Antonio took fantastic care of us for our dinner visit in Monterosso. After a long day of touring, we opted for a local dinner nearby our apartment, and this came highly recommended for fresh seafoods! Strongly suggest you make a reservation if you desire to sit on the patio at peak dinner hour around 20:30p. You can see lots of people walking the area, enjoy the fresh air, central piazza location and delicious food and drinks. The seafood sampler was an amazing way to share a variety of starters, from sardines, anchovies, calamari, shrimp, bacon wrapped mussels, stuffed mussels, swordfish, etc. in small plates "tapas" style presentation - a true feast!! For main dishes, the Swordfish was the best I've ever had, freshly caught that morning and prepared grilled "thinly" sliced - very tender and tasty! This is not the swordfish type steak I'm familiar, but eating it so fresh was perfect! The homemade Gnocchi with Pesto was wonderful; eating flavorful Pesto sauce known in this region was a special treat, but I'd also say a filling and heavy dish as I could only eat a couple pieces - but everyone loved them! Finally the stuffed seafood ravioli was amazing ... homemade tender raviolis created and served in a rich pomodoro type sauce which was fantastic, definitely a shared dish for 2 (plus we took some leftover home for snack next day). And we finished our meal by trying the specialty dessert wine, Sciacchetra with biscotti. It was too sweet for me, but a real "local" treat! What a marvelous and beautiful dining experience, I'd recommend you must try CIAK if in Monterosso, Cinque Terre! Cheers, ENJOY!!! read more

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As stated by all, the general attitude here is unwelcoming, and unless you get Nona as your waitress, your unlikely to see a smile or be made to feel welcome. Food is ok but we had better at many other restaurants and the yelling from the kitchen heard in the indoor dining room was like an out-take from Curb Your Enthusiasm w/o Larry David being nearby to set a fun time! read more

La Lampara Ciak - Swordfish with sautéed vegetables - the veg. good - swordfish was overdone and dry. The grilled shrimp were not worthy of comment. - Italian Near Me - Monterosso al Mare, SP

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Gayle and I had dinner here on our last night in Monterosso al Mare. La Lampara Ciak has a front seating area, but we were seated down the street a bit, as that part of the restaurant was already full (or at least reserved). Our table was a little lonely at first, probably because we Americans show up to Dinner too early in Europe, but this area was "high energy and tightly packed" in no time. Our seats had a direct view on the Via Roma, so people watching was fun and as a result, we connected again with Jennifer and Mark (our Australian friends) and a Montreal couple we met at the boat dock earlier in the day. We ordered Ciak's signature seafood risotto that are served in huge and sizzling terracotta crock plates. It was all "lick you plate" delicious and the only thing better was the service provided by our attentive and most pleasant waitress. And as we left to walk back to the hotel, we lingered to enjoy the sight of the kitchen in action. Gayle and I are still raving about our Italian vacation, and this romantic date night experience is one of the reasons why. read more

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Absolutely loved it. My wife is pretty picky, but this place got her. Ate here twice back to back nights. One of the visits was a second dinner after a so so first dinner down the street a few hours earlier. The pesto gnocchi was fabulous (she had it both visits). I have a good feeling the pesto al spaghetti is fabulous as well. I had the Spaghetti Ciak (both visits as well) and it was incredible. Both were large portions. read more

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My husband and I traveled to Italy and this was one of the first places we ate. We have traveled around Italy for 2 weeks and the spaghetti with clams/mussels ( seafood pasta) was by far the best meal I've had on our trip! read more

La Lampara Ciak - Italian Near Me - Monterosso al Mare, SP

How lovely are the staff here?!? It was a pleasure eating here. It's a recommendation for anyone who visits Cinque Terre. I would honestly eat here every night but i booked in Riomaggiore. I had the fried sardines... and omggggg so good. Everything they were serving looked delicious. Their pastas are actually really good. I was eating solo so i wish i would have came in with someone just to have their ravioli! Next time! read more

