Food & Drink – Local Specialties

The white Cinque Terre wine is well-known. It goes well with fish as well as the local pasta dishes, such as Spaghetti al pesto, a wonderful sauce of basil, garlic, olive oil and cheese. Pesto sauce is said to have been invented in the area.

Other dishes are steamed mussels in garlic, tomato and mozzarella salad and marvelous local white wine. Round off your meal in a little Italian ristorante with a walnut cake or tiramisu.

local bottlescafe

The cafes serve breakfast; stand at the bar to drink a cappuccino and eat a sandwich and wash it down with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Check out the Enoteca Pirun wine shop in Corniglia. There are scores of local wines, spirits and other curios for sale, or just sit down with a nice glass of wine in the evening and soak up the atmosphere of the cool little place.

wine shop

I have eaten well at the Trattoria di “Via dell’amore” next to the station in Riomaggiore, and in the hotel La Spiaggia in Monterosso.

Reader Comments

“My favorite cafes are Veciu Muin in Riomaggiore, Blue Marlin In Vernazza, and La Suprema in La Spezia (also the rosticcerie “Beppe” and “Sale e Pepe”, my main sources of nourishment).”

– Paul Sullivan

“In Manarola there is a small place named “La Cambusa” where they bake and sell some wonderful food like “focacce”, “farinata” and so on (it’s on the main road, coming from the station is about 100 meters after the bridge over the railway, on the right side).”

The address of “La Cambusa” is:
Via R. Birolli 114, MANAROLA (SP)
Phone nr. + 39 187 921029

“The owner is a very nice guy, he’s actually a German (he’s from Frankfurt) who’s been living there for more then 20 years and speaks Italian nearly as mother tongue, other than German (of course) and English.”

– Ezio Gallicchio, 1998

“Dear Friends, I posted an ad on this web page 2 years ago, and since then I have had over 300 messages inquiring to purchase 5terre wines, pesto and other Ligurian specialty products, Well I have decided to open a business to do so, we have opened 4 months ago and sell online.

We sell and ship worldwide 5terre wines and specialty products. My brochure can be seen on 5terre.com under shopping WINE SHOP GOLFO DEI POETI located in Lerici, the only site you can order 5terre wines and have it sent home. You can also request a complete price list of all wines 5terre and all fine Italian Wines from Tuscany to Sicily.

Wine Shop Golfo dei Poeti
Via Biaggini 14 LERICI La Spezia
++39 0187 965624

Please note to your readers , I am as always available for any local information that they may be interested in. Ciao again.”

– Your American friend living in Italy, Grace

“I’m an alimentary adviser of the Oil C. company which has its main center in Genoa. We produce extra virgin oil still in handicraft way. The olives are “taggiasche”.

We produce two types of extra virgin Oil: leaked delicate that has a very low acidity (0,2 %) ideal for a light kitchen and advised to persons who have problems of digestion and cholesterol.

The warhorse of the company is “mosto”, oil rich of vitamins ideal for the “bruschetta”, the fish, etc….! The bottle is from liter, the oil comes bottled in anti-oxidant dark glass in order to maintain the unchanged product for the duration of 20 months. The smaller confection is from 6 bottles and comes 46,80 euro. We take you the products to your home ! All expenses of the shipment are to cargo of our company and the payment happens through postal checking or bank account that you can find inside of the cardboard!

We will be glad to give you all the information you need about our products.”

– Aline M, Olio Costa Staff, May 2002