the sea and L’Olivo at the Capri Palace.
- By kitchen: the best Italian restaurants worldwide and the best pizza worldwide.
- By occasion: anniversary dinners worth the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I order at Aurora in Capri?
Start with the pizza all'acqua, the wafer-thin disc with olive oil, chilli and basil that the D'Alessio family invented in the 1970s. Then take the ravioli capresi and the pezzogna all'acqua pazza, local bream in crazy water, plus the red-prawn crudo when the boats deliver. Finish with torta caprese. It is the order every Capri regular follows, and chef Franco Aversa's kitchen holds each dish to a high standard.
What is pizza all'acqua?
Pizza all'acqua is Aurora's signature: a wafer-thin pizza dressed simply with olive oil, chilli and basil, created by Gennaro D'Alessio in the 1970s so his regulars could eat pizza without feeling weighed down. The mozzarella-and-red-pepper version is the family's own follow-up. It costs around EUR 25 to 30 and is the dish most Capri diners order to share before the rest of the menu arrives.
How much does Aurora Capri cost?
Plan on roughly EUR 100 a head for dinner before wine. Pizzas start around EUR 25, primi around EUR 28 and secondi from EUR 38, with a 15% service charge added to the bill. It is a Capri price for Capri's oldest room and its front-row view of the Via Fuorlovado crowd. Lunch, served noon to three, is the gentler spend on the same kitchen and the same pizza all'acqua.
What is the signature dish at Aurora?
The pizza all'acqua is Aurora's calling card, but the ravioli capresi and the pezzogna all'acqua pazza, blue-spotted bream cooked in crazy water, are the plates that show chef Franco Aversa's kitchen at full stretch. Torta caprese, the flourless chocolate-and-almond cake, closes the meal. Together they are the reference order at Capri's oldest restaurant, a century-plus into its run on Via Fuorlovado.
Is Aurora Capri expensive?
Yes, in the way Capri's landmark tables are. Dinner runs about EUR 100 a head before wine, with a 15% service charge on top, and you are paying for the island's oldest dining room and its position two minutes off the Piazzetta. Lunch is the value play: the same pizza all'acqua and the same kitchen at a calmer hour and a lower spend. For the quieter, view-led evening, Il Riccio and L'Olivo are the alternatives.