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The Mediterranean • Eat & drink • Cinque Terre’s 5 best restaurants (and must-try dishes)
Draped along the Italian Riviera, Cinque Terre is as much a feast for the palate as it is for the eyes. Each village – from Monterosso’s pastel façades to Vernazza’s harbour – has its own culinary signature, grounded in sun‑ripened produce, vine‑tended terraces and the freshest catch. What you will find is anchovy fishermen supplying the same trattorie their fathers did, grandmothers still making pansotti the slow way and chefs returning from big-city kitchens to cook with clarity. That mix of old rhythm and new intention gives the food in this part of Liguria its real character. We’ve put together the restaurants worth seeking out across the region – not just for their menus, but for their vision, their personalities and the dishes we’d happily return for again and again.
Top photography courtesy of Le Cantine
01
Le Cantine occupies the restored 1590 oil‑mill walls of the Cattaneo estate, just outside Sestri Levante. Under chef Enrico’s direction and front‑of‑house by Nadia, the kitchen turns home‑grown garden vegetables into innovative antipasti, while meats are charred over olive‑wood embers. The menu abstains from fish in favour of seasonal produce and succulent, barbecue-style mains. All paired with an impressive selection of predominantly regional wines, including white Vermentino from the Cinque Terre DOC. One must-try dish is the tagliolini al nero di seppia con tartare di gambero rosso (squid ink pasta with red prawn tartare), served raw and lightly dressed with local citrus oil.
Photography courtesy of Le Cantine
02
In a quiet corner of La Spezia Andree feels like an artist’s apartment turned radical kitchen. Chef Andrea Bruzzone trained in Paris and Florence before coming home to do things his own way. Bruzzone’s philosophy is simple – honour the region, but don’t be afraid to reinterpret it. The room is all moody lighting, vaulted brick ceilings and an open kitchen set the stage for the dining experience ahead. On the plate, you’ll find playful, precise dishes – like bonito tataki (seared bonito) with local apricot or handmade ravioli filled with baccalà (salted cod) and served in a smoked tomato broth. Even the wine list reads more like a diary than a catalogue – mostly Italian, all low-intervention.
Photography courtesy of Andree
03
At the head of Fosdinovo, this Michelin‑starred inn dates back to the 17th century and is overseen by chef‑patron Giacomo Devoto. Once a country farmhouse, today its terraces overlook olive groves and the Gulf of La Spezia, where Devoto sources herbs and vegetables from his own garden. Devoto’s three-tiered menus are a poetic ode to the terroir – here you can enjoy cast‑iron‑toasted testarolo (thin spongy bread), reinvented Mesciua chickpea‑soup waffle and a sciabola seafood course refined with herbal nuance. Add in the olive‑grove garden, pool, spaces for art and music and you’re dining amid authenticity and calm.
Photography courtesy of Locanda de Banchieri
04
Hidden just inland from Marina di Carrara, Extra takes its name from the world‑famous marble that built nearby cathedrals. Step into a light‑filled, minimal space accented with Carrara marble and contemporary artwork – understated, stylish and welcoming. Chef Claudio Folini leads a kitchen rooted in freshness and innovation, cooking up seafood‑forward plates that honour the season and the sea’s freshest catch. Start your culinary journey with the Raw Fish Platter – pristine scampi, Gillardeau oysters and tuna tartare paired with silky guacamole. Then dive into linguine with sea urchin – a dish that tastes of salty waves and buttery indulgence.
Photography courtesy of Extra
05
Just a few paces from the beach in Monterosso, La Cantina di Miky is a family-run Ligurian gem that manages to be easygoing and food-focused at the same time. Christine and Manuel continue a legacy spanning over 50 years, creating a menu that evolves with the seasons and the small-scale farmers and fishermen they champion. Their kitchen focuses on zero‑kilometre ingredients – fresh anchovies from Riomaggiore, lemon‑perfumed trofie and handmade trofiette interlaced with green beans. Start with the anchovy tasting – sweet, salty, tangy and cured in six ways – then follow it with handmade pesto pasta, fresh fish or a plate spotlighting regional vegetables and purple shrimp. The wine list places emphasis on small producers, with over 80% of wines being organic or natural.
Photography courtesy of La Cantina di Miky
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