We were immediately greeted and chose a table outside with a view. Everything else was closed on a cold holiday afternoon in January, so despite the bad reviews, we chose to eat here. Staff were cordial, and no one was rude; however, there was only one other customer sitting outside with us. There wasn't a lot of choice on the menu, and the linguine with crab for €16 sounded good, so I ordered that and a glass of white wine for €6. We were given a brown paper bag with bread inside it (see pic), and because I'd read reviews, I asked whether the bread was extra, and was told that the bread was included in the cover charge of €2.50 per person. The reviews stating the bread is stale were correct; the dry bread was inedible, and we weren't given anything to go with it. I gave a little bit to the pigeons walking around our table, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. I was extremely disappointed when my meal arrived. A plate of pasta (I can't tell you the flavor of the sauce) with several small crabs on top and below, with nothing to crack open the shell! I asked the waiter how I was supposed to crack the crabs open, and he brought me a plate with 2 wipes and a seafood cracker, but no seafood pick. This would have worked if the crabs on my pasta were larger and not so rubbery, but I ended up having to use my fingers and fingernails to extract the crab meat and place it on my pasta (a seafood pick would have been nice.) My hands were absolutely filthy & cold, and my pasta was cold by the time I finished fighting with the crabs. My suggestion to the restaurant would be to serve only the crab meat on the pasta instead of serving the crabs whole, so the guest can enjoy their pasta. My pasta and wine were fine. They served the purpose of filling my stomach on a very cold day. The bathroom, however, was disgusting. I hope they clean it more often during high season! read more

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Location, location, location! This place is on the lower square at bottom of Vernazza (Cinque Terre) just steps away from the water on Gulf of Genoa & Ligurian Sea. We had party of 6, and all but 1 liked our dishes a lot (shrimp/anchovies was not loved). The house red wine is a lighter style Cinque Terre DOC that pleased everyone. Since pasta with pesto is one of the regional specialties, 3 of us ordered this and we're not disappointed. The ravioli came in a walnut sauce that was fantastic! Despite having a reservation requested for outside, we had to sit inside. This was a bit disappointing on a beautiful afternoon, but not a big deal. The service was hurried and not friendly, hence my reduced rating. read more

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It's the Denny's of Italy. LOL. Almost gave this place 1-star since it was perhaps the worst meal out of the 23 days I spent in Europe (France/Italy/Greece). But really, it wouldn't be fair cause 1-star is quite loaded and at least this place provided use of their bathroom. Of most of the restaurants in this tourist trap of a town, this had one of the lowest stars both on Yelp and on Google and on Tripadvisors. I wanted to go somewhere else that had a slight wait, but other "Friends" in our travel group wanted something quick and this location was right smack in the middle of the area with "views" of the ocean. Unfortunately, we were sat inside with no real view except for the occasional patron walking by our table to get to the restrooms. Luckily, we didn't have to get a whiff cause it was far enough. LOL. Although, with some of the fish dishes, it was hard to tell. Service was okay... but they did give us weird looks. I chalk it up to communication and cultural issues. However, when asking for recommendations, they only suggest their most expensive items or their most high-margin dishes. All of which are mediocre at best. Almost tasted like pre-packaged food thrown on a plate. We ordered their seafood salad platter for two. Looks nice and the fresh fruit was decent. But the seafood was all just "meh". Definitely not "fresh". I fish off my kayak at home and cook seafood myself so I know what was caught recently vs what's been in the fridge for a while. It's no excuse being a coastal fishing town with daily catch available. Later, when they asked how it was thinking we'd be all impressed, I tried to be polite but honest and just said it was "ok". They gave me a weird look as if they expected their food to be the greatest in Italy. It was not. The other thing they recommended was the prawn truffle pasta. I get it, there's truffles on top. But the whole thing didn't have a strong truffle flavor. It was okay. Maybe I'm not used to the subtle flavors. Back in the states, we put that truffle on everything and it's quite fragrant. The shrimp/prawns were okay size and decently "fresh", but slightly over-cooked. The only.. and ONLY thing that was maybe could be above average was their mixed fried plate. The anchovies thing was okay too but not sure how to gauge how good that is. In hindsight, the restaurants near the entrance where the cars parked seemed to have more locals eating there, better rated by us foreigners, and looked like a better value. read more

