Il Casello

Probably most memorable meal of the Cinque Terre – post hike from Corniglia, starving, and craving something delicious, we ate an entire dish (shared portion) of risotto al fruti de mare, and it was sooooo good! The seafood (clams, mussels, scampi, shrimp, and squid* [not totally sure if squid or baby octopus tails]) was to die for, and the risotto with chilled white wine (local) overlooking the sea was all one could even hope for! Sat out on the rocks under the umbrellas and enjoyed it all while taking in the views. We loved it. The staff was fairly cordial too-​probably some of the best we’ve had since being here!

Subpar seafood & bland pesto pasta (pesto is the specialty for this area).
Super disappointed Rick Steves. Two stars for the awesome view and excellent service.

Great location but the food was definitely subpar. Ordered shrimp with avocado and the avo was so u ripe it was rubbery. The anchovies Liguria were fresh and tasty but they skimped on the olives and pine nuts. Perhaps the dinner chef is better? Service is good. Great view

Great selection and we loved our wine so much we bought bottles to go

This was our first dinner and meal in monterosso. It set the tone for the rest our stay, very difficult to beat. The stuffed mussels as an appetizer were sweet and had the perfect red sauce. The were filled with such wonderful flavor. The risotto al mare was out of this world delicious! The risotto was cooked perfectly and the flavors of all of the different seafood was a perfect compliment. The pot was filled with mussels, clams, shrimps, prawns and calamari. The portion for two was very satisfying. Service was wonderful and accommodating and the view from most outdoor seats is breathtaking.

Ate here twice during our three-​night stay! Tasty food — fish of the day, pesto, gnocchi, ravioli, desserts, salted sardines. The staff is super friendly and the view is gorgeous. A total no-​brainer spot for dinner. Delicious, friendly, excellent location. Go!

The best salted sardines I’ve ever tasted. The house white wine was perfect after a long hot walk, and the Tuna in lemon juice was also excellent. All that was on top of a gorgeous view and a gentle sea breeze.

The food was as wonderful as the view! The seafood risotto was insane and the pasta with pesto was just as delicious. We knew Cinque Terre was famous for seafood, pesto and white wine, but each one of these at this place exceeded our expectations. The bonus was the great service… the place is owned by a very friendly guy who grew up in Monterosso.

Definitely a fan of this place. The guys are so friendly and the food is to die for. Ask for the table up on the balcony if you want the absolute best view, that’s we’re we sat! The must haves are the stuffed mussels — amazing, we went to Arzak a couple of weeks earlier and these are up there with that quality of taste but much more homely presentation (obviously). Also try the pesto pasta. Delicious. Great place great spot

Even though this meal was only in my second weekend in Italy, this was probably the most memorable. It might’ve been because I was having a streak of really bad meals, from horrible and cold paninis at train stations to a bad Italian attempt at an eggs benedict… but I digress.
We were walking along the shore in Monterosso, passed through the tunnel, walked by another beach, and decided we were hungry. There were a couple of restaurants that all looked equally good but we noticed the yellow umbrellas from a distance, and wanted to sit in a place where we can enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Why I love this place:
–Great view; outdoor seating overlooking the beautiful beach and Mediterranean waters.
–Fresh seafood, though you’ll get that at pretty much any restaurant in Monterosso
But really, the reason I love (and still dream about.) this place is their salmon gnocchi. Peep the photo I uploaded. At first, however, you could say I was more than disappointed when my dish came. First of all, it was GREEN. And second, I was expecting a big slab of salmon on top of my gnocchi, not the few bits and pieces they scattered across my plate. I thought this was going to continue my streak of train wreck meals.
But when I took a bite, I was utterly surprised. As I took more bites, my eyes got wider and wider. This salmon gnocchi. is amazing. Even though there didn’t seem to be much salmon, I felt like I was eating some in every bite because the sauce captured the flavor of salmon so incredibly well. Words could not describe. When I was done, I had gotten every sauce with bread. Seriously, amazingly done.
My friends applauded me for finally having a great meal.