Focaccia & Farinata at Pasticceria Laura
Monterosso's old town hides a handful of bakeries that have been feeding locals since before the tourists arrived, and Pasticceria Laura on Via Roma is the one residents point you toward. Their focaccia al rosmarino emerges from the oven in thick, olive-oil-soaked slabs that are crisp on the outside and pillowy within — the Ligurian benchmark.
What to Order
The focaccia col formaggio — a thinner, crepe-like version stuffed with soft Recco-style stracchino cheese — is the item worth queuing for, available from early morning until it sells out, usually by 11 am. Pair it with a small plastic cup of local white wine if the mood strikes.
Farinata, the golden chickpea-flour pancake baked in a copper pan, appears in the late afternoon and early evening. It is sliced to order, dusted with black pepper and eaten standing at the counter — the correct Ligurian way.
For something sweet, the pasticceria's torta di riso (rice and custard tart) and lemon granita made with Sfusato Amalfitano lemons grown nearby are both outstanding.
Anchovies of Monterosso
Monterosso is the anchovy capital of the Cinque Terre and the surrounding waters produce the prized acciughe del Monterosso, which have IGP protected status. Every alimentari and restaurant in town sells them preserved under salt or marinated in lemon juice as an antipasto.
For the best anchovy experience, sit down at one of the old-town trattorie and order acciughe marinate — raw anchovies cured in local lemon juice, dressed with olive oil and a little garlic. The flesh turns opaque and silky, nothing like the tinned version you know from home.
The last Saturday of September brings the Sagra dell'Acciuga, a street festival dedicated entirely to the anchovy, with free tastings, cooking demonstrations and fishing-boat processions in the harbour.
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