Ristorante Il Ciliegio 5Terre — Restaurant in Monterosso al Mare

Title: Exquisite Dining Experience in Italy's Heart: A Must-Try Gem!

My partner and I stumbled upon this hidden gem during our Italian getaway, and it turned out to be one of the best dinner experiences we've had in Italy! From the moment we walked in, we were captivated by the warm and welcoming atmosphere. The service was impeccable, attentive without being intrusive.

For starters, we indulged in the grilled octopus, which was tender and perfectly grilled, leaving us wanting more. For mains, we opted for the seabream pasta and the mixed grilled meats. The seabream pasta was a delightful symphony of textures, with al dente pasta complemented by crunchy nuts and flaky seabream. As for the mixed grill meats, each bite was a flavor explosion, with perfectly seasoned pork ribs, succulent beef steak, and flavorful sausages, all infused with that irresistible charcoal essence.

We rounded off our meal with the heavenly tiramisu, which left us craving for another serving. Although it's a bit of a trek from the bottom of Monterosso, it's totally worth it! If you're looking for an unforgettable dining experience in Italy, I highly recommend making the journey to this charming spot. Trust me, you...

Overall impression: so-so, leaning towards rather bad.

The reception was friendly, but the first negative experience came when sitting down: tables, chairs, and seat cushions were all sticky because of the trees, which apparently secrete some kind of resin. The prices are quite expensive. The view is beautiful if you ignore the huge electricity pylon. However, the restroom leaves much to be desired; both faucets were extremely dirty, and there's no trash bin for paper towels. Most of the waiters and waitresses are nice, but there are also some who make you feel like you're bothering them as a customer, and who just sloppily place the food on the edge of the table. The food itself is nothing special, rather average. Although this might sound like nitpicking, one would expect the waitstaff to at least know how to properly set the cutlery, especially in a high-priced...

Jesse is extremely kind, attentive to detail, and made our experience all the more pleasant & enjoyable. Thank you!

The owner was also very accommodating - thank you!

Positives: • The seafood was excellent! [Seabream & fried mixed] • The homemade stuffed pasta (primi dish) was wonderful - great quality! • Tirimasu (with Focaccia base) was surprisingly good! • View & Ambience 👌

For the restaurant: • My wife had a taste of the tirimasu I ordered - it was fantastic, so she ordered a second for herself. However, it was very unfortunate that the second tirimasu was nothing like the first. You couldn't really taste the coffee. Too salty unlike the first, which had the perfect balance of all ingredients. This was the only disappointment.

Overall, a wonderful experience. We would come back again to try the bbq meats as we overheard other customers saying how...