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The service and ambience was definitely a taste of Northern coastal Italy. The food was amazing and I especially enjoyed the ravioli with a type of gravy. The pesto spaghetti and cake for dessert was delicious as well. Mangia mangia. Don't forget to order an Aperoltivi. read more

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Service was slow!! Food was ok. The location is perfect yet perhaps tgat is the problem, main plaza and it felt chaotic. We ate a bit of everything, generally great reviews on the food except that it took so long. read more

two stars for decent food (however mussels didn't taste fresh) and one of the bearded gentleman who was friendly. the other staff literally looked miserable. horrible service but €4 added to the bill for "service charge" and €2 for water charge. it's right by the beach, so you pay for ambiance and convenience. SKIP. move along. read more

If you're looking for a nice outdoor meal with a great view of the water of Vernazza, then this is one of the many options in that area. However, there are many fine choices to choose from. To be honest, we went to the restaurant with the most seats that were in the sun to enjoy the beautiful weather. Food came second on our priority list (for once)! The food was pretty good. They gave us a huge portion of seafood pasta that was almost too much to finish! However, I took away 1 star because the pasta's texture was not great. Parts of the pasta were hard and undercooked. However, the sauce and seafood were delicious. I also got a seafood ravioli dish which I would also recommend! The service was good as well, no complaints here! Location: fantastic! But be prepared to be hot when the sun comes out, and very chilly with the clouds. Granted, we went in late March. Price: €€ read more

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We took a private tour to Cinque Terre and our guide (Francesco) recommended this place for lunch. We were offered a fixed menu for €25, which included an appetizer, two types of pasta (served family style) one pesto and one in a tomato seafood sauce with shrimp, then some ice cream as a dessert. Included was also some wine called Luni. The appetizer included fresh anchovies, baby squid, and a bruschetta which was topped with a garlic potato mixture. The servers were very nice and quick. Since we tend to enjoy wine very much the 2 bottles went quick, they happily served us a third at no additional charge. One of the best white wines I have had was this Luni. If you find yourself in Vernazza definetely stop by this place. read more

Taverna del Capitano - Anchovies, baby octopus, potato crostini. - Italian Near Me - Vernazza, SP

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Great location and food. The wait staff can speak English and we asked for wine recommendations that paired well with our dinner. We started with caprese salad and salami plate, both I loved. The salami plate with three different cuts of cured meat, all with distinct flavors. The balsamic for the caprese salad is sweet and sour, just perfect for the fresh salad. I ordered the seafood pasta which was delicious. There's is an ample amount of seafood (mussels, clams, shrimp, and squid). The noodles with a nice hint of wine flavor in addition to the herbs, just perfect. The others in my party tried the trofie with pesto, grilled swordfish, and steak with fries. I am impressed how moist the fish was as some places dry them out too much. Of the items we ordered, I would highly suggest the seafood pasta, trofie and grilled swordfish. read more

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When a tourist, in a tourist town, during high season, you can't expect to find the best meal without doing some research. We didn't do any research, we followed our noses and checked out several menus before selecting a table here. The food is competitively priced and tasty. The portions are reasonable and the service is what you might expect. We didn't linger, we placed our order, drank our fizzy beverages, dined, paid, and dashed back to the water. I enjoyed a seafood pasta and my travel buddy selected the gnocchi with zucchini and shrimp. I've forgotten what we spent but it wasn't anything outrageous for the location. As in much of the world it's all about location, location, location. read more

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Stopped by here for a quick light bite to eat after our hike from Monterosso to Vernazza, before our next hike from Vernazza to Corniglia. We knew we didn't want to stuff ourselves since the hike contains so many stairs upwards and we needed to not be weighed down with food. This place was recommended in Rick Steve's book for Italy 2017! We sat outside by the water and enjoyed a quick bite of caprese salad and the ravioli with Scampi sauce. The caprese salad was ok.. we've had better with the fresh Buffala mozzarella. But the presentation was gorgeous. The ravioli with Scampi sauce was good but the Scampi was definitely squishy and overcooked. Overall, good food and great location on the water! read more

