Da Gianni In Ottone

Typical Ligurian dishes, simple in presentation but good, simple cuisine. The atmosphere is decidedly fairytale, but certainly not during mealtimes, when the hustle and bustle of the town's marina prevents either a sea view or a peaceful conversation between diners. Table service is highly questionable. Having to call a waiter after a 15-minute wait (the room is still empty at the start of the evening) for a menu is certainly not a good start. The young waiter in charge of wine selection is decidedly unprepared. When ordering a 1.5-kilogram sea bream, it's good manners to bring it to the table, having it inspected before cooking, and then having it inspected again after cooking, asking if you'd like it cleaned or cleaned yourself. We had it directly from the kitchen, already cleaned in a sperlunga. The bottle of spicy oil, along with the powdered oil used to season the first courses, remained on the table until coffee. The price is reasonable.

A Standout Dining Experience in Cinque Terre – Gianni Franzi Is the Real Deal Despite reading some mixed reviews online, we decided to make a reservation at Gianni Franzi in Vernazza—and we are so glad we did. The owner of our hotel in Corniglia personally recommended it, saying he eats there often himself. Some of the staff, in fact, had previously worked at his own restaurant and were clearly well-trained in both service and hospitality. We’re a family of four (two adults, two kids), and this turned out to be one of the best meals of our entire stay in Cinque Terre. To start, our son ordered the mussels, which came in a huge portion—so large, in fact, that he couldn’t finish them (and he's a big eater!). They were fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked, and we all ended up sneaking a few. My wife and I shared the Antipasto della Casa, which was a beautiful assortment of seafood and local sardines prepared several different ways. The variety and quality were impressive—every bite offered something new and delicious. For our mains, we ordered a few different seafood pasta dishes, and each one was better than the last. You could truly taste the freshness of the ingredients and the care that went into each preparation. The local flavors were on full display. To top it all off, we shared a tiramisu for dessert that was absolutely off the charts good—creamy, light, and the perfect end to an amazing meal. What really elevated the entire experience, though, was the service. Our waiter, Baki, was exceptional—professional, friendly, and genuinely passionate about the food. He took the time to explain the local dishes, offered great recommendations, and even helped us pair our meal with the perfect wine. (And notably, he recommended a wine that was not the most expensive on the list—something we really appreciated.) Over the course of our trip, we ate in various towns—Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, and Manarola—and while we had some good meals, Gianni Franzi was the only restaurant that truly stood out and deserved a glowing review. If you're in Vernazza and want a meal that showcases the best of Ligurian seafood, served with care and attention, don’t hesitate to book a table here. It was a highlight of our trip, and we would absolutely return.

Pranzo nel weekend con amici e ti ritrovi catapultato negli anni 80. Un caldo afoso che dalla strada entra dalle finestre aperte nella speranza di fare circolare un po' d'aria poiché nessuna delle pale a soffitto era funzionante e ovviamente non esiste aria condizionata (temperatura esterna di circa 35 gradi). Ci vengono serviti antipasti che davvero sembravano usciti dai vecchi ristoranti delle comunioni fine anni 70. Qualche fetta di salume (assolutamente contata in base ai commensali), insalata russa presentata a cazzuolate sul piatto, verdure sott'olio, cipolle in agrodolce e qualche pezzo di torta di verdure. I primi senza infamia e senza lode. Ah tutto servito ad una velocità stile mensa aziendale..

Kindness and excellent food, really a nice restaurant to return to

Delicious restaurant in the port of Vernazza. We went with our baby, and she had a great meal. The seafood is delicious, and the sharing plate was very generous. The mussels marinière are also very good. We received a recommendation for this restaurant from a nonna in the port; she said it was the best restaurant in town.

I stopped here for lunch with my partner.. excellent in everything, very good food.. excellent service.. very good waiters and beautiful location with a view. Well done, well done!!

The view is fantastic, but the food is even better. Try spaghetti scoglio, for example. Super fresh fish and shellfish. Even the squid is tender and not chewy. The only downside is the crowds, but that doesn't apply to all locations in the Cinque Terre, does it? Very friendly service that goes above and beyond to accommodate impossible requests from tourists. The current rating really doesn't do this restaurant justice.

Mediocre food, stale bread, great view

The people in service were really kind. We had the seafood pasta, the best we had on our trip in Cinque terre. The chocolate mousse was also great.

Restaurant with a good location, obviously prices that go with it for decent food, we eat well and not bad service either if you are local and you do not know where to go this establishment is the right place.