We had an excellent meal of really fresh seafood, deliciously prepared. Staff very nice and accommodating, were luckily able to seat us, at outside table, since inside was filled up with reservations and people right at opening. This was a Tuesday night in early May, really didn’t think they’d be busy: wrong! Make a reservation, it must be impossible to get in when summer season starts!
Mariana F.
Place rating: 4 New York, NY
very tasteful and nice staff. first we ordered degustazione fritata and pesto as appetizer. then we had the fish fillet(delicious and good amount), tagliatelle with anchovies and pinole, gnocchi with seafood. everything was good. we had one of the best meals here in italy.
Andres B.
Place rating: 4 Barcelona, Spain
stayed in this burg for a few days. this was the best restaurant we encountered and we tried a few. this town is famous for pesto. do try that. try to reserve in advance as its a small place and gets booked up in summer.
Bonnie C.
Place rating: 5 Winter Park, CO
We stopped in because after walking by the tables outside the food looked amazing. I love Gnocchi and ordered the pesto gnocchi with the tomatoes and Mozzarella. The food is delicious and the pesto is to die for in this area. Wish I could have the same pesto gnocchi in the US. It’s the best I’ve ever had. Italian food in Italy is one of the many reasons I have to keep traveling to back to Italy. I love the food, the wine, the people, and the country is beautiful. The people that work in this restaurant are friendly and make you feel welcome. We enjoyed the local white wine they recommended. It was the best day in PortoVenere– loved the restaurant and loved the town. I am home craving Gnocchi!
Steve S.
Place rating: 4 Irvington, NY
Brief visit in town, taking the boat through Cinque Terre. Looking for a good local place for a quick sit down lunch. Honest place with great service and delicious food. Amazing pesto!
Cat N.
Place rating: 5 San Jose, CA
We lucked out when we walked in and promised we would clear out before the reservations kicked in, but definitely try to call if you can for a reservation. I fell in love upon walking in: there’s a rowboat as the cash/bar area! For dinner, my friend had mussels for the first time ever and loved them. We ate mussels almost every night we were in Italy, and he said these were still the best. I’m usually not an octopus/squid fan, but this was cooked perfectly. The formula is an insanely great deal, as the portions are generous and the quality is still there. Certainly worth the trip from La Spezia, if you’re not staying in Portovenere, which is worth a whole afternoon in itself.
Tom H.
Place rating: 5 Arcata, CA
After walking the main stretch along the waterfront in Portovenere, I took the steps to the castle and looped back to the right down the alley. I walked past this place to find it PACKED. I had to try it. The filleto di pesce San Pietro at 8.00 was delicious and a ½ litre of house red wine was 6.00 too cheap to pass up. I left with a full belly and a good buzz. Cheap price, amazingly delicious local seafood makes this place a true gem! I wish I could take the restaurant home with me!
Matt R.
Place rating: 5 Evanston, IL
I had an amazing, amazing dinner at this place. I’m glad I added it to Unilocal,because it’s a must see. This is one of the regions of Italy that people tend to go straight to Bologna for and easily skip. I’m not sure I understand why, because Portovenere by itself is a beautiful port and definitely has some of the best pesto and limoncello of the region. Why would you be on Unilocal and not want great food? Forget Milan and Bologna, Cinque Terre and Portovenere are where it’s at. They are well featured on everything except Unilocal,which is why I felt compelled to have this added. Enough about that, lets get on to the unique foods and drinks of the area. Porivene is basically down a back alley which is how the streets are in Portovenere, so it’s easy to miss. They had a dish called a porridge pot, and I’m not really sure how to describe it. It’s a mixture of bread that includes a unique soft cheese that is almost like a sour cream(tasty, not bitter), and a plentiful helping of pesto to go alongside it. We also got a Pesto pizza and Pesto pasta — notice a theme here? These guys do not mess around when it comes to Pesto. When I say best in the world, Italy should always come to mind. Whereas sobou charges an arm and a leg for pretty decent stuff, these guys charge very little for amazing food. The Pesto pasta was mixed with a very plentiful amount of fresh pesto, and was absolutely delicious. Likewise the Pesto Pizza was pretty good sized — remember, in Italy a pizza is considered a single person food item and each of these easily fit as a meal for me and my wife. Also, don’t forget to try to the vin santo! Vin Santo is like a strong amaretto, which you dip cookies into. Apparently it’s a big thing in the region and very much not to be underestimated. Portivene un mare di sapori was one of the best places we had eaten in all of Italy. Not only that, but it’s right near the awesome pesto shop I mentioned in another review. This is a must find/must review/must eat for anyone in the region — although keep in mind that the bus from La Spezia takes about 25 minutes to get there and only stops at Portovenere every hour or so to take you back.
Rod S.
Place rating: 4 Washington, DC
Good food and welcoming place in the picturesque main street. Salted anchovies are the regional speciality and very tasty even for me who isn’t crazy about them except here. Pasta with anchovies was great and had them in abundance. We went with all regional food and had the tris de Testaroli — tortilla like fare with different spreads, including the spectacular pesto– as well as the farinata with a creamy cheese dip and more pesto! Finished with cantuccini and sweet wine. Yum.
