Cinque Terre Help - Restaurants and General Advice
#1
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Cinque Terre Help - Restaurants and General Advice
Hello there,
Bikerscott and I are off again, to spend 5 nights in Manarola and 4 nights in Piedmont starting next weekend. We love great food, wine and scenery.
A couple questions:
1. Its very hard to find good restaurant recommendations in Cinque Terre (or maybe I just havent looked in the right place). Does anyone have good restaurants they could share in any of the 5 towns? I dont expect fabulous, but worthy or going out to dinner/lunch?
2. Are the trails still closed in Cinque Terre?
3. Any recommendations for boat trips on the coast?
Thanks so much for your help!
Jamikins
PS - as thanks we plan to write a trip report with pics as we go like we did for Paris at New Years this year
Bikerscott and I are off again, to spend 5 nights in Manarola and 4 nights in Piedmont starting next weekend. We love great food, wine and scenery.
A couple questions:
1. Its very hard to find good restaurant recommendations in Cinque Terre (or maybe I just havent looked in the right place). Does anyone have good restaurants they could share in any of the 5 towns? I dont expect fabulous, but worthy or going out to dinner/lunch?
2. Are the trails still closed in Cinque Terre?
3. Any recommendations for boat trips on the coast?
Thanks so much for your help!
Jamikins
PS - as thanks we plan to write a trip report with pics as we go like we did for Paris at New Years this year
#4
Join Date: Mar 2010
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You will find that there are limited restaruant options in each city, with the exception of Monterosso.
il Pirata and Gianni both in Vernazza were decent.
I don't think the ferries were running either, but the trains work beautifully.
il Pirata and Gianni both in Vernazza were decent.
I don't think the ferries were running either, but the trains work beautifully.
#8
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Miky's in Monterroso. Their seafood risotto and frito misto is simply and delicious! Everything on the menu is really good. Gianni in Vernazza for their spaghetti vongole. Aristide in Manorola.
Have a great time!
Have a great time!
#9
I have eaten at Gianni in Vernazza...I thought it was very good. The owner and his family were at the next table (and it was a large family with several coming and going). We ordered what they were having and it was great (very plain pastas). They really encouraged us to have dessert...a creme brule type...it was something to write home about!! But that particular night it was the friendliness that was so special. It felt like magic. Pretty soon several of the tables were talking back and forth. I have a painting of Vernazza (happened to find it at an art show back home...and I had to have it). It brings me back to that night.
#14
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We were in the Cinque Terre in June 2008. It was our experience that the trails being open and the boats running changed day to day. One section of a trail might be open one day and closed the next day and vice versa. You just have to be flexible and remember there is always the train between the villages.
#15
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You also should remember that there are infinitely more possibilities for hiking in the immediate region than the le Cinque Terre trails, which sometimes get closed because the combination of wet weather and hundreds upon hundreds of stomping feet quickly make the fragile paths impassable -- whereas other trails nearby don't suffer that impact.
Many people "hike" in le Cinque Terre not because they like to hike on vacations but because a guidebook told them that "hiking between the towns is a MUST-DO" tourist activity.
If you don't like to hike, skip it. Take the elevators and shuttles up to panoramic vistas, or walk up the paved staircases for views.
If you DO like to hike, consider hikes above Levanto, Lerici (all reachable by boat) plus Santa Margherita Ligure and Camogli, reachable by train. Almost ANYWHERE along the coast offers incredibily scenic walking and hikes, either at the seaside or in the hills.
Many people "hike" in le Cinque Terre not because they like to hike on vacations but because a guidebook told them that "hiking between the towns is a MUST-DO" tourist activity.
If you don't like to hike, skip it. Take the elevators and shuttles up to panoramic vistas, or walk up the paved staircases for views.
If you DO like to hike, consider hikes above Levanto, Lerici (all reachable by boat) plus Santa Margherita Ligure and Camogli, reachable by train. Almost ANYWHERE along the coast offers incredibily scenic walking and hikes, either at the seaside or in the hills.
#16
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We were there last year in May and had no problems hiking the trails. Too bad about weather this spring. I second Trattoria Dal Billy in Manarola. We stayed at La Toretta and loved Billy's. We ate there two nights of our 3 night stay. Also had a good meal down by the water, can't remember the name of the restaurant.
#17
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Thanks for all this good info, we hope to be in Manarola next May. We have been looking the the apartments run by Billy's brother which are next door to the restaurant so I am sure we will be giving it plenty of patronage.
#18
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We ate in Vernazza at Gianni 2 evenings and found the pesto amazing. I also had a "catch of the day" which was great. It was our favorite place to eat in the Cinque Terre. The focacia bread in the Cinque Terre is great too. We thought the Cinque Terre area had the best food while we were in Italy.