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Recommended Reviews - Il Gabbiano
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Ristorante il Gabbiano is an authentic (and delicious) Italian restaurant. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and the outside seating offers an amazing view of the Italian coast. We ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese and Gnocchi with Pesto, both were fabulous. The servers were polite and attentive, giving us complimentary bread and refilling our drinks I highly recommend Ristorante il Gabbiano to anyone in the area!
We didn't have a reservation for the 5 of us but they seated right away! The food was delicious and the drinks were made perfectly and they came out very quickly. We were hungry after a day of traveling and we had a wonderful and relaxing experience here. Most importantly, the server (tall, blue shirt, wearing glasses) was SO friendly! Some of the best service I've had in Italy. He made nice connections with all of us and spoke fluent English, Spanish, and Italian. 10/10 for food, service, and ambiance.
Even if the place is packed, it does not always mean it will be good or even decent...just takes someone to make the assumption cause 1 group of people decided to dine there. Lol lesson learned. Tonight, we stopped in an hour before they were closing (they close at 9:30pm). We asked to be put on the list for outdoor seating...3 tables outside with no one sitting at it. And a list of people waiting to get a table. We kept asking the lady in charge of the register and she couldn't answer us or help everyone. We noticed she is the server, custodian, host, bartender, cashier, and restaurant manager. She seemed to have a control issue and did not either trust to delegate or doesn't want to. So the staff she had just cleaned, brought food out, and took the orders as long as she gave the authorization to do so. So service was extremely delayed. It took 30 minutes to figure out seating and to order. Once order was placed, food came out quick. Now the food. We got the bread it seemed a little stale. I also had to get up myself to get what I needed since they were all stretched thin and waiting for direction from the owner/manager (?). We ordered the Noodles with Pesto, Penne and Scampi, Mixed Fried Seafood, and a bottle of Lambrusco. Sadly everything but the Pesto (13€) dish was good. The mixed fried seafood (15€) had maybe 8 pieces of a calamari and 2 tiny shelled prawns, it was nothing special and others that ordered received more. So the inconsistency was strange. The Penne scampi (14€) was disgusting and full of shells! Hardly anything edible. Please see pictures. We started talking to this couple from France and they were too disgusted by the scampi dish they ordered and felt the same. The Lambrusco (16€) was hardly chilled and didn't taste great. The service in general was terrible. I felt bad for Joey, I think he could have great if he wasn't always having to check in with the manager. It's like if she wasn't there, the place wouldn't run. The place wasn't exactly clean, food ok the bench I was sitting on and they told me to sit and waited 10 minutes for someone to clear it. Overall a terrible experience...the 1 Star is actually warranted due to the delicious noodles with pesto.
This place is amazing. Excellent, excellent food. It was late and we took the only table available. I wasn't expecting much because the restaurants all look the same, but here the service and the food were both great. Started out with lemon spritz, a lemoncelo and club soda combo. Then with the meal we had a white wine of local origin, very good. I had the homemade pasta with nut sauce, a combination of walnut and pine nut. Absolutely fantastic. The sauce is buttery and savory on fluffy, cheese filled pasta. I wish I could have this every day for the rest of my life. Amazing. We also had the sole, which had a nice carmelization and a delicious sauce. Just delicious and we ate every bit of the fish. Little one had the pasta with tomatoes. I sampled it and can confirm that was amazing too. Dessert started with the chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream, which appeared dry but when you eat it, it's anything but. Very good flavor, not too sugary. We also split the cheesecake which was excellent as well. Espressos were handily made as well. Server was very friendly and attentive even though she was handling all the tables apparently. Just great food from people who clearly love what they do. Go here if in Monterosso.
We visited this area after a long trek in Cinque terre. We did not stay at the hotel, but they have a nice set of restaurant tables along the board walk,over looking the ocean. We just wanted something quick and were really surprised that the food was much better than expected. In fact it was outright delicious. We started with a nice appetizer of octopus salad that was just amazing. A nice combination of perfectly prepared octopus with potatoes, lettuce and onions and drizzle of olive oil. Following that my wife had a dish of grilled scampi that tasted just as good as they look. I had a simple plate of meat ravioli in a light bolognese sauce. It was stunning, and exceeded all my expectations. The sauce was just perfect with delicious ground meat. The ravioli was cooked perfectly and the meat stuffing had the right amount of spices that made them delicious. Add a nice glass of red Sangiovese wine and the meal was as good as it gets. The service was top notch, with Joe our waiter who tended to all our needs. So there you have it, you never know what to expect unless you try it. Just look at the pictures and believe me, the food was that good.