Very good food. Lucky we got there when we did because they got slammed with cruise ship arrivals and had a hard time dealing with the volume. The food was very good even though the service suffered. We weren't in a terrible hurry so it was ok but several tables left without ordering. I'd definitely go back. The food and presentation was fantastic and the service could have been great if not overwhelmed. Maybe better for dinner than lunch. read more

We spent more than a week in Monterosso and would see Chef Ciak each morning with armfuls of fresh ingredients. The pesto was delicious, the pasta perfect, and the bountiful Seafood Ciak also quite excellent. The food was five stars; the service, two or three; not unfriendly, by any means, just slower than the already casual pace of local service; we actually waited almost thirty minutes just to pay our bill. read more

Way over priced! They end up seating most of the guests outside to entice people to come in. We sat inside, right next to the kitchen, where we got to see the chefs cook. It took about 30 minutes after we were seated, for the waiter to take our drink order. It probably took another 20 before our food was served. Everything seemed to be either undercooked or over cooked. The gnocchi was pasty, the prawns were over cooked, and the swordfish was bland and tough. Everything was overpriced and the spritz was enough to gag you. We even saw the chef taste his food with his hands, no washing in between, licking and re-dipping them into various dishes. Probably the worst experience I have ever had in a restaurant. Very disappointing, go to Belvederes. read more

We have been in Italy for over two weeks, and everywhere we have been invited to simply find an open table. NOT HERE. We went to sit down at a table -- mind you, there was NOT a reception area with a person taking names -- and a man came running out of the restaurant and *shooed* us away. Needless to stay, we went somewhere else. With all the wonderful places to eat, I wouldn't eat somewhere that is so incredibly rude to potential guests. read more

Great meal in Monterosso. Outstanding seafood - clams and mussels. Very fresh - mixed in a clay pot.

O.M.G get the Gnocchi!!!! You will not regret it! Oh and get the shrimp and the scampi too!!! I can't wait to make a trip back here specifically for the gnocchi! I'm a sauce girl.. but I pushed all the sauce aside so I can appreciate the amazingness of the gnocchi itself (apparently made fresh daily by the owner.) read more

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This was one of the better meals we had in Cinque Terre. The place was packed, the food smelled and looked good, so we decided to grab a seat. No more outside seating so we made our way inside, which turned out to be more enjoyable because we watched the chef prepare all the seafood plates and listened to him call out the dishes all night. Gnocchi with pesto was good, especially the pesto which tasted quite fresh. Gnocchi was too soft for my liking. But the seafood risotto was delicious. Had a nice smokey charred taste. Overall, yummy and we even tried to go back the next night but they were closed. read more

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The food here was amazing.... some of the best in Italy so far! We had the pesto spaghetti and a a family style clay pot of muscles and clams! The broth on the muscles was awesome! Soak your bread into the extra broth!! The risotto looked amazing but we did not get it. For desert, we had biscotti soaked in a liquor, which was awesome as well. For entertainment, just listen to the head chef (apparently famous and featured in multiple articles), scream at his fellow kitchen employees in the kitchen. The kitchen is open aire and you can watch everything going on in there.... very Gordon Ramsey style. Food was amazing.., will for sure be coming back here again my next time in Italy! read more

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Very good, but pricy. Make a reservation to sit outside. Minimum €3 service charge per person. Food is FRESH and the pesto on gnocci was homemade and delicious. read more

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We ordered the seafood rissotto. The dish was AMAZING!!!!! My husband literally licked the pot. Good wine selection, the seafood antipasti looked very good (we did not ordered it but saw it all around us in the neighbor tables). We even peaked inside the kitchen, the fish and seafood selection was fresh, just brought in from local Fishermen and we saw the chef craft the rissotto from scratch in a terracotta pan. The tiramisu was very good too and the waiter had the beat attitude in the world' read more

