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    La Grotta

    4.1 (36 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndItalian, Seafood, Trattorie

    La Grotta Photos

    LA GROTTA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - La Grotta

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    Seafood pasta
    Philippe D.

    This is a nicer/higher end dinner option if you're roaming around Riomaggiore. We tried the carpaccio, one of the seafood pasta dishes, and their fish of the day which was a branzino. Everything was tasty and the seafood in particular was quite fresh. The service was attentive and the waiter spoke multiple languages with clients at various tables. I don't think I was necessarily blown away by the food, but it was of good quality. I would recommend going if you want something a bit more refined/sit-downy. Most of the local places will have really great seafood!

    Mix Seafood Risotto
    Cindy W.

    Friendly and feels like home. Six of us was a bit tired from our travel and wanted to get an early dinner before settling for the night. Arrived to the restaurant the minute it was opened to be the first ones in. The service was fair and food came out promptly. Food was great. My particular favorite was the seafood risotto. It was full of flavor and all the fresh seafood in it was heavenly. We also got the pesto and basil pasta. Wine is very affordable compared to the states. Their red and white wine per bottle was 10€. It was surprisingly good and balanced well with the food. By the time we were near our dinner, the restaurant was packed and full house. Guests were also waiting at the front. Glad that we were able to eat there and didn't have to wait. Would recommend sharing and trying the place out.

    Cheesecake
    Melinda W.

    We were looking for a place with an open table in Riomaggiore and La Grotta was one of the few options that looked decent. The dining room was really loud and full but they managed to squeeze us into a small table near the counter. I had the seafood linguine, which is served in a weird tin foil plating that must relate to how it's cooked. The seafood was wonderfully fresh, and the sauce on the pasta was mainly butter and oil. It was lovely and simple. We also tried the cheesecake here, and it was great. The inside had a little bit of a fruit filling, and the cake itself was light and barely sweetened.

    Kris H.

    If you happen to be hiking about Cinque Terra and you have built up an appetite, La Grotta is a good dining option. It's pretty cool how they managed to build a restaurant into the rocks of this coastal region. Friendly service. Pretty fantastic house white wine. More importantly, we had one of the most amazing seafood meals in Italy at La Grotta. The grilled prawns were fresh and super sweet. The cioppino was extremely tasty with fresh clams, mussels, shrimps, and crab. The grilled octopus was delectable. You can taste the freshness in all the seafood dishes.

    Salty mussels tomato soup
    Winnie O.

    Food is great but service is not consider good at all, considering that this is rather high end restaurant. I had (salty) mussel in tomato soup for starter, pesto homemade pasta and white wine. I love the taste of the food here. They always give you a bowl for the mussel shells. All 3 servers saw that the bowl was very full and that I'm struggling with it. Their reaction: ignore. Well well... Maybe this place is best visited by locals

    J. R.

    We had a lunch at La Grotta in July 2020. We had Tartufi pasta with clams, Octopus with asparagus or parsley cream? & the Pesto Genovese. As we've lived & traveled in Europe for 7 years, I was a bit disappointed. The octopus was overcooked with a flavorless asparagus/ parley cream?, I love octopus, just not this dish. The pasta with pesto Genovese was overcooked & a bit mushy along with the potatoes & green beans, we couldn't finish it. The Tartufi pasta with clams was the best tasting dish overall. The prices were surprisingly higher than I expected for a lunch vs other high quality restaurants. We left a bit hungry afterwards and disappointed as the rest of our restaurant meals in the area were fantastic. I hope the restaurant can step up as it was recommended by our stay who had not steered us wrong with other recommendations in the area. The staff was friendly and it really made us feel terrible to not enjoy our meal and leave a plate of food behind.

