Da Eraldo — Restaurant in Monterosso al Mare

Really disappointed to be writing this review. We booked our table weeks in advance as this restaurant was close to our accomodation and we had read some great things. We had to wait 25 minutes after the booking time to finally be seated, and we were happy to wait in anticipation for a great meal. Plus the restaurant was busy so this was no issue. However once we were seated, the waiter finally took our order. We ordered some drinks and when we asked if we could have a little longer to order food, we were told no due to the kitchen closing soon and were rushed to place our order. This was not true as when we were leaving the restaurant later, people were still ordering food.

Anyways, we placed our order. We ordered sparkling water but we received luke-warm natural water - we let it slide. Wine was nice at least. We were then brought a platter, and upon eating, we noticed a lot of things missing from what the menu had stated- when we asked the waiter he realised they brought out the wrong platter and went to the kitchen to order a new one. The only positive was that the first was removed from our bill. The first platter was not to our taste, while the second didn’t feel like great value.

Overall, it felt like the priority was to churn through as many customers as possible, rather than providing a great dining experience. The second waiter who brought out the correct platter seemed lovely, and I wonder if we would have had a different experience with him as our waiter for the evening. I wish we got to experience the great food and service that others received. I’d also love to have given the benefit of the doubt due to a busy night, but we had limited time in Monterosso and spent the remainder of our time at other restaurants...

Wow! I was blown away by this restaurant. We got a reservation for 19:00 (a bit early for Italian standards but we were hungry!) and I’m glad we did. The outdoor tables filled up quickly by 19:02. The service was absolutely perfect. Super timely and attentive, kind, and gracious. As soon as we finished the starter, the mains came out steaming hot. Maybe they got lucky but I thought the timing was perfect. We started with the steamed muscles. The portion was massive but my friend and I ate every last one of them. It was perfectly cooked with super flavorful garlic, parsley, and lemon. The bread that was served was nice, but I could have used a more spongy bread to soak up all the delicious juices left at the bottom of the bowl. Then I got the seafood pasta which was not only my favorite dish I’ve eaten so far in Italy, but the best seafood dish I’ve ever had. So fresh and the portion of seafood included was outstanding. I would consider it a seafood plate with pasta, rather than a pasta plate with seafood. I finished every last bite. Then we ordered an espresso and two desserts for takeaway to eat at the hotel earlier which were also delicious. The prices are very affordable, especially considering the amount of delicious, perfectly cooked seafood that’s included. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation (easy to do online) and fill up on some seafood at this wonderful...

The food was alright, so I can't really complain. The atmosphere was bearable. However, the service was terrible, from the moment we were seated until we paid. I'd say it was worse than just rude, but I don't want to be too harsh on the people who rely on that restaurant for their livelihood. Despite the restaurant being mostly empty when we arrived, they only offered us 2-3 tables near the door. I was too tired to argue for a better spot, so we accepted. Then, after we ordered our meals, more guests started arriving. Strangely, every other table received their starters, like pitas and olives, but they forgot about us. I don't really care about the starters themselves, but it's the attitude that bothered me. After 1.5 hours, our friends arrived at the same restaurant. Despite having reservations, they weren't seated for another 30 minutes. And when they were finally seated, guess what? The waiters forgot their pitas and olives too. Forget about the starters, they don't deserve a single penny in such a touristy and internationally recognized "village." Many of my friends are planning to visit the region in the coming weeks, and I have some great suggestions for where to go and where not to go. If you can't manage it, please don't open a restaurant in such a touristy place. Thanks for providing me with my one and only bad experience in...