Trattoria da Dino, Via Cavour
In a city that has become a gateway for Cinque Terre day-trippers, Trattoria da Dino on Via Cavour remains stubbornly, wonderfully local — a paper-tablecloth room where the handwritten daily menu changes with whatever arrived at the market that morning and the wine comes in ceramic jugs. This is the kind of place that reminds you why you travel to eat.
What to Order
Start with the acciughe al limone — raw anchovies cured in lemon juice with a drizzle of the grassy local olive oil. They bear no resemblance to the tinned variety and will recalibrate your understanding of the fish entirely. Follow with trofie al pesto: the short, twisted pasta made fresh in-house, dressed with a pesto that uses only Ligurian DOP basil and is never, ever made in a blender.
For a secondo, the moscardini in umido (baby octopus braised in tomato and white wine) is a Thursday staple worth timing your visit around. Portions are generous and the bread basket is replenished without being asked.
The Experience and the Bill
The room holds perhaps 30 covers and fills quickly after 12:30 at lunch; arrive at noon or book ahead for dinner. The owner — typically present and opinionated about what you should eat — will steer you away from anything that isn't at its best that day, which is the highest form of restaurant hospitality.
A full three-course lunch with house wine and water rarely exceeds €28 per person. In a region where tourist restaurants routinely charge double for inferior food, this represents extraordinary value.
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