"Positano-born Raffaele Mandara's seven-course tasting near €100, watched from the pass — book the chef's table to impress clients without the harbour markup."
About Casa Mele
Raffaele Mandara was born in Positano and opened Casa Mele on Via Marconi in June 2014, an open-kitchen room where he cooks the Campanian repertoire his mother handed down. The format is a tasting menu: a seven-course Casa Mele Experience runs around €100 a head, with a shorter five-course and a wine pairing, eaten while the kitchen works in front of you. The handmade gnocchi in truffle cream is the dish to order. It sits above the coast road at number 76, away from the harbour crush.
The Kitchen
Raffaele Mandara is Positano-born and styles himself il maestro, and Casa Mele, which he opened in June 2014, is his argument that the Amalfi Coast can do a serious tasting menu without losing its grandmother's cooking. The room is built around an open kitchen and a chef's table, so you watch the courses come together rather than waiting on them in the dark.
The signature is the format itself: a seven-course Casa Mele Experience at roughly €100 per person, with a five-course option and a wine pairing for those who want it. Within it, the handmade gnocchi in a truffle cream is the dish regulars name first, and the burrata with Campanian cherry tomatoes and the fried calamari are the openers to chase. Mandara cooks modern technique onto traditional Campanian bones, local fish, San Marzano tomatoes and lemons off the terraces, rather than chasing fashion. The wine list is deep in Campania, from Fiano and Greco di Tufo to coastal reds, and the value is honest for a town where harbour rooms charge for the view rather than the plate. For more of the region, see our best Italian restaurants worldwide.
The Room
Casa Mele is a small room on Via Marconi, the coast road above the harbour, with an open kitchen at its heart rather than a sea view, a deliberate trade of panorama for focus. It seats roughly thirty across an intimate space plus a chef's table at the pass. The lighting is warm and low, the sound level conversational, and the tables sit close in the way small Italian rooms do. There is no formal dress code, so smart-casual reads right, a linen shirt over beachwear. Service is warm and unhurried, paced to the tasting menu. Book the chef's table for the best seat in the house.
Best for Impressing Clients
Book Casa Mele to impress clients for three reasons: the chef's-table tasting turns dinner into a quietly memorable event without the showiness of a harbour-front room, the cooking is good enough to talk about the next morning, and the bill stays sensible for Positano so the gesture reads as taste rather than excess. The open kitchen gives the table something to watch and a natural conversation opener. Picture a party of four at the pass, the gnocchi in truffle cream arriving, a bottle of Fiano poured as Mandara plates. See our best client-dinner restaurants and the wider Positano dining guide.
Not for
Not for a sea view. Casa Mele sits on the coast road with an open kitchen rather than a terrace, so book La Sponda if the Positano panorama is the point.
Frequently Asked
Is Casa Mele worth it?
Yes, and it is among the better-value serious meals in Positano. Chef Raffaele Mandara's seven-course tasting runs about €100 a head, modest for a town where harbour rooms charge far more for the view, and the open-kitchen format makes it an experience rather than a meal. The handmade gnocchi in truffle cream alone justifies the booking. Go for the food, not a panorama.
How hard is it to book Casa Mele?
Hard in high season, easy in the shoulder months. The room is small, around thirty seats plus a chef's table, so from June to September book a week or more ahead, especially for the chef's table. In spring and autumn a few days' notice is enough. Reserve through TheFork or direct, and request the chef's table when you book for the best seat.
What is the dress code at Casa Mele?
There is no formal dress code, so smart-casual is right. A linen shirt and trousers or a summer dress fit the intimate room, and beachwear straight off the sand looks out of place at dinner. Positano dresses relaxed but put-together. The mood is warm rather than formal, so comfort works as long as you have made a small effort for the evening.
What should I order at Casa Mele?
Take the seven-course Casa Mele Experience tasting; it is the format the kitchen is built around and the best way to eat here, with a wine pairing if you want one. Within it, the handmade gnocchi in truffle cream is the dish to anticipate, and the burrata with Campanian cherry tomatoes and the fried calamari are the openers. Pair it with a local Fiano or Greco di Tufo.
Is Casa Mele good for impressing clients?
Yes. The chef's-table tasting is memorable without being flashy, the cooking holds up to scrutiny, and the bill stays reasonable for Positano, so the evening reads as taste rather than extravagance. Book the chef's table and a Campanian white. See our client-dinner picks for more along the Amalfi Coast.
