We were only in Vernazza for 2 days, but visited Il Pirata multiple times. The main guy running the…read morecafe is very chatty and runs the pastry side of the business, while his brother apparently runs the rest of the food menu. Everything we tried was delicious, and appealed to me more than the super-touristy spots further down the road (though obviously most of the clientele here are also tourists). Prices seemed reasonable for the amount/quantity of food. Most importantly, Il Parata sells toilet paper, which proved hard to come by in Vernazza. Be sure to arrive before 5pm if you want food (outside of cannolis, which were available later).

The only shame is that I can't remember the owners name, but I definitely remember his good…read morehospitable energy and great food. He was so passionate about each pastry and dish which makes all the difference. Some chefs are just robotically serving up something to make money, but once in a while you come across the few special ones who are crafting their passion into an experience of flavor - they care about the customer, they care about the food, they want to see smiles and make your day memorable. They create an atmosphere out of their own infectious energy. These artists are truly making the world a better place and I can definitely say that about this establishment. They served this pistachio cannoli which was loaded with ricotta and actual pistachio flavor touched with orange, which was the best cannoli we had through a month of gluttonous Italian adventure. Their pistachio croissant matched the greatness and in fact was even better than any that we found in France! The berry panna cotta was also perfectly balanced being quite the treat yet clean feeling; the trademark Cinque Terre pesto gnocchi of course hit the spot; and the walnut ravioli sheesh what flavor as well as unique factor - dare I say, I even tasted a hint of hazelnut. If you go to Cinque Terre they say have have to go to Vernazza, and if you go to Vernazza I'm saying you have to visit Il Pirata. It's a little peace away from the madness tucked into the top of the street. They will treat you right

The atmosphere (namely the view) gets 10 stars. You have one of the best views of the sunset,…read morewater, and sunset in Riomaggiore. Note, from town ground level, it is a climb - 225 steps to the restaurant. The food was great, we had the spaghetti alla mari and lasagna al ragu, plus a limoncello and a local sweet wine, Sciacchetrà, which reminded us of a port but less sweet. The service was fantastic - our waitress was friendly and checked in with us occasionally which was perfect. We didn't have reservations but they kindly sat us at a table with an amazing view.

(Spring Italy Trip 2025) Remember when Frodo and Sam had to…read moreclimb the stairs of Cirith Ungol? Quite similar. I've heard about "earning your meal" by doing a workout but this was a bit extreme. First, just trying to find the bottom of the stairway was a task as every map app we used brought us to a dead end including literally a break in a wall where the tide was rolling in. So we used the Force. The Force worked. At least right up to the point where we found ourselves behind the restaurant supplier who, and I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP, is using a motorized push cart with TANK tracks to bring produce, meat, drinks etc, from the bottom to the restaurant. The good news was it forced us to slow down to catch our breath. The bad news is it forced us to slow down and catch our breath. Reminded me when I'm at the gym and I'm silently cursing my trainer to hurry the F-up and get this session over with. You come to Cinque Terre and you definitely want to combine some great food with some great views. Ristorante La Torre hits both of those at a price. That price was a "I'm lost" and "I'm going to die on this path" hike up winding stairs wondering if the restaurant is ever going to appear. But its worth it. The view of Vernazza and the neighboring towns and of course the glistening Ligurian Sea are just breathtaking. There is inside dining but thankfully the weather permitted us to sit on their multilevel patio. We did opt for some shade because by the time we got up there it was a little bit of sun and my buttery body was melting. I really could have used some wine but I was dehydrated enough so skip. Service was surprisingly attentive, perhaps a nod to understanding the American tourist. Is this a touristy place? For the quality of service and food I want to say no. It has been my experience that a tourist trap sacrifices one or both. Yes I was sweaty and wondering how much will a hospital stay in Italy cost me but this was a great visit. Food: sadly, no gnocchi (which is what I zeroed in on first) related dishes that day. Maybe the ingredients were stuck in the bottom of the hill. I'd normally dock off some love but given I literally witnessed the effort to get supplies I'm not going to complain for a shortage of a dish. Fritto misto : great lightly fried batter on sardines, calamari, shrimp. Spaghetti alla Mari (seafood spaghetti): perfectly cooked pasta with generous amount of shrimp, langostino, calamari in a simple olive oil and garlic sauce. Tagliolino all' Aragostella (taglino with lobster): again perfect al dente pasta in a pomodoro sauce Pasta (forget which style substituted for said absent gnocchi) in pesto. Simple and comforting. All the food was super fresh and tasty Oh and downhill was easy.

This is a popular spot in Vernazza for pasta! We arrived around 12:40 pm and there was a small line…read moreto order. We ended up getting our food at 1:05 pm, so the wait wasn't too much. There's a couple of tables outside the restaurant, but it can be hard to snag a table since a lot of people are waiting around. We were able to sit at a bench nearby, but for the most part, people were just standing around and eating. The pesto pasta is their most popular order, it's includes the local Ligurian pasta: trofie, distinguished by its thin and twisted shape. The trofie & pesto was delicious and comforting, as a pesto enjoyer. The other pasta dish we got was the pasta al sugo di orata, a tomato sauce pasta with seafood. This dish was also delicious and I enjoyed the topping additions. Portions were fantastic and the price was very fair. Pippo a Vernazza is a no frills spot, but you can expect some good pasta, I would definitely check them out them if you're in the mood for pasta.