Nothing terrible, but really nothing to rave about, either. Husband had the seafood spaghetti, and I had a side salad and the grilled fish. The salad was quite bland, the seafood spaghetti decent in flavor but lacking in actual seafood, and my fish, while nice and large, wasn't very fresh or tasty. However, for the sheer number of tourists they have to feed each day, kudos to them for the attentive service and the speedy churning out of food.
I had the best Italian food on my trip while I was at this restaurant. Everything was mind blowing. I think the risotto was life changing. The four of us girls were delighted at how amazing the risotto was- it was packed to the brim with large pieces of crabs, mussels, shrimp, etc. The appetizers were awesome- octopus salad and calamari both were excellent. I loved the panna cotta we had for dessert, silky soft sort of like tofu but I don't really have the right words to describe it. A heavenly experience, I think I regret coming here so early because it made all my other culinary experiences seem sub par. This restaurant is right next to the train station, you can smell it right when you get off the train station in monterroso. This is the second must do in the cinque terre after the hiking!
Great location, decent service, good food. It was perfect for what we needed but a little pricey as compared to some restaurants off the main drag of Fegina. We sat inside. I had the seafood salad (very good) and the cantaloupe with prosciutto. My fiancé had the house salad and the gnocchi bolognase. To note: the paper napkins are blue and will turn your hands blue (and anything else such as a light pink Fitbit band...I may or may not know this from experience). Quite a few flies but good for a quick bite.
Slipped in at the last minute for dinner. After being turned down at several other restaurants because of the late hour, they were kind enough to seat us. The 3 of us ordered different entrées. Everyone enjoyed a great meal. You couldn't order a bad meal here. Our server was great, he was very funny and we definitely enjoyed ourselves. We ordered a carafe of the house red wine, and it completed everything perfectly. I would return to this place in a heartbeat!
8 months ago
3 years ago
Seafood Soup I was craving for soup. It was delicious. The seafood is a little messy to eat but it's all I wanted for dinner that night. Great place too and great customer service. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Ristorante il Gabbiano is an authentic (and delicious) Italian restaurant. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and the outside seating offers an amazing view of the Italian coast. We ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese and Gnocchi with Pesto, both were fabulous. The servers were polite and attentive, giving us complimentary bread and refilling our drinks I highly recommend Ristorante il Gabbiano to anyone in the area! read more
3 years ago
We didn't have a reservation for the 5 of us but they seated right away! The food was delicious and the drinks were made perfectly and they came out very quickly. We were hungry after a day of traveling and we had a wonderful and relaxing experience here. Most importantly, the server (tall, blue shirt, wearing glasses) was SO friendly! Some of the best service I've had in Italy. He made nice connections with all of us and spoke fluent English, Spanish, and Italian. 10/10 for food, service, and ambiance. read more
2 years ago
Even if the place is packed, it does not always mean it will be good or even decent...just takes someone to make the assumption cause 1 group of people decided to dine there. Lol lesson learned. Tonight, we stopped in an hour before they were closing (they close at 9:30pm). We asked to be put on the list for outdoor seating...3 tables outside with no one sitting at it. And a list of people waiting to get a table. We kept asking the lady in charge of the register and she couldn't answer us or help everyone. We noticed she is the server, custodian, host, bartender, cashier, and restaurant manager. She seemed to have a control issue and did not either trust to delegate or doesn't want to. So the staff she had just cleaned, brought food out, and took the orders as long as she gave the authorization to do so. So service was extremely delayed. It took 30 minutes to figure out seating and to order. Once order was placed, food came out quick. Now the food. We got the bread it seemed a little stale. I also had to get up myself to get what I needed since they were all stretched thin and waiting for direction from the owner/manager (?). We ordered the Noodles with Pesto, Penne and Scampi, Mixed Fried Seafood, and a bottle of Lambrusco. Sadly everything but the Pesto (13€) dish was good. The mixed fried seafood (15€) had maybe 8 pieces of a calamari and 2 tiny shelled prawns, it was nothing special and others that ordered received more. So the inconsistency was strange. The Penne scampi (14€) was disgusting and full of shells! Hardly anything edible. Please see pictures. We started talking to this couple from France and they were too disgusted by the scampi dish they ordered and felt the same. The Lambrusco (16€) was hardly chilled and didn't taste great. The service in general was terrible. I felt bad for Joey, I think he could have great if he wasn't always having to check in with the manager. It's like if she wasn't there, the place wouldn't run. The place wasn't exactly clean, food ok the bench I was sitting on and they told me to sit and waited 10 minutes for someone to clear it. Overall a terrible experience...the 1 Star is actually warranted due to the delicious noodles with pesto. read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
