Belforte

Great breakfast food. Friendly owner and staff. Delicious fresh juice. Amazing bacon and eggs. Yum!read more

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).

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Panna Cotta

Ristorante La Torre

4.3(99 reviews)

0.3 km

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.

Drinks

Grilled fish

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View on the way up

Pippo a Vernazza

4.9(20 reviews)

0.3 km

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.

Menu as of August 2023

Trofie & pesto, pasta al sugo di orata

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Main entrance

Bruschettae

4.5(2 reviews)

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.

Caprese caper

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Brisk lunch fare

Bar del Capitano

4.5(2 reviews)

This place was awesome! The mixed seafood anti pasta was the best…read more Will definitely be back again! Great wine

Part of a tour, so we get a lot of pastas, not much seafood. Try Sorrento or Napoli for seafood…read moredishes fresh from the harbor. Vermentino house white wine.

Seafood pasta, prawns/langoustines? Tomatoes, light sauce.

Good flavors, skimpy on the seafood. Compared to Napoli and Sorrento. Prices reflect Italian Riviera.

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Empty plates

Ananasso Bar

4.4(24 reviews)

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!

Quick bite and drink

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Quick bite and drink

Blue Marlin Bar

4.2(25 reviews)

0.2 km

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.

Scrambled eggs with veggies

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Outside sign

Vulnetia

3.3(39 reviews)

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.

Visiting Cinque Terre in mid-November when the weather is cold and most shops and restaurants seem…read moreto be closed means limited options overall. On a Thursday evening in Vernazza, where we were staying, we really only had four open restaurants to choose from for dinner: Vulnetia, Gianni Franzi, Taverna Del Capitano, and Il Baretto. Il Baretto had the best reviews on TripAdvisor, its average 4-star rating exceeding the mediocre 3-3.5 ratings of the other three. However, I really wanted to try Tegame Vernazza, a local specialty of baked anchovy with potatoes, as well as a pasta I hadn't tried before. Vulnetia had the best combination of menu diversity and reasonable prices. Under other circumstances during the regular season, we probably would have avoided all four restaurants. Alas, we made do. My husband and I were delighted to discover that at the least the ambience was beautifully decorated and warm inside. The cover charge of 2 euros per person included bread--stale white bread without any condiment of EVO, butter, or balsamic vinegar. We ordered the tegame Vernazza (15 euros) and the pansotti with walnut sauce (14 euros). Both were good, not amazing, and both portions were on the smaller end. The walnut sauce, plopped on top of the stuffed pasta, was not terribly flavorful and was stingy in amount, not enough to fully mix the pansotti, much less to sop the bread with. The dishes came out suspiciously quickly, but did satiate the curiosity if not the appetite. Service was extraordinary slow, even though we were one of a handful of parties there. In the evening, it was nice that the waiters weren't rushing us to leave, allowing us to take our time.

Patio dinning

Salad with tomato

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Pesto

Il Baretto

4.0(2 reviews)

0.2 km

•€€€

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!

Octopus with potato

Calamari

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Pesto

Gambero Rosso

4.0(43 reviews)

•€€€€

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!