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Came here as it was one of the restaurants recommended by our AirBnB host. I would NOT recommend this place if you're not a local (or Italian speaker). The staff at the restaurant seem to need a vacation from all the tourists. View was good (Vernazza town square, in front of the beach). Food was decent (the 2 stars). But the service and the dinning experience was AWFUL. I don't think the guy who took our order looked at us twice during the entire ordering, dinning, paying. I am always polite during ordering and spoke the little Italian I know (the "thank you", "please".. etc). A little eye contact would be appreciated... First for sitting - 5 of us (with 2 young kids) arrived at 6:30 - PLENTY of seats but they tried to seat us at the edge, pushed up against another restaurant's outdoor seating and really only can sit 3 ppl (wth?!). We had to be pretty firm to get a diff seat. Then they brought the wrong pasta - we got clam but they served crab. It was our first day, they haven't been responsive to any other requests, so we decided to try the crab. The crab shells were not cracked for eating and no tool was brought to us until we asked. Finally, the charge included some weird charge, 2 euro by the person, something about it's some tax/fee?! We were never charged that again during our 3 night stay there. Again, stay away... unless you're a local or speaks Italian fluently. read more

This gem was recommended by our tour guide and we loved it! We got a €25 special that included bread with olive oil, water, a bottle of wine, three different types of pasta, fried seafood platter and cappuccino. There was plenty of food and their seafood is so fresh and really tasty. I would love to go back one day. My favorite was pesto pasta. read more

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The salmon lasagna was the best dish that we had during our two week stay in Italy. We loved everything about this restaurant. read more

I still dream about the Cinque Terre. The scenery, the serenity, and the spread! In truth, my mouth waters just thinking of my meal here. It was the best meal I had in all of Italy. It's a simple thing, really. Pesto pasta. Nothing special. Nothing fancy. Flavorful, authentic foods don't need the extra pizzazz. The flavors speak for themselves. I've never been a fan of pesto... Until I visited Italy, that is. It's quite different (and disappointing) in America. But the pesto in the Cinque Terre is divine! Oh, how I miss Vernazza! My favorite of the 5 villages. And the Taverna del Capitano is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy this beautiful country and scrumptious food. La Bella Vita! read more

Taverna del Capitano is situated right on the piazza facing Vernazza's charming mini-harbor. We had the mixed seafood as an appetizer. The langoustine was in the form of sashimi; I found them fresh and delicious. My trofie with pesto, a specialty of Liguria, was tasty and substantial. He had the grilled fish with potatoes. He enjoyed the fish enormously. We shared a liter of the House white. It was crisp and fruity, the perfect accompaniment. I found it reminiscent of a Sancerre. We found the service par for Italy and shouldn't I think be compared with the American standard of service. A nice meal altogether. read more

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Rude. Expensive. Only gets an extra star because of the close proximity to the water. Food was just ok too. My advice is try anything else. read more

Nice seaside setting- good service - food is good but not superb thus the 4 star rating- ordered the seafood grill which has plenty of food - nice place to stop and relax read more

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Trenetta pasta with basil sauce aka pesto. Pesto was created in the cinque terror region so of course we have to try it. It's creamy and not greasy. Fresh and light pasta. Sciacchetra la polenza wine is made here and is an exquisite dessert wine. We also had a local white wine which was perfect pairing to our seafood antipasto and meal. Service is well Italian style. Nothing is rushed. Time to enjoy. It becomes lively at 10pm. The patio is perfect because it sits on the edge of the Mediterranean bay. Food is good, company is good, and service is good. read more

Overlooks the water for a phenomenal view. Wine list is good and well-priced. Had a Caprese salad and trofie Al pesto (cinque terre dish) and each bite was amazing.... read more

