Il Piccolo Diavolo

Stopped in for dinner and wanting pizza. The other dishes looked good as well. We started with the Caprese salad which had nice ripe tomatoes and fresh cheese. They sprinkled dried oregano on the tomatoes, I do wish there had been more fresh basil included. The pizza was good with ham, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and olives. The crust and sauce were good. The olives were the black kind we stuck on our fingers as kids. We both wished they were the delicious olives we’ve been served with drinks at the local restaurants. I’ll happily chew around a pit for a great olive on my pizza. The house red wine was good with a nice raspberry finish. They do offer a large selection of the Cinque Terre beer.

This family-​run restaurant just off the main drag in Monterosso is a must-​visit. I’ve been here with large groups and also just in two, and whatever the size of the group the service is always quick and the wait staff friendly.
The seafood was outstanding. I got octopus with sauteed vegetables which was extremely fresh and light. Their antipasti di mare and pesto pasta are also delicious, and the local house wine was good quality.
It is not always easy to find restaurants in the Cinque Terre that aren’t overpriced tourist traps. This is one of those precious few.

Initially getting in was abut of a problem. Waite staff it very helpful. In fact when I asked how long is the waite they just shrugged and when I asked is there a list to place my name they said no and walked away?! Ok, so we waited outside in rain and when a couple left I walked in and asked if we could take then table and they said maybe. Fortunately the other poor couple was not willing to waite in rain indefinitely and left. On e this fiasco was over the experience was quite nice.
We had the pasta with pesto and the spaghetti bolognese. Bother were really delicious. The appetizer was ok, crostini one with salmon, one with pesto and one with bruschetta. Finally we had the sirloin steak with mushroom sauce and fries. Steak and fries were good but mushroom sauce was too heavy with butter and cream. Dish was good but not great.
Wine was good a reasonably priced! Overall I recommend this spot, great place to eat while in Monterosso.

Loved the pizza. Very filling with lots of options. Perfect place for lunch after hiking in from Vernazza. Nice, shady, outdoor seating.

Best pizza in Monterosso! We stopped by this place upon stepping in to town and we weren’t disappointed. We are pizza foodies and this was our favorite within this town. We are here 2 times during our 5 day stay. The pizzas almost taste wood fired even though they are not because «the town is too small for wood fire ovens» as one of the servers explained. The servers were friendly unlike some other spots in town. Would recommend to friends.

Spaghetti riviera with tomato sauce, pesto, almond and pine nuts was good! Not fancy, just well made.
rabbit in white wine sauce and olives with potatoes was also good. It’s been a long time since I had rabbit, so not much to compare it to. But it was tender and tasted good.
Overall, I’d recommend this place, even with glasses from Ikea.
By the way, not really outdoor seating. The front is completely open, so it feels like being outside.

Mussels! Pizza was good too. But those mussels. Had some house red wine with dinner, it came chilled. We were very pleased with the service and the food.
Recommend to all.

It was OK. Not 5 stars. Pizza was just OK and the octopus was too. Not horrible but not 5 stars.

This is my first time in Italy so please take my 5 stars with a grain of salt. I also only ate appetizers and dessert :)
I ordered prosciutto and melon and it was delicious. The melon was chilled and the prosciutto slightly warm. The saltiness of the the prosciutto went so well with the melon. Only recommendation I would have for them would be to cut off a bit more of the green bitter rind. Not a big deal — with a knife at the table, I did it myself. (€ 9)
The tiramisu looks very different from that in the US, but all the same, it was delicious and I’m not even a huge tiramisu fan! (€ 5)
I ordered the house red wine which was also pretty good (¼ L for € 3) All in all, very pleased with the food and I plan to go back tonight for pizza.
I wish the melon and prosciutto was a bit less expensive but this restaurant was pretty on par with the prices in the area, if not a little cheaper. They do have a cover charge (I think it was € 1.50 or € 2 which is a little annoying).

The BEST food I had during my whole stay in Italy! My family took a tour through Cinque Terre and being the foodie that I am, I was a bit nervous with what restaurant the tour guide would choose for us. I was even more nervous when I found out we didn’t get to choose from the menu because he’d pre-​ordered our dishes!
We were seated and immediately served our first course. An octopus potato salad with pesto, mussels stuffed with a meat sauce, some sort of pan fried fish, and a slice of vegetable quiche. You could see the disappointment in my face when the food was placed because it was the type of dish I wouldn’t order in a million years. I took a bite of the octopus salad. BOOM, my mind was blown. It was SO DELICIOUS, especially considering how simple the ingredients were. The mussels stuffed with meat sauce were so savory. The tomato-​meat sauce wasn’t too overpowering, so you still got a hint of the fishy mussel taste. The pan fried fish was very tasty, seafoody (Is that a word? It tasted like it’d just been caught!) and salty. Although it was bony and hard to eat, it was still enjoyable. The vegetable quiche was crunchy, crispy, chewy, just down right heavenly.
I was just about stuffed when we were surprised to be served a second course! With dishes so good looking and smelling, it was easy to make room in our stomachs. Spaghetti tossed in oil and a hint of tomato sauce topped with mixed seafood and chopped basil. It was DIVINE. It was my first time having seafood with pasta in Italy and i was not disappointed. The mussels, clams, and octopus were beyond delicious with the spaghetti. The dish was so tasty.
As if the two courses weren’t enough, we were served dessert! A large slice of panettone with whipped cream on the side topped with cocoa powder. It’s the best panettone I’ve ever eaten. It was so moist and sweet, it went great with the whipped cream.
I was so stuffed when we left the restaurant, I was practically waddling.
The service was great, everyone was really friendly. The atmosphere was very nice and inviting and the restaurant’s décor was beautiful. I almost want to fly back to Monterosso al Mare just to eat here again. If you’re visiting the cities of Cinque Terre, don’t even think about eating anywhere else. Il Piccolo Diavolo is the place to be.