The pesto pasta was amazing!!!! Friendly service. Pasta with sausage sauce, caprese, garlic…read moreshrimps, and the tuna with tomatoes and onions was very nice. Raw in the inside and just cooked lightly on the outside.

This was one of my favorite experiences of our trip. We had a beautiful dinner at Belforte in…read moreVernazza. We were drawn to the breathtaking views and had to eat here for our last meal in Cinque Terre. The Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp was delicious! I've never had squid ink pasta but thoroughly enjoyed it. The noodles were cooked al dente and the shrimp was flavorful, fresh, and succulent. Highly recommend, whether you're celebrating a special occasion or enjoying a vacation in Cinque Terre!

We were coming down from Castello Doria and decided to stop in this restaurant for lunch. The view…read morewas spectacular from the restaurant patio. The patio slopes down towards one side so all the tables are sloping too. The service was good but the food was average. The fried shrimp and squid plate was a little plain and the batter was a bit soft so I don't recommend that dish. The fried fresh fish that another in our group ordered was delicious. After you pay, they give you limoncello and an assortment of biscuits. They have a restroom for customers.

Arriving in Vernazza, you may be dazzled by the view, and leap recklessly into the bay for a quick…read moresalty reprieve from your sweaty torso, but sooner or later, you will be craving a snack. Better than the street pizza for which everyone else is queueing is the range of bruschetta (pronounced brusketta, in case you didn't already know) at the central establishment of Bruschettae. The caprese harnesses the fresh flavours of the locally renowned pesto atop succulent mozzarella, summer- ripe tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Simple, tasty, the perfect prelude to the gelato across the street.

Delicious!!! Perfect for grabbing to share and sitting by the water. Lots of different options. I…read morerecommend the pesto. They will also offer to cut it in half if you are sharing.

A nice bar where we made a pit stop before hiking the Blue Trail from Vernazza to Monterosso. The…read morerestroom is available for customers only. They're located right across the port and church, so you can see some nice views of the ocean and also check out the church. I can't attest to the food since we only got an espresso, but the caffeine hit the spot for an early morning wake up call.

Cool views from this bar, I don't think I'd recommend the pizza though. The crust, while thin, was…read morea bit too thin and resulted in a soupy mess in the end. One of the pizzas said it "had basil" which ended up being one leaf in the center of the pizza. Not what you'd expect! I would recommend this scenic spot for a pre-dinner drink however!

We enjoyed the ambiance and friendly service. The food was very much on par with what you find at…read moreother establishments.

Delicious breakfast and great prices. We ate here two days in a row. Plenty of vegetarian options…read moreand fast and friendly service. The restaurant is cute and right in the main area of town. They have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Service was really awful (I don't love Italy's "whichever waiter decides to ask takes part of your…read moreorder") We had three waiters take our order drinks/appetizers/dinner and they seemed really annoyed at us when they forgot stuff... the octopus salad was the best thing we got- tender and interesting- the walnut cream pasta was good- pizza was alright but very Italian with spotty cheese and runny tomato sauce. Aperol & lemon cello spritzes we're heavy handed with liqueurs, so very bitter and thick. Don't think I'd come back- Luca was better across the way. Okay if you can't go elsewhere.

Mediocre bland food. We tried a couple pizzas and two pasta dishes. Two of us ordered the linguine…read morewith clam special and 100% of the clams had already fallen out of the shells, so we just had a bunch of of empty shells to pick out and bits of loose, flavorless clam meat. The quantity of clams was decent; it's just too bad the quality was so poor. On top of the mediocre, overpriced food, the staff were rude. We tried to place an order of starters and drinks while we were looking through the menu and the server started to argue with us and tell us we had to order at least one main dish per person, and no, we couldn't just order the starters and drinks without ordering more. Clearly this restaurant depends entirely on the fact that it's located in the main square, by the water. The quality was lacking in both the service and the food.

A great place to have our first meal in Cinque Terre! We went straight in to Vernazza and this…read moreplace is just a stone's throw from the train station, on one of the lovely main streets of the city! We were eager to try the infamous anchovies local to the area, and this place did not disappoint! They had a myriad of options to try anchovies cooked in numerous ways! The server was really helpful and we also tried the Sciacchetra poured over a thick cake with raisins which was amazing! An adorable little gem to stop in!

Solid Italian seafood restaurant in the middle of many others by the water in vernazza. Food was…read moreGood not great but adequate. Service was weak (long wait for drinks) but I walked up to internal bar, made friends with bartender and took care of my drink orders on my own. Good in a pinch.

Amazing food, wonderful location and happy local servers/staff. Highly recommend the warm seafood…read moresalad. Outstanding!