Taverna del Capitano - Italian Near Me - Vernazza, SP

I am reluctant to delve into negativity, but I have to warn others who do not want to want their day in Cinque Terre to vanish with the speed of slow service at a restaurant to think twice before sitting down here. It was 3 pm and the place was no more than 25% full. 6-7 tables, tops. It took 15 minutes for a glass of the *house* wine + 30/40 minutes for a lukewarm, thin piece of fish. My ravioli with scampi sauce came sauce-less (....I was served boiled ravioli). I understand fish does not bake instantly; but this fish was less than a centimeter thick. The potatoes and tomatoes that came with the fish were delicate and tasty, which was pleasant. I tried not to make a big deal out of not getting any food, until I noticed people who arrived way after us had finished eating and were having dessert, and our food was nowhere to be seen. A server who barely has any tables, who sees guests who came later are eating dessert while a previous table's food has not arrived yet, is unacceptable. Finally, when we asked for the bill, we asked a gentleman who nodded dramatically and said, "YES, BILL!". We watched him walk back into the restaurant, disappear for 5 minutes, then come back out to wipe tables. Our server came back out and just started chatting to another table... I give the waiter credit for not trying to argue with my mom when she complained. My mom is dramatic and can appear illogically angry even when she has a reason to be. read more

Stay away. It's a tourist trap. The food is over priced, not good and the service is awful. On top of all that, we were given bread that looked like it was have eaten. We ordered 2 cokes they brought them hot, until I asked for ice. The town and views are beautiful but that's what your paying for. read more

Good food, great service, great location. They were busy and we waited and had drinks and waiter unexpectedly gave us all our drinks to us for free. Fantastic atmosphere. read more

On our first night in Vernazza, and after debating over the few options in town, most prices seemed similar between restaurants, we decided on Taverna Del Capitano. We were able to be seated right away. The food was okay. So these two aspects earned them a star. The gnocchi - I've had better in Miami, and the Caprese pales to what I tasted in Florence, but I could be spoiled. Overall the service here was one of the worst I've had. Our waiter basically shooed us away when we wanted to add wine to our order. He did not check on us throughout the night. And we had to flag him down to bring the bill and to pick up the card for us to pay. My husband had to get up to sign the receipt just so we didn't have to wait even longer. At first we attributed the poor service to this man being overworked and stressed, however after watching him cough repeatedly in his hands, lick his fingers, and then handle table cloths, money, bread baskets, etc - It was just not okay. So the food was meh and the service (and hygiene of that particular waiter) was def a thumbs down. We hope to have better food during our stay in the Cinque Terre. read more

Great meal on the harbor front. Fried mixed fish plate was huge and incredibly tasty. Even the simple noodles with Pomodoro got rave reviews. Like most places in the Cinque Terre, the service was slow but friendly. read more

Awful service, the waiter insulted us in Italian because he thought we could not understand what he was saying and the food was subpar. Would not recommend to anyone, it's a complete tourist trap read more

The fact that our waiter couldn't wait for us to leave was one issue. The food was subpar and service the same. To much of a tourist destination that they forgot to be even remotely kind. read more

Reservation are a must, gets very busy. We must have seen 7 or 8 people be turned away. Ordered the triofe al pesto and frittura mista (fried fish). Both dishes very good, fresh and well made. Portions were typical for Italy, not huge but did not skimp. Reasonably priced for the area, as the two dishes, cover charge and water came out to be 36 euros. Good setting right in the center of the harbor. read more

I've never written a Yelp review before but I need to warn you to NOT eat here!! I'm currently finishing my meal here and It's the WORST restaurant I've been in my life. We had to ask 3 times for the bread (which they automatically charge for so we wanted to have it. We ordered a caprese salad and a pasta both to share. They brought the pasta before the salad and got mad when we asked them to take it back and bring in the right order. They brought the salad and gave it to me in my hand so we had to move around the glasses to place the salad in the middle. We weren't finished with the salad and they brought the past, which they handed to me (again!) and didn't even bother to remove the other plates. We asked them to do it and they got mad. When we tried the pasta it was freezing cold because it was clearly the same one they had brought 15 minutes ago and didn't bother to heat it up. read more