Trattoria da Sandro

My wife and I came here on our last evening in Vernazza, and one of the last few nights on our honeymoon in Italy. After a day of sightseeing during in Corniglia and Vernazza we were looking for a good send-​off meal. Il Baretto, which was just down the street from Da Sandro, was closed for Sunday it seemed, so we came to Da Sandro.
As always in Vernazza, once the day trip tourists were gone it wasn’t hard to get a table on the patio, as it was half full at best. It was immediately noticeable that our waiter was very friendly and ready to help out, answering questions and readily offering info as well. Like most restaurants in Cinque Terre, the menu leans heavily toward seafood, but there are options out there for those who don’t like it/can’t have it. My wife for instance went with the spinach and ricotta ravioli in walnut sauce, a dish we had come across elsewhere and that she had really enjoyed. I had to go with seafood though and chose the fried octopus and crispy vegetables. We also got a bottle of Cinque Terre white wine, having enjoyed it so much during our five days there.
We sipped on our wine and had bread while we people watched and enjoyed the more laid back evening, and our food was soon there. To my surprise my vegetables were battered and deep fried, as I had just been expecting tender-​crisp sauteed veggies; it was similar to tempura but marginally thicker and more airy. While I had been hoping for something healthier, they were very good and I really enjoyed the batter. The octopus came with both the rings of the body and hunks of the short tentacles as well. Unfortunately the batter didn’t stay on these as well as they did the veggies, but they were still quite enjoyable. They had a pleasant chew that was middle of the road for calamari/​octopus — not good or bad enough to be particularly memorable, but just a pleasant meal.
My wife absolutely love the ravioli though, with it being her favourite meal in Vernazza/​Cinque Terre and maybe even all of Italy. She even lamented that we were there on our last night, as we couldn’t have any more meals there. The pasta, filling, and sauce were all delicious and a light sprinkle of cinnamon added more depth to this version this common Ligurian dish.
Since we didn’t have any appetizers, there was plenty of room for dessert and given the quality of what we’d had so far, we wanted to try out the dolce side of their menu. After hearing a handful of options, we settled on a slice of cake made with local kumquat marmalade and a panacotta-​like dish that was made with the regional dessert wine sciacchetra that our waiter raved about. It wasn’t long before we had our sweet finishes to the night. My kumquat cake had a fairly thick layer of the deep orange marmalade between two thin (by North American cake standards anyway) layers of cake, dusted with icing sugar and a caramel drizzle. The cake was light and not as sweet as cakes back home, which I appreciated, and the kumquat marmalade had a really good citrus flavour and slight bit of tartness to further offset the sweetness. But he clear winner for desserts was my wife’s non-​panacotta panacotta — impossibly airy, and just rich and sweet enough to be decadent but not overpowering, this alone is worth making Da Sandro worth a stop.
Service was super friendly and our waiter was very good at checking in on us and re-​filling wine glasses.
If you’re in Vernazza, Da Sandro is definitely one of the places that you must eat at.

Had a wonderful meal on a cold rainy night but the owner made it even more memorable.

A wonderful respite after a healthy (some found it easier than others) hike from Monterosso al Mare. We arrived close to 1pm, and the patio — where everyone wanted to sit– was packed, which didn’t surprise us, as this restaurant is recommended in Rick Steves guide book. We waited approximately 30 minutes for a table for six (6), and it was worth the wait.
The service was attentive, and they brought our shared dishes as they were prepared. Everything we had was excellent — the Smoked Tuna on thin crispy cracker bread, the swordfish with tomatoes, zucchini and olives, the Trofie with pesto, the vegetarian ravioli with Walnut sauce (not vegan) which we fought off the waiter from taking too early, as there was still some delicious sauce left for sopping up with the excellent bread, and the Salad Caprese, where the tomatoes were not quite ripe, which was surprising given the time of year.
Everyone enjoyed the meal, as well as the house wine, which was private labeled.

We ate here twice in the three days we were in Vernazza: that’s how amazing this place is. Vito was our server both times and he had everything to do with the amazingness of our experiences. Trust this man, he knows what he’s talking about. We had the millefoglio both nights– smoked trout, tomatoes, onions, and very thin cracker-​like bread drizzled with oregano, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. The first night, we ordered the pasta di mare– a giant dish for two people. The second night, we tried to order individual entrees but Vito steered us toward the gnocchi di scampi– another dish for two people, with langostinos and this tomato-​based, creamy sauce that had a touch of curry to it. It was so unexpected and unlike anything we’d had before or since. Please go here and eat their delicious food. And if you can, ask for Vito.

Pricey but worth it. Beware portions are small. I had their stuffed mussels, it came in an order of 6. The sauce was actually a little too salty for me. It tasted like it was stuffed with meatballs but my friend said it was olives. Regardless, I enjoyed my meal. Great spot to grab lunch after hiking to Vernazza from Monterosso if you feel like splurging.

My husband and I spent a lovely two hours here over dinner, with a wonderful solo traveler (Sam) from Australia. The food was delicious, the outdoor seating area and the service were great. Would go back in a heartbeat.

Stopped in for lunch after our hike from Monterosso al Mare. I had the stuffed mussels and my husband had the spaghetti pomodoro. Both dishes were really delicious. The spaghetti sauce had a nice flavor and the mussels were amazing. I mopped up everything that wouldn’t stay on my fork with the tasty bread. Why can’t I find food that tastes like this in NYC?

Came here for dinner one night since it was the tail end if low season and other spots seemed kind if dead. Glad we came because we were served a fantastic seafood spaghetti for 2 filled with lots of fresh seafood, yummy! And the best green minestrone soup I’ve ever had which I’m still thinking about. The flavors blended together perfectly, the serving size was big, and I can’t wait to try to make it at home now. Never had green minestrone and now want more. The lady at the front of the house was nice and attentive and took care of all 8 tables that night on her own in a casual manner, she never looked hurried. The chef in the back would clap twice whenever a dish was ready in the pass, cute.