This place is amazing. Excellent, excellent food. It was late and we took the only table available. I wasn't expecting much because the restaurants all look the same, but here the service and the food were both great. Started out with lemon spritz, a lemoncelo and club soda combo. Then with the meal we had a white wine of local origin, very good. I had the homemade pasta with nut sauce, a combination of walnut and pine nut. Absolutely fantastic. The sauce is buttery and savory on fluffy, cheese filled pasta. I wish I could have this every day for the rest of my life. Amazing. We also had the sole, which had a nice carmelization and a delicious sauce. Just delicious and we ate every bit of the fish. Little one had the pasta with tomatoes. I sampled it and can confirm that was amazing too. Dessert started with the chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream, which appeared dry but when you eat it, it's anything but. Very good flavor, not too sugary. We also split the cheesecake which was excellent as well. Espressos were handily made as well. Server was very friendly and attentive even though she was handling all the tables apparently. Just great food from people who clearly love what they do. Go here if in Monterosso. read more
5 years ago
This place is right next to the beach and served some excellent seafood! I got the swordfish marinara so it came with mussels and clams and was really delicious! They have both indoor and outdoor seating with great views of the ocean. read more
3 years ago
We visited this area after a long trek in Cinque terre. We did not stay at the hotel, but they have a nice set of restaurant tables along the board walk,over looking the ocean. We just wanted something quick and were really surprised that the food was much better than expected. In fact it was outright delicious. We started with a nice appetizer of octopus salad that was just amazing. A nice combination of perfectly prepared octopus with potatoes, lettuce and onions and drizzle of olive oil. Following that my wife had a dish of grilled scampi that tasted just as good as they look. I had a simple plate of meat ravioli in a light bolognese sauce. It was stunning, and exceeded all my expectations. The sauce was just perfect with delicious ground meat. The ravioli was cooked perfectly and the meat stuffing had the right amount of spices that made them delicious. Add a nice glass of red Sangiovese wine and the meal was as good as it gets. The service was top notch, with Joe our waiter who tended to all our needs. So there you have it, you never know what to expect unless you try it. Just look at the pictures and believe me, the food was that good. read more
8 years ago
Nothing terrible, but really nothing to rave about, either. Husband had the seafood spaghetti, and I had a side salad and the grilled fish. The salad was quite bland, the seafood spaghetti decent in flavor but lacking in actual seafood, and my fish, while nice and large, wasn't very fresh or tasty. However, for the sheer number of tourists they have to feed each day, kudos to them for the attentive service and the speedy churning out of food. read more
I had the best Italian food on my trip while I was at this restaurant. Everything was mind blowing. I think the risotto was life changing. The four of us girls were delighted at how amazing the risotto was- it was packed to the brim with large pieces of crabs, mussels, shrimp, etc. The appetizers were awesome- octopus salad and calamari both were excellent. I loved the panna cotta we had for dessert, silky soft sort of like tofu but I don't really have the right words to describe it. A heavenly experience, I think I regret coming here so early because it made all my other culinary experiences seem sub par. This restaurant is right next to the train station, you can smell it right when you get off the train station in monterroso. This is the second must do in the cinque terre after the hiking! read more
9 years ago
Great location, decent service, good food. It was perfect for what we needed but a little pricey as compared to some restaurants off the main drag of Fegina. We sat inside. I had the seafood salad (very good) and the cantaloupe with prosciutto. My fiancé had the house salad and the gnocchi bolognase. To note: the paper napkins are blue and will turn your hands blue (and anything else such as a light pink Fitbit band...I may or may not know this from experience). Quite a few flies but good for a quick bite. read more
8 years ago
11 years ago
Slipped in at the last minute for dinner. After being turned down at several other restaurants because of the late hour, they were kind enough to seat us. The 3 of us ordered different entrées. Everyone enjoyed a great meal. You couldn't order a bad meal here. Our server was great, he was very funny and we definitely enjoyed ourselves. We ordered a carafe of the house red wine, and it completed everything perfectly. I would return to this place in a heartbeat! read more
13 years ago
Great place with outside tables overlooking the ocean, gorgeous view and great food! We ordered the mussels, grilled fish and the anchovies, everything was good. The cinque terre wine we ordered was great too! read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
12 years ago
7 years ago
11 years ago
Beautiful view, great house wine (Bianca) and all of our entrees were delicious! We had the spaghetti with anchovies, spaghetti pomodora and ravioli with spinach and ricotta. read more
7 years ago
8 years ago
12 years ago
10 years ago
More info about Il Gabbiano
Via Fegina 84
19016 Monterosso Al Mare
Italy
Directions
0187 817578
Call Now
Visit Website
https://www.affittacamereristorante-ilgabbiano.com
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