    Telford pasta in pesto sauce

    Great food, good service. Unfortunately a price discrepancy that lost them one star. On our last day in Cinque Terre we really wanted some really good pesto and seafood after a disappointing lunch. Minimal/poor reviews for other restaurants in Riomaggiore led us to La Grotta, as we were willing to spend more for quality. The food didn't disappoint; the handmade trofie pasta with flavourful pesto sauce was exactly what we were looking for, and the seafood spaghetti had great flavour and tons of squid, mussels, and clams. The house white wine was also tasty. The dessert of the day was raspberry tiramisu, and pretty good although small. Our server was very friendly throughout. However, once the bill came, we noticed they had overcharged for one of the pasta dishes by 2 euros. We mentioned it to our server that they were differently priced in the menu, but she insisted that they were both 14 euros each and that was that. We were sure that wasn't the case, but continuing to argue over 2 euros and insisting on seeing the menu seemed silly. We paid the bill but left with a sour taste. Interestingly enough, another table had a pricing discrepancy while we were there - it seems the menu posted outside was different from menus inside, and the servers weren't aware of this? Perhaps they were changing menus and increasing prices, but there was lost communication somewhere. Overall a good meal, but if you come here be sure to double check your bill while they're in this transition period.

    Emily L.

    The food here was good, not great. Both of our pasta dishes were salty. Not many options for pasta on the menu. It was kind of expensive for the quality of the food.

    Grilled fish
    Rachel A.

    Dinner in a cave in Riomaggiore? Sure, why not?! La Grotta is a really cool restaurant that is well lit to showcase all the historic pictures they have on the wall and the windows they have to expose the cave that exists and once was? before they built the restaurant. I'm not too sure on the history of the place but it's a very old, interesting, and casual place to have dinner. Service is as to be expected in Italy. Have patience and enjoy the ambiance as well as savor the food. We arrived late (well after the dinner crowd). The restaurant was pretty empty except for a few tables finishing up. For dinner, we went straight to the main dishes. We had wanted to start with minestrone soup but the kitchen was out. We ordered a grilled fish and the Cartocchio di spaghetti "alla Grotta" in bianco al tocco di crostacei. It would be an understatement to say they were outstanding. The fish, which was simply grilled, and flavored with nothing more than a sprig of rosemary and a lemon wedge was perfection. The pasta was wrapped in foil and lit on fire in front of your eyes. I've only seen that done once before in the Italian section of the Bronx. That's when I realized that this was how it was supposed to be done and how it is done in the "old country". When dessert rolled around, I was excited to get the cake I spied in the dessert case before we sat down for dinner. Since the desserts did not have labels on them in the glass case, we did our best to guess and got the honey walnut cake. We guessed wrong but were nonetheless happy with our selection. There are great restaurants in all of Cinque Terre. This is one that I will recommend to anyone who is stopping by Riomaggiore for a bite.

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    10 years ago

    Had the stuffed mussels! Best dish of my life. And that's saying something. I am fifty and fat. Had a lot of meals in my life!!!

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    10 years ago

    GREAT food....service was less than good. Waitress was actually very rude.

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    Trattoria dal Billy - Calamari

    Trattoria dal Billy

    4.4(237 reviews)
    1.1 km
    €€€

    Everything was delicious, the server was attentive, the guests nearby were having a party, and the…read moreview was spectacular! My wife and I don't really enjoy fish, but we even liked the local-caught sea bass: Fresh, flaky, tender, and mild but with a nice flavor (most fish is too bland for me). Regarding the speed of service, it is an *Italian* restaurant (in Italy, obviously), so expect it to go more slowly and enjoy the leisurely pace. Also, the house wine (white and red) is delicious. Highly recommended!

    Trattoria del Billy has a beautiful sunset view, even if we didn't get seated in a spot where we…read morecould actually enjoy it. Definitely make a reservation a couple of days ahead because they book up fast, and the place is popular with visitors who swear it's the best in Manarola. That said, the service was rough. The staff felt inattentive, and even when I was ready to pay, it took forever just to get the bill. They never came back to collect the payment, so I had to walk up to the register myself... and still wait for someone to take it. And honestly, they weren't even busy. The food itself was good, though not the best I've had in Manarola. The grilled sardines (five pieces) were tasty with bread. The seafood spaghetti, frutti di mare, was excellent with a solid portion size. The "giant" grilled prawns were flavorful but definitely not giant; you'll still be hungry unless you order something else. The grilled vegetables were a bit soggy and underwhelming. I kind of wish we'd gone for the lobster pasta special. I saw it at other tables and it looked incredible. Overall: good food, great views, but service that needs improvement. Not a bad meal, but not the must-visit some make it out to be.

    Photos
    Trattoria dal Billy - Restaurant sign

    Restaurant sign

    Trattoria dal Billy - Tiramisu

    Tiramisu

    Trattoria dal Billy

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    La Grotta - italian - Updated May 2026

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