A new but amazing restaurant in a beautiful location. The pasta is fresh and delicious, served at a…read moreperfect al dente that adds so many dimensions to simple dishes. The seafood was fresh and flavorful with the sea in view. The pesto encompasses the tastes of the region for a non-seafood eater. Friendly and attentive staff. Clean and simple interior. We enjoyed sitting outside in this narrow, busy alleyway.

Fantastic seafood and service by Willy. The fresh fish melts in your mouth. The pasta and dessert…read morewas delicious.

Best Of 5 Restaurants We Tried In Monterosso al Mare…read more.. My wife and I looked forward to dinner at Tosca Bistrot given its great reviews and "early" opening at 630 PM. We weren't disappointed. Here are some of the pros and cons: Pros: - The food was excellent. My eggplant parmigiana was baked with lots of cheese and took a spot among the best examples I've tasted. My wife enjoyed her Branzino with potatoes and vegetables. On both occasions, we started with the finest version of Minestrone soup we've ever sampled. Not cheap for Cinque Terre (15 Euros), but worth every one. - Service was very friendly and helpful, although they seemed a bit understaffed - The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, but we sat at the same table each visit. Look for the 4 tables for 2 by the alley along the side. There's pedestrian traffic, but not as much as in front and it's more romantic. - We had a half carafe of a local red wine which was too light for our taste, but a very good value. - We didn't try the desserts at either dinner, but from a distance they looked amazing - Prices were in line with similar spots in town, but the overall value was very high - Tosca Bistrot opens at 630 PM....30 minutes earlier than most. That's worth extra points in my book. Cons: - The only one was the bread. Two rolls on a plate which had more air than anything else. The first visit was great so we went back again. We'd recommend Tosca Bistrot without hesitation.

I've only been in town for a few days, but I think there are strong odds this may be the best…read morerestaurant in Monterosso. Here's why: Food - I had the eggplant parmigiana and my partner had the shrimp sautéed in brandy. We both really enjoyed our dishes. The eggplant was smothered in delicious mozzarella, and the sauce and eggplant tasted great. Service - Our server was friendly and attentive. We were greeted warmly and seated quickly on a busy night. This isn't a huge place, so I'd recommend starting the dinner search here and then considering a backup if the wait is too long for you. Ambience - What a beautiful restaurant! Everyone wants to dine al fresco in Italy, and I understand why, but the inside of this place is very charming. The art on the walls is very nice and the plates were sort of Kintsugi style as it looked as though my plate and my partner's plate were each broken in half, then a half from each plate was repaired using the half from the other plate (and the entire plate was glazed, so the porous joinery was sealed and hygienic). Menu - Many restaurants in the area have very similar menus (which make sense in such a small place), but Tosca endeavored to have four daily specials and a menu that included a few dishes not as frequently seen in town. Tosca is a likable place with very good food. It's a newer spot too, and they're clearly keeping it clean and beautiful. Highly recommended.

The food was incredible. The two dishes we had, the risotto and the truffle in pasta ranked up…read morethere as some of the best food we have experienced this trip.

From start to finish, my family thoroughly enjoyed our experience - not easy given the wide range…read moreof tastes of the group (including my vegan daughter). Especially good were the 'pasta fritta' with a charcuterie board, fried porcini mushrooms, and the made-in-house ravioli. I had the riso cacio e pepe, which was also very good, if a bit heavy. The service was friendly and informative. They have been here for a very long time, and I hope they will be here next year when we return!

Even though this restaurant is right on the main road it has some of the best pasta I've ever had!…read moreReminiscent of my Nonna's pasta from 30 years ago! Great house wine as well. Only locals in the place so be prepared to hear and speak Italian. Although it doesn't look like much (especially the AstroTurf on the way in!) it has some excellent food. I had the macherroni au funghi and my girlfriend had the ravioli al erbetto...both outstanding! The service was slow (typical for small Italian towns) but very conscientious. Very good choice, especially in this area.

Would go again- We…read morewere here twice-once for drinks and once for lunch. Drinks were great with a friendly/quick staff. We were between rushes. Lunch the service was crap- she was annoyed at us and frustrated that she had to work in the heat- but the food was awesome. Caprese salad was very tasty, the green salad, although very basic, was yummy with balsamic and olive oil, the pesto pasta was our kids favorite! They kept searching for it everywhere. The lasagna was the only thing that didn't live up; as it seem like it might've been reheated from the day before.

Found this place walking up from the harbor & WHAT A FIND. Small, quaint, seating both inside and…read moreoutside. The owner or manager is hustling & will make room for you to sit. If not find out the wait time & come back. Service is on point. They are busy, so take a moment, look at the menu, they eventually be around to answer questions & take your order. Some of the crew is fluent in multiple languages, others not so much. The food is screaming goodness - find out what their daily catch is & order it. Tuna was ever so slightly braised over the grill & served. Branzino is fresh, served with potatoes & tomatoes. Their steak was also delicious. In the end, we had at least 3 meals there. Absolutely amazing & delicious. Try the local wine, the white, rosé & red house wines were all good. Oh and don't forget to order dessert; we tried both their tiramisu and the puff pastry with whip cream covered in chocolate & more whip cream. Definitely a must stop for.

Unique modern hotel and restaurant…read more Very well executed and conceptualized food Wonderful homemade breads and fantastic amuse deconstructed tomato Delicious steak prepared using souvay techniques Great service

Great view. Excellent "secondi"…read more Trattoria Riccardo had the best "secondi" we had in all of Italy! This may be because of Barga's location deep in Tuscany where there is more livestock and the meals tend to be heartier. Our primi course was good by American standards but wasn't the best we had in Italy (or even in Barga). My wife had the risotto and I had a meat stuffed ravioli. The risotto was better than you could prepare at home and the ravioli was good, but not amazing. But the secondi.. Wow! We had the 2 specials of the night. My wife had the lamb chops and I had the pork shank. The lamb chops were large and full of flavor. My wife absolutely loved them. I have ordered lamb chops at dozens of high end restaurants around the US and the world and have to say the chops at Riccardo were among the best I've ever had! Now the pork shank.. If you've ever been to Bavaria in the south of Germany, you may have already had the best pork shank (schweinhaxen) in the world. Riccardo is a close 2nd! The shank itself is very large. The outside crispy and the perfect color, and the meaty inside juicy and tender - only requiring a fork to separate it cleanly from the bone. We enjoyed our secondi course very much! Additionally, the vino rosso della casa was pretty darn good and inexpensive as well! Service was good. In Italy you have to keep in mind they don't wait on you hand-and-foot like they do in America. It may take a few extra minutes at first for them to get your order. But once they get your order in - the courses start to arrive within a reasonable amount of time. We didn't have a reservation here but lucked out and got the last table for 2 on the balcony. Our table was right alongside of the rail so our dinner view was completely un-obstructed. The view and the secondi make this place a must go in our opinion. You won't be disappointed!

Excellent, varied menu at reasonable prices. Good surroundings and friendly staff.read more