Excellent find not far from the market. Outstanding house Vermentino. Dined alone so didn't get to…read moretry much, but would definitely come back for more.

We stayed for a month in La Spezia at an Airbnb that we found. We must've eaten at this restaurant…read moreat least half a dozen times as we kept coming back for it was so good. Obviously a family run restaurant with utmost care taken in the presentation of every dish they serve. Friendly, family service. Everything that we ate there was absolutely Delicioso. We kept finding excuses to come back to town in time to make sure that we were able to eat there again it was that good. We never had a thing we didn't like from the menu. And the family and the locals, as well as the other patrons were absolutely wonderful towards us. We may make an excuse to return just to go back here again! #stevensleavin

We came to the restaurant as a group and couldn't be happier. As a vegetarian I wouldn't expect…read moremuch but the food was creative, flavorful, and beautifully presented. We had regional specialties that we've hoped to try and we're glad they did it as the chef's personality and energy were superb! I'd recommend them in a heartbeat!

We had a pleasant experience it was one of the closest restaurants open on a Monday night. They sat…read moreus quickly, and their menu was pretty diverse. We chose the tasting menu and we're so happy with our decision. Each dish surprised us with its different flavors and we definitely stepped out of our comfort zone and were met with lovely dishes , anchovies isn't our go to but the flavors were so good! My favorite were the pesto pancakes and the anchovies with oil and salt! Service was lovely and the restaurant was so beautifully decorated.

I'Il Grotto isn't really an "overlook" restaurant in the traditional sense-- you wont find the…read moredramatic, panoramic sea views that some of Riomaggiore's restaurants are known for. Instead, its charm comes from being right in the heart of the village, with a cozy, intimate atmosphere that lets you soak in the energy of Riomaggiore and indulge in a little people watching. And honestly the food was a very pleasant surprise. I was craving steamed mussels, and theirs were absolutely delicious-- fresh, flavorful, and cooked just right. For my main, I went for something simple: a sea bream fillet with garlic and olive oil. It was beautifully prepared and delicious. My husband had the seafood spaghetti, which was equally satisfying packed with the flavors of the sea without feeling fishy or overly heavy. It's the kind of place that reminds you that restaurant doesn't necessarily need a spectacular view or a complicated menu to leave an impression. The cozy setting, quality of ingredients, and straightforward, well executed cooking were more than enough. A very pleasant-- and unexpected-- surprise in Riomaggiore.

I am obsessed with this place! My sister and I were looking for nice dinner close to where we were…read morestaying in Riomagiorre, and I'm so glad we stumbled upon this spot. First off, everyone working there was genuinely kind. My sister and I were set on trying the octopus however this was an appetizer item, and we knew we wouldn't be able to finish an appetizer and two entrees. A lot of places sometimes get mad if you order just an appetizer and an entree to share, however they were very understanding and even brought out extra plates for us. We also got the mussel ravioli, which was to die for! Of course we had wine as well, which was also delicious! Love this place and would give 10 stars if I could!

I had a hankering for meatballs, and we stopped by after seeing them on the menu…read more The meatballs were delicious! They came with a heaping amount of sauce for dipping. We also had pasta & wine. Everything was tasty and came out hot. If you're looking for a great meal in Riomaggiore this is it! Service was great. The food does take a time to come out but remember, this is not fast food-it's good food!

Arrived in Monterosso around 2pm and was looking for a place to eat. Many restaurants are closed…read morebetween their lunch service and dinner service. This was one of the only restaurants we found that were open for dining. We ordered off the daily special menu - meat lasagna and spaghetti with mussels. Both were tasty. My husband mentioned his lasagna was hard/had "a crunch on top" that he didn't quite like. I loved the mussels in my dish. The staff were ok. The lady that greeted us told us we couldn't be seated outside facing the main road because there were only 2 of us. I'm pretty sure that I saw other outdoor tables with only 2 guests. Oh well, got a restaurant to be open when we needed deserves a 4 star review,

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.

Our first time in Vernazza and we wanted to get some lunch. We got Caprese salad, spaghetti…read moreBolognese, and breaded veal (Milanese). It was delicious!!! I'm married to a Sicilian, so I know what great Italian food tastes like. I was really surprised to see 3 stars on Yelp! The waitress she was managing multiple tables, so the service was not ideal. The restaurant is nestled in a perfect spot with a beautiful view of the marina. We would definitely return! I wish I captured pictures of our food!

Service was great. Food was delicious. We got spaghetti with clams and bolognese was good.read more

We enjoyed our food here, but based on the yelling we witnessed in an interaction between some…read moretourists and what I'm assuming is the chef, I would probably go elsewhere. Thankfully we didn't experience the same attitude based on our interactions! I'm American and did my best to speak what I could in broken Italian. The host that spoke better English took our order and he was very kind. We were welcomed around 1:30 pm looking for an aperol spritz and a place to use the restroom. We saw some tourists not understand that the outside tables near the front were for eating customers. They misunderstood the lady that for drink only, to use the further umbrellas. The lady came back out and yelled at the tourists and muttered "impossiblè" to herself when walking back inside The Aperol spritz contained only Aperol and prosecco, and was very strong. I couldn't finish it and my mom didn't bother drinking hers. We also ordered grilled anchovies with capers and tomatoes, and they were lovely. The saltiness and juices from the anchovies were delicious with the provided white bread. Overall, the menu looked wonderful here but I may go elsewhere for more hospitable service. Also, keep in mind that "coperto" is a charge (per person) for service and things like bread. This was the first place on our vacation in late September so far where we came across this fee!

This place does not like Americans! We walked up politely. And waited and waited. Finally a Woman…read morewith dark hair said "one momento." We could tell they were busy. We politely waited. A table was finally cleared and we expected after waiting patiently to be seated based on her reactions towards us. But no one asked us questions. We were not asked to be put on a list. No one told anything. Then suddenly 2 locals popped in and they sat them down in front of us. With NO , I mean zero explanation. Did they have reservations ??? No one told us anything. They treated us rudely and poorly. I guess because we are Americans. I would never ever go back to this place in the alley.

Deliciousness - 4/5 Happiness - 3.5/5…read more At the end of the main street of Riomaggiore lies an overlooked gem. It's well worth visiting at the top of the hill for flavorful classic Italian food in Cinque Terre (for those in need of a break from the fish dishes offered by most restaurants). Their pizza list is quite extensive and ranges from Italian specialties to American favorites like chicken and peppers. I got the tuna pizza (never knew that was a thing) and it was really good. The cheese was the perfect consistency and very flavorful (ditto with the buffalo mozzerella appetizer we ordered). The tuna added a unique flavor to the pizza, though I wish there had been more of it added to the pizza. My wife got fresh made pasta and pesto that was also mixed with roasted potatoes (carbo load!). Although the pesto was delicious, the dish was too one-note. Without tomatoes or some other acidic side, the singular pesto flavor simply overwhelmed the pallet. Again, it was a good flavor, but it just needed something to break through the basil. I know this sounds crazy, but make sure you order the seltzer (or in Italy, fizzy) water. They make it in-house and it is hands down the best sparkling water I've ever had. It never lost its effervescence throughout the meal and really energized me. The service was just OK. They never served us the bread that went to other tables (not that we needed more bread, but it was still a somewhat strange oversight) and they rarely came by to see how we were doing. Not unfriendly, but definitely not the most hospitable either. All together, this meal left me smiling and satisfied!

Everything we ordered tasted amazing and the service was great! The owner really made us feel at…read morehome and welcomed.