MUST TRY!!! My husband and I ate here during our trip back in October 2017. All I can say is that it was one of the most memorable, fresh, and authentic italian meals we've had in our lives! So happy to have found this little gem, as there were a bunch of restaurants to choose from. I had the spaghetti al pesto (since this area is the birthplace of pesto) and my husband had (forget the name) seafood pasta with red sauce. We also started with the mixed platter of anchovies. Every bite we had was heaven on earth. The BEST PESTO EVER! So fresh and simple and divine. Service was excellent. We sat next to a cute older italian couple which was adorbs. If I remember correctly their WiFi password was something like "talktoeachother" which I found endearing and sweet. We dined alfresco which added to the magic of our meal. Fun to people watch too. All in all we LOVED this spot and can't wait to go back. read more

La Lampara Ciak - Italian Near Me - Monterosso al Mare, SP

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This is not a restaurant. This is a dining experience. Arguably the finest restaurant in all of Cinque Terre, come here for the freshest catch of the day marinated in spices and seasonings that are to die for. The 20 euro seafood sampler appetizer provides a bevy of anchovies, shrimp, clams and other seafood that are perfectly marinated and delicious. Yet the sampler did not overpower or deliver too much for 2 people. The seafood pasta is the main show, tossed table side in a clay pot of pasta and seafood goodness. The pesto pasta was also one to try but regrettably we did not have room. If you are a fan of local seafood, Ristorante Ciak is one to not miss. The service is remarkably bad for a restaurant with food of this quality. Understaffed, you will eventually get what you asked for but a dose of patience is required. Definitely make reservations ahead of time (ask for outside in warmer months). read more

La Lampara Ciak - Italian Near Me - Monterosso al Mare, SP

Had the seafood ravioli and it was yum, and a hefty portion. The zuppe di mare (seafood soup) looked amazing. We sat outside on the street (on the side, not in the front), a cozy spot. The food here was good, but all the pasta I had in 5 Terre was good. read more

Mediocre! Location does not mean quality. We waited a long time for our food and honesty there are so many better places to eat in Monterosso. Just walk around the corner and up the alley and you'll be blown away. Four of us were all underwhelmed although to be fair the stuffed mussels as an appetizer were delicious which is the only reason the review is this high. read more

I ate at Ciak many years ago and had one of the BEST meals ever. The pastas, Seafood and antipastis are indescribably delicious. The owner/chef Ciak is a genius with pesto and seafood. We're planning another trip to Cinque Terre and I can hardly wait for another meal here! read more

Waited 45 minutes after seating to receive average food from rude staff. Go elsewhere if you can.

Good food but a bit pricey (maybe that's just Monterosso in general, so take that with a grain of salt). We ordered the seafood ravioli to share. It was delicious but we wish there had been a bit more seafood in it! Also ordered the fritto misto. For €18, it was lackluster (a bit cold) but huge. Tiramisu was great, but not the best I've ever tasted. Other than forgetting to bring us water, service was friendly! For our cover charge, entrees, wine, and dessert, we paid around €80. read more

Good food, small portions. Owner with a bit of an attitude. Service so-so. Excellent location. We are trying something else tomorrow night.

Food is definitely worth the loooong wait. Make a reservation if you want to sit outside. Loved the pesto sauce, the very flavorful seafood soup & seafood spaghetti and the seafood appetizer sampler! We had dinner there 2 nights in a row it was so good read more

Heard great reviews of the restaurant and was looking forward our last amazing meal in Cinque Terre. However, to say the least, it was disappointing. We stood for over 20 minutes outside the restaurant waiting for a table, with barely any acknowledgement. A table for two was then for given to another pair that walked in 10 minutes after us. In terms of food, salad was sloppy with the tomato being old, the bread was stale. Our main meal, which was the gnocchi, was quite good. However, our overall experience was bittered by a severely under staffed restaurant, with no customer service etiquette. To top it off, we were charged a $3 per person "cover charge", which seemed outrageous given the lack of hospitality. There are plenty of other good restaurants in Cinque Terre, so until this establish improves their operation, I would suggest going somewhere else. read more

