Pasticceria Pansa
Opened in 1830 and still run by the same family, Pansa is Amalfi's oldest and most beloved café-pasticceria, occupying a prime corner of Piazza del Duomo with a terrace that has arguably the best seat in town. Come for the sfogliatella riccia, stay for the delizia al limone and the house digestivo.
What to Order
The delizia al limone — a dome of sponge soaked in limoncello syrup and blanketed in lemon cream — was invented on the Amalfi Coast and Pansa's version is considered the benchmark. Order one with a short, fierce espresso and eat it at the outdoor table facing the cathedral steps.
The sfogliatella riccia (a shell-shaped pastry of flaky layers filled with ricotta and candied citrus) arrives warm from the kitchen most mornings. The house also makes a superb torta di mandorle (almond tart) using local Amalfi almonds, and a ricciola — a chocolate-glazed marzipan confection unique to the town.
The Limoncello & Liqueurs
Pansa produces its own limoncello using sfusato amalfitano lemons, the large, intensely fragrant variety grown on terraced groves above the coast. You can buy bottles to take home from the small shop counter inside — far better value and quality than the tourist-trap versions sold at the harbour.
Ask the staff about the house rosolio di mirto (myrtle berry liqueur) — it is rarely advertised but deeply good, a dark, bittersweet digestivo that locals drink after Sunday lunch.
History & Atmosphere
The interior retains its 19th-century fittings: marble counters, mirrored cabinets and glass cases stacked with candied fruit and almond paste sculptures. Even at its busiest, the staff maintain an unhurried elegance that feels genuinely old-world.
Pansa is busiest 10:00–12:00 and 16:00–18:00. For a quieter visit, arrive at 08:30 when the pastries are freshest and the piazza is still cool and nearly empty.
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