In the old town of Maratea, this long-established restaurant has a very loyal following, so be sure to book a table in advance. The Lucanian specialties include stuffed peppers, game birds, local salami, and calamari fried in olive oil, hot pepper, and tomato paste. Finish in style with a cassata Lucana, a lighter, spongier version of the Sicilian ricotta and marzipan pudding (closed Tuesdays).

Located in Hotel Colleverde, on a hill in Santa Maria di Castellabate, this homey pizzeria offers picture-perfect vistas of the Cilento Coast. The menu highlights fresh local fish, regional wine, and homemade pizza. Sample buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil, seafood risotto, and traditional fish soup, but save room for desserts like crème caramel, panna cotta with strawberries, and budino al cioccolato, chocolate pudding. There is outdoor patio seating in the summer, and the restaurant is open year-round.

U' Zifaro is one of the best local seafood restaurants along this—or indeed any other—stretch of coast. Housed in a former boathouse on the esplanade, it offers a range of cheap, rustic dishes. As your first course, sample the spaghetti di mare alla puttanesca (that is, with seafood, tomatoes, and capers) and try the excellent grilled fish as your secondi. It all pairs wonderfully with the house white—a surprisingly good local Chardonnay.

Down in the port of Marina di Maratea, an enchanting little harbor is home to a number of good seafood restaurants. Among them, the reasonably priced Ristorante Za' Mariuccia is reliable for stellar service and a solid wine list—fish is filleted at the table, and the wide selection of bottles is stuffed into nooks and crannies throughout the restaurant. (Open for dinner only: daily in high season, Friday and Saturday the rest of the year; closed October through Easter.)