Food · Cinque Terre · Italy
What to eat in Cinque Terre
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Cinque Terre, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Trofie al pesto, Focaccia and Monterosso anchovies. Start the day like a local with a warm slice of focaccia from a village bakery, dipped into a cappuccino at the bar. Village restaurants are small; book dinner in summer, especially in Vernazza and Manarola.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Trofie al pesto
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 8
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving a few…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish · Vegetarian
1.Trofie al pesto
Short twisted pasta with pesto genovese: Ligurian basil pounded with garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmigiano and pecorino, often with potatoes and green beans cooked with the pasta.
Where: Every trattoria in the villages; look for pesto made 'al mortaio' (in a mortar).
Bakery · Vegetarian
2.Focaccia
Ligurian focaccia is thin and oily, with a salty, dimpled crust, eaten at breakfast dunked in cappuccino or as a snack; versions come topped with onions, olives or potatoes.
Where: Bakeries and focaccerie in every village and in La Spezia; buy it by the slice.
Dish
3.Monterosso anchovies (Acciughe di Monterosso)
Monterosso's anchovies are eaten fresh — fried, marinated in lemon, stuffed, or baked with potatoes and tomatoes as tegame alla vernazzana — and salted in jars to last the year.
Where: Restaurants in Monterosso and Vernazza, especially in spring and early summer.
Street food · Vegetarian
4.Farinata
A thin, crisp pancake of chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt baked in a wood oven in large copper pans and served in wedges with black pepper.
Where: Focaccerie and pizzerias in La Spezia and the villages.
Dish
5.Stuffed mussels (Muscoli ripieni)
La Spezia's stuffed mussels (muscoli in local dialect), filled with breadcrumbs, mortadella, egg, cheese and herbs and cooked in tomato sauce.
Where: Trattorie in La Spezia and Porto Venere, where mussels are farmed in the gulf.
Dish · Vegetarian
6.Mesciua
A peasant soup from La Spezia of chickpeas, cannellini beans and spelt or wheat, finished with plenty of olive oil and black pepper; its name means 'mixture' in dialect.
Where: Traditional trattorie in La Spezia, mostly in the cooler months.
Dish · Vegetarian
7.Pansoti with walnut sauce (Pansoti con salsa di noci)
Ligurian ravioli filled with ricotta and wild greens, served with a creamy sauce of pounded walnuts, garlic and olive oil.
Where: Trattorie across the villages and in La Spezia.
Street food
8.Fried seafood cone (Fritto misto)
Paper cones of fried anchovies, squid, prawns and small fish, the classic snack to eat on a harbour wall.
Where: Takeaway counters in Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
Snack · Vegetarian
9.Vegetable pie (Torta di verdure)
Savoury pie of thin pastry filled with chard or other greens, ricotta, egg and cheese; the Easter version, torta pasqualina, hides whole eggs inside.
Where: Bakeries and focaccerie, sold by the slice.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Cinque Terre DOC white
Dry, mineral white wine from Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino grapes grown on the steep terraces, an ideal match for anchovies and pesto.
Where: Wine bars and restaurants in all five villages; ask for a small local producer by the glass.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Sciacchetrà
A rare amber dessert wine made from the same grapes dried for weeks after the harvest, produced in tiny quantities and usually sold in half-bottles.
Where: Wine shops and enoteche in Manarola, Riomaggiore and Vernazza, and the cooperative winery at Groppo.
Food experiences
Focaccia breakfast
Start the day like a local with a warm slice of focaccia from a village bakery, dipped into a cappuccino at the bar.
Sunset aperitivo
Take a glass of Cinque Terre white to a terrace bar or the harbour wall in Manarola or Vernazza as the sun goes down.
Vineyard tasting
Taste Cinque Terre DOC and Sciacchetrà with a small producer or at the cooperative winery above Manarola, looking out over the terraces.
La Spezia market
The covered market in Piazza Cavour sells gulf mussels, anchovies, vegetables and local cheese, busiest in the morning.
Quick bites and street food
- Focaccia — Bakeries and focaccerie in every village and in La Spezia; buy it by the slice.
- Farinata — Focaccerie and pizzerias in La Spezia and the villages.
- Fried seafood cone — Takeaway counters in Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
- Vegetable pie — Bakeries and focaccerie, sold by the slice.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 8 are usually vegetarian: Trofie al pesto, Focaccia, Farinata, Mesciua, Pansoti with walnut sauce, Vegetable pie, Cinque Terre DOC white and Sciacchetrà. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Village restaurants are small; book dinner in summer, especially in Vernazza and Manarola.
- Lunch runs from about 12:30 to 2:30pm and dinner from about 7pm.
- A coperto (cover charge) is usual and shown on the menu.
- Order Ligurian dishes — pesto, anchovies, stuffed mussels — rather than Roman or Neapolitan classics.
- Many restaurants close in the winter months; check before travelling between November and February.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buongiorno | Good morning / hello |
| Grazie | Thank you |
| Il conto, per favore | The bill, please |
| Un biglietto per Vernazza | A ticket to Vernazza |
| Dov'è il sentiero? | Where is the trail? |
| Una fetta di focaccia | A slice of focaccia |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Cinque Terre famous for?
Trofie al pesto, Focaccia, Monterosso anchovies and Farinata. Short twisted pasta with pesto genovese: Ligurian basil pounded with garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmigiano and pecorino, often with potatoes and green beans cooked with the pasta.
+Is Cinque Terre good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Trofie al pesto, Focaccia and Farinata.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Cinque Terre?
Tipping is not expected and a coperto is often charged; rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated.