Genoa
Eating by the water often means a compromise in quality, but Eataly's 3rd-floor fine-dining space delivers both panoramic port views and Genoa's most…
Must-see restaurants in The Italian Riviera
La Spezia
This friendly osteria (casual tavern) turns out Instagram-worthy plates of creative, cruelty-free delicacies. Rich, complex flavours feature prominently…
Manarola
Hidden off a narrow lane in the upper reaches of town, the Trattoria dal Billy fires up some of the best seafood dishes anywhere in Cinque Terre. Start…
Sestri Levante
A cellar-like two-room restaurant beloved by locals, Osteria Mattana serves up hearty home-cooked dishes at outstanding prices. The chalkboard menu…
San Remo
This cosy, warmly lit place lined with wine bottles overflows with locals tucking into homemade traditional dishes such as tagliolini with seafood or…
Genoa
Rosmarino cooks up the standard local specialities, yes, but the straightforwardly priced menu has an elegance and vibrancy that sets it apart. With two…
Camogli
In the leafy heights of San Rocco di Camogli you’ll find the only Slow Food–recommended restaurant along the coast, named for grandmother Nina, whose…
Rapallo
About 5km inland in the hamlet of San Massimo di Rapallo, this cult restaurant is run by comic-book collector Fausto Oneto, and half of his collection…
Monterosso
One of the liveliest restaurants in town, Eraldo's is a family-style spot where you dine amid arched brick ceilings and red-and-white tablecloths, with…
Genoa
This old-fashioned tavern near the waterfront has been around in one form or another since the 1600s. Wooden tables, low-arched brick ceilings and a few…
Genoa
In 2019 a gourmet food hall landed in Genoa's oldest market, offering nearly a dozen different stands. You can dine on wood-oven-fired pizzas, pastas,…
Golfo dei Poeti
Just across from Piazza Garibaldi, Dal Pudu is a tiny storefront serving up some of the best seafood in town. A chalkboard menu lists the day's specials,…
Monterosso
Monterosso's most memorable setting for a meal is undoubtedly this 13th-century tower with a terrace overlooking the sea. Painstakingly prepared seafood …
Riviera di Ponente
Join the fashionably dressed French-border hoppers at this stylishly bucolic, restaurant, cafe, homewares shop and general village epicentre. Lunch and…
Manarola
Near the tunnel leading to the train station, Aristide has tables in an old village house and in a bright, modern marque terrace on the square. Order a…
Monterosso
Behind Piazza Matteoti, in the heart of the old town, this tiny vaulted dining room is run by a young, friendly team and attracts a loyal local crowd. The…
Manarola
Near the Chiesa di San Lorenzo, Cappun Magru is a favourite among locals for its home-style cooking, its delicious cakes and Manarola's best espressos…
Monterosso
Just below the train station, this photogenic takeaway fires up the best focaccia in all of Cinque Terre. You can order that perfectly crisped bread…
Monterosso
The go-to place for delicious market-fresh fair at reasonable prices, San Martino has a changing chalkboard menu posted out front and just a couple of…
Genoa
An atmospherically lit spot for tapas and cocktails early in the evening, or a proper dinner later in the night. The youthful owners showcase quality…
Vernazza
A Vernazza classic for more than 50 years, Belforte serves beautifully prepared seafood dishes in an 11th-century castle. You can dine in the atmospheric…
Genoa
Brace yourself for lunchtime mayhem. This is a totally authentic, if well touristed, workers' trattoria and there's much squeezing into tiny tables,…
Monterosso
With tables overlooking the beach, this unpretentious seafood restaurant is a good place to try the local bounty. Start with penne con scampi (pasta tubes…
Genoa
Admire the exquisite 17th-century frescoes of Bernardo Strozzi while dining on exquisitely prepared cuisine inside this spectacular dining room encased in…
La Spezia
Go early to score a table at this sprawling subterranean osteria, a famed destination for la cucina spezzina (La Spezia cooking). True to its name, this…
Camogli
If you're not on a mission to taste-test every town's focacceria, Revello is a suitably respectable choice if you had to choose just one. Pick up slices…
Camogli
Up a back lane from the waterfront, stylish Da Paolo has the town's best fish and seafood, all fresh off the boats and done in a variety of simple local…
Vernazza
With outdoor tables on the main drag and a lively soundtrack, Blue Marlin draws a steady stream of locals and visitors throughout the day. Stop in for…
Vernazza
Tucked along a hillside pathway just outside of the centre, La Torre serves Genovese-style trofie al pesto (a pasta with pesto), seafood spaghetti,…
Levanto
In a vaulted-ceiling dining room a few blocks from the beach, Moresco is a chef-driven restaurant that has a loyal local following for its superb seafood…
Corniglia
A Corniglia mainstay since 1999, Alberto Melandri serves some of the best gelato for miles around. Try the basilico, made from basil grown in his garden…
La Spezia
Founded in 1887, La Pia is a much-loved icon in La Spezia. Piping hot slices of farinata (chickpea flour flat bread) is the big draw, though there's also…
Corniglia
Near the top of the stairs leading up from the train station, La Posada is one of Corniglia's most memorable settings for an al fresco meal. On a terrace…
Genoa
Genovese fast food done in the most authentic and enticing of ways can be had at this backstreet hole in the wall. Come for a quick and easy plate of…
Riomaggiore
A surprising find in seafood-centric Cinque Terre, La Cantina del Macellaio fires up melt-in-your-mouth braised beef, pasta with wild boar and a few other…
Riomaggiore
Perched on a ridge south of Riomaggiore, where the old telegraph line used to be strung, the views from the Colle del Telegrafo are spectacular. But they…
Genoa
Genoa is a long way from Manhattan or Berlin, but that urban aesthetic is in full force at Officina 34. It's a beautifully fitted-out space in a pretty…
Genoa
Gourmet pizza in Italy seems a little, well, ironic, with the rest of the world so keen to do authentic Italian pizza. While the pizzas here are…
Santa Margherita Ligure
A seafood place right on the docks, yes, but this grey-and-white streamlined vaulted space is a maritime kitsch-free zone. Romantic and cosy on colder…
Corniglia
One of the only places where you’ll find refreshment on the Sentiero Azzuro, this cafe sits alongside the trail (on the Mediterranean side) in Prevo. Il…
