Get to know Liguria and Cinque Terre most famous ingredients and dishes

Food Hints for a joyful staying in our land!

The Cinque Terre, as all Liguria Region, have a long culinary tradition with recipes that are a mix of land and sea food. Here are some of the most popular recipes and our suggestion for picking the right restaurants to try them all.

Pesto

Pesto Sauce is probably the most popular of our recipes It is a sauce that is not cooked and for this reason, very easy and quick to be made. Main ingredients are basil, oil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. You can try it with gnocchi (pasta made with potatoes and flour), troffie, croxetti or linguine, which wed name here trenette.

Farinata

Farinata is made with oil and chick pea flour, and cooked in a big copper pan. Best Farinata can be eaten only in Pizzerias, since it is prepared in very big , low pans and cooked into big pizza ovens at very high temperature. But, with some changes to the original recipe you can also prepare a homelike version in your oven.

And if you want to try the most famous one of our area? Well, you have to go to Pizzeria La Pia – La Centenaria in Via Magenta 12, in the heart of La Spezia town.

Below a home style farinata. You can make it at home!

Ravioli

stuffed pasta Ligurian style, they are usually stuffed with a mix of meat and local herbs.

Their vegetarian version is named Pansotti.

Mesciua

It’s a comforter soup made with white beans, “ceci”, spelt, oil, pepper and salt. It’s simply delicious! 

Minestrone

a delicious and tasty vegetable soup Ligurian Style: pesto can’t be missing as special addiction! It makes it so Liguria! And, of course, good Extra Virgin Olive oil on top!

Stoccafisso in Umido 

delicious stockfish with or without tomato sauce, with olives, pine nuts and excellent . This fish that come from the North of Europe is here revisited in a delicious version that will make you think it’s pure bliss! 

Coniglio alla ligure

a fantastic and easy recipe for cooking a fantastic rabbit Ligurian way: with Taggiasca olives

and pine nuts and of course tasty, delicious Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Historical  Typical Restaurants

These are the authentic places where to taste excellent stoccafisso, minestrone, ravioli and mesciua here some good suggestions if you want you meal to be in a typical osteria where locals go

#1 Da Caran

in Via Genova 1, La Spezia. It’s located not far from La Spezia Centrale train Station, but we suggest picking a taxi or a bus to reach it. It is a lovely typical “osteria” that offers also a good Pizza menu. The restaurant has a lovely outdoor with lots of tables so in Summer that’s the place to go for dinner. 

#2 Trattoria  All’Inferno

Via Costa, 3, La Spezia. Since 1905. It is right town centre, near its market square. A lunch at All’Inferno is a fantastic treat after a lively food market tour and if you want to go for dinner, well, do not forget to reserve a table well in advance!

#3 La Gira 

Via Genova, 622-632 – La Foce della Spezia, Since 1870. La Gira restaurant is on the hill of La Spezia with amazing views on the town below.It’s been beloved foodie retreat for generations.

#4 Trattoria Antico Negrao

Ancient typical trattoria where you will be able to taste the REAL local food! Not far from La Spezia Centrale train station

Here my maternal grandfather out for lunch at La Gira with his work colleagues. It was shot a few years before WWII.

Restaurants and Gourmet Places with a local touch

Among our suggestions for restaurants that always keep an eye on the local traditions and offer excellent dishes and products of the regional production here a good selection to drive your choice during your stay in the area

#1 Osteria della Corte

in Via Napoli 86, La Spezia. Probably the best restaurant in town with Silvia Cardelli Chef. Her dishes are praised as excellent in the most famous Food Guides of the world including the Michelin Guide. Her food is delicate and sometimes innovative but always with an eye to our traditions and high quality of the products she selects to create her menus. And her own life is a mission from food to the people she loves!

#2 A Pié de Campu

 Località piè di campo, 19017 Manarola – Canteen and Gourmet Restaurant in the tiny hamlet of the Cinque Terre, where having the best wine suggestions with Sommelier Yvonne Riccobaldi and tasting the best traditional Ligurian dishes and the original focaccia made by Tino!

#3 Miki Restaurant

Via Fegina 104, Monterosso Al Mare. This elegant and exclusive restaurant is probably the best of the Cinque Terre villages (not depriving the others of their value of course). Da Miki as something more than the others. Along with the professional welcome we get going there, food and wine are always a unique and memorable experience and serving Local Food is always the keyword of their menu!

We have lots of many other suggestions of best food served in our area, consider that quality is always high for a simple fact that our restaurant system is mainly provided by families that personally run their own business with the same dedication of past generations from which they inherited their stores.

We’ll be happy to introduce all our guests to all of them while you will stay with us in one of our selected properties in the Cinque Terre!