restaurants in CT

I really liked the seafood dish I had last October at Ristorante Belvedere in Monterosso. Also, the pesto lasagna from Al Castello in Vernazza has always been a favorite of mine. The pesto in this area is amazing and you should also try the local sweet wine called Sciacchetra.

My wife and I stayed in Monterosso al Mare in September 2011. We stayed at the Al Carugio Hotel. At that time the owner of the hotel also owned the Ristorante Al Carugio in Monterosso just down the street from the hotel. We had a selection of acciughes (anchovies} prepared every imaginable way and one was better than the next.
Unfortunately, the proprietor of the Al Carugio Hotel, Andrea, informed us they no longer own the restaurant. But we're going back in July and I still want to give it another try. Check with some of the local shopkeepers, and ask them where THEY eat. I'm sure they'll give you an honest recommendation. Good Luck!!

Thanks so much! I will definitely check those out! I love seafood!

We dined at Al Castello, in Vernazza, in 2010. We showed up early, but without reservations. We were seated on the terrace at a lovely table overlooking the sea, and Monica herself (the owner) was our waitress for the evening. It was out most memorable meal of our trip and I would highly recommend it again. My husband had fresh seafood, and I had pesto. Both dishes were wonderful.

I'm more familiar with Monterosso than the other towns, and some of my favourites there include.....

• Cantina di Miky - on the main street in the "new town", not too far from the station. They have a small but cozy outdoor patio overlooking the ocean, and it's a great place to enjoy the beautiful views at sunset with a nice meal and a glass (or two) of Vino. There's also indoor seating if desired. The owners are fantastic people! Don't confuse this with the more upscale Miky Restaurant, which is at the far end of the new town.
  
• L' Alta Marea - part way up Via Roma in the "old town". They have outdoor as well as indoor seating, although the outside patio is somewhat "petite". Usually quite busy which is not surprising as I've found the food to be consistently good on every visit and again, the owners are wonderful. This is where I usually enjoy my signature "welcome back to the C.T." first meal, Trofie al Pesto.
• Ristorante Belvedere - located towards the end of the "old town", overlooking the water and again they provide both indoor and outdoor seating. I'd suggest going early as it gets quite busy later in the evenings, to the point where the servers are actually running! Don't be concerned about the periodic rumbling noises overhead, it's just the trains. Their "signature" dish for small groups is the Anfora Belevedere that consists of a seafood mixture cooked in a large earthenware pot. It's best for groups of four or more, as it's a large serving for those that really like seafood and have a big appetite.
• Ristorante al Carugio - in a small alley just off Via Roma in the "old town". I've always found the food to be good there, so would certainly recommend it.

As Monterosso is the largest of the five towns, there are lots of restaurants to choose from. One seafood restaurant that seems very popular is Ristorante Ciak (old town), but I've never dined there so can't offer any comments.

Note that each of the restaurants usually closes one day a week, but at least one that I've mentioned should be open on the day you visit Monterosso.

In Manarola: Trattoria di Billy. Marvelous seafood, great views, super service. Be sure to reserve. This is one of my favorite places in Italy.

In Vernazza: Il Pirata: Massimo and Gianluca will not only have you swooning over the food, but laughing with delight as they are enormously entertaining. Also try for morning pastries, freshly made on premises.

In Monterosso, as Ken mentioned, Cantina di Miky, right on the waterfront.

Also in Manarola we like *Marina Piccola"

Another vote for Cantina di Miky in Monterosso. We loved it so much that we dined there 3 times in 5 days. The outdoor patio overlooking the beach is very nice as is the garden seating and the indoor dining room seating. The food was fantastic and the prices were very reasonable. If you like cheese and bread, definitely try the Ligurian deep-fried bread (with cheese melted into the middle); it was to die for and I could have eaten it as a meal by itself! Have a great trip.

In Vernazza I loved the Belforte. Amazing view of the sea. Make a reservation early so you get a table on the railing or on the smaller baclony up a little higher. We had the Mixed Seafood appetizer which had 4-6 different items on there. We had a seperate order of Mussels, the best I ever ate so far. We split the Trofe with pesto and that was amazing also. We meet another couple at the table next to us and they ordered a fish that was cooked in a salt pack. The fish was big and they weren't going to finish it so they gave us some. It was really good too.