Positano's landmark beach table since 1949. Book a terrace seat for sea-urchin spaghetti with the water at your feet.
The Reservation Problem at Chez Black
The problem is not the booking system. It is the tables. Chez Black opens straight onto the Spiaggia Grande, and the terrace rows facing the water are the ones every diner wants. In July and August they are spoken for days ahead, so the difficulty is timing and position, not access.
The restaurant has anchored Positano’s main beach since 1949, when Salvatore Russo — the “Black” the name still carries — opened it on the sand. Three generations of the Russo family have run it since. It works all day, from beach lunches to sunset dinners, which means lunch service is a genuine alternative when dinner is full.
How to Book Chez Black
Book direct. The official site chezblack.it has an English reservation page, or call +39 089 875 036. There is no concierge layer and no domestic-only barrier, so an overseas visitor can hold a table without a middleman. Give the restaurant your date, a rough time, and say plainly that you want a terrace table on the water — the request matters more than the day.
In shoulder season a few days’ notice is enough. For a July or August dinner, book as far ahead as your Amalfi Coast plans allow, and reconfirm the terrace request when you land. If the water-facing row is gone, take lunch instead: same kitchen, same beach, an easier seat.
What to Order
The kitchen runs on the day’s catch. The signature is the spaghetti ai ricci di mare, spaghetti with sea urchin, and it is the dish regulars order before anything else. Around it sit paccheri with seafood, a classic fish soup and the octopus carpaccio. Pizza and simpler plates cover the beach crowd. This is honest, ingredient-led seafood rather than fine dining, and the Positano beachfront setting carries a premium — budget for an upper-mid bill with wine.
The Smart Play
Ask for the first dinner service and the terrace, or book lunch and let the afternoon run long. If Chez Black is full on your dates, Positano has peers within a short walk: Da Adolfo for the boat-in beach lunch, La Sponda at Le Sirenuse for the candlelit special-occasion dinner, and the Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar for a view without a full sitting. None replaces the landmark, but all reward a plan.
Not for anyone after a quiet, hushed dinner or a bargain. Chez Black is a busy beachfront landmark with a Positano premium, built for the setting and the crowd as much as the plate. For a still, formal room, book La Sponda instead.
View Chez Black on Restaurants for Kings →
Related Reading
- Our full profile: Chez Black on the Spiaggia Grande.
- The wider town: Positano dining guide.
- Nearby tables: La Sponda at Le Sirenuse, Da Adolfo and Le Tre Sorelle.
- By occasion: best first-date tables and anniversary dinners worth the trip.
- By kitchen: the best seafood restaurants worldwide.
- Strategy: how to get impossible restaurant reservations and the concierge route to booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I book Chez Black in Positano?
Book direct. Chez Black takes reservations through its own site, chezblack.it, which has an English page, or by phone on +39 089 875 036. There is no concierge requirement, so overseas visitors can reserve without a middleman. Give your date, a time, and ask specifically for a terrace table facing the Spiaggia Grande, which is the seat worth having and the first to go.
How far in advance should I book Chez Black?
A few days is enough in spring and autumn, but for a July or August dinner book as far ahead as your Positano plans allow. The water-facing terrace rows fill first, so timing matters more than the exact date. If dinner is gone, reserve lunch instead: the same kitchen serves the same seafood on the same beach, and the seat is easier to hold.
What is the signature dish at Chez Black?
The spaghetti ai ricci di mare, spaghetti with sea urchin, is the dish Chez Black is known for and the one regulars order first. The kitchen also turns out paccheri with seafood, a classic fish soup and an octopus carpaccio, with pizza and simpler plates for the beach crowd. It is ingredient-led seafood built on the day's catch rather than fine dining.
Is Chez Black expensive?
A seafood meal with wine sits in the upper-mid bracket, and the Positano beachfront setting carries a premium over inland tables. You are paying for one of the Amalfi Coast's landmark positions, right on the Spiaggia Grande. Lunch is the gentler play if you want the setting and the kitchen at a lower spend than a peak sunset dinner on the terrace.
Do you need a reservation at Chez Black?
Yes, especially in summer and especially for a terrace table on the water. Chez Black is Positano's best-known beach table and runs full from lunch through sunset. Book ahead through chezblack.it or by phone, and reconfirm your terrace request when you arrive. Walk-ins may find a table inside or at a quieter hour, but the prized water-facing rows are reserved days in advance.