This was definitely the best dining experience in our entire Italy trip. The atmosphere is very cozy and the open kitchen allows for quite the show. The prices are reasonable for what you receive; the food is absolutely delicious. We wish that we could eat like this at home! read more

I had a spaghetti Ciak and it was totally worth it. You don't have to choose a fancy restaurant in Cinque Terre, just come here and relax. Let the food complete your journey. The price is reasonable, the service is nice, what else do you need? read more

The food at Ciak is fantastic! The first night we had stuffed mussels and pesto pasta. Don't miss the pesto pasta!!! We had to return the next day for the salted anchovies and the seafood risotto. It was the best risotto I've eaten. I'm ready to go back. read more

Fantastic! We had the small fish antipasto which came on ten small plates featuring more unique seafood appetizers than I've ever seen in the US. The fish risotto was great. Pros. You have a full view of the kitchen and their is a glass floor with a view of the wine cellar read more

A lovely restaurant serving delicious food with excellent service. We arrived in Monterosso at 10:30pm due to train delays with hungry kids in tow. Everything else in the area had closed their kitchens but this restaurant was ready to serve us. We ordered the spaghetti w/ pesto and gnocchi with pesto, both were created masterfully and oh so fresh! But that pesto--just wow! read more

We were told about this place by someone on the airplane. They couldn't give us a name just said you can see the guy cooking inside. We walked all over old and new town and finally found it. We peaked in so many windows to see if it was the place. It was worth our persistence this place is fabulous. The mussels were incredible. We ate here 2 nights and I would have eaten here again if we stayed longer. The pasta was wonderful and seafood was so fresh. The wine was good and prices were fair. You will love it. read more

One of the best places we have eaten in Italy. The pesto pasta was awesome, the wine great and the fishbowl soup or whatever you want to call it, was amazing! When we visit Moterosso we will be dining at this restaurant again! read more

Really good meal. Started with spaghetti with mussels and clams, then mussels in white wine, followed ultimately by a basil-lemon sorbet. My wife had gnocchi with pesto followed by grilled prawnd, and loved it. Great local wine, and the service was wonderful. I'm glad we trusted our hotel rather than believing some of the negative reviews here! read more

Great. Food: I ordered the spaghetti with pesto and it was delicious. Serving sizes were large. Service: Food arrived very quickly, staff were polite, helpful and happy to answer questions. This is a touristy restaurant but that did not detract from my experience. read more

Fantastic dinner at Ciak. Started with a street side view into the kitchen. The fresh fish and pasta looked amazing! Made a reservation prior to coming to Monterosso, and glad we did. People were being turned away left and right. Seating was street side and made for great people watching. First course was misto mare. Many different anchovies and other fishes. Bread, and Cinque Terre wine. Second was grilled Sebring fish / whole and pesto past for my husband. Both were stellar. Finished with dessert wine and biscotti. Delicious Expensive meal, but the best in Monterosso. read more

Horrible!! Overpriced and genuinely bad. The previous reviews must have been written by staff and owner. The gnocchi with pesto was undercooked and flavorless. We paid close to €50 for a scrawny bit of charred fish. The worst! read more

Best meal yet in Italy! The bolognese was the absolute best and the gnocchi is out of this world! Pesto spaghetti deliciousness but the best was the Rosa dei Venti! read more

This was the best Pasta Pesto I've had in my entire life. I've been obsessed with pesto since getting back to Chicago and nothing compares. Must go back. read more

food was delicious, but what really made me love this place was the experience. watching ciak making our food right through the dining room, the piles of fresh seafood and the simple menu. even the way they serve your food is charming! i had the spaghetti ciak which was enough for 2 people easily with a very generous amount of clams and mussels. my husband had the gnocchi pesto...this was more of a let down. the pesto was delicious but the giant gnocchi were just a little too gummy for our taste. a must visit when in monterosso. warning: they do charge for the bread. read more

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