Locanda Lorena — Restaurant in Porto Venere

This was my family’s worst dining experience in our four years living in Italy. We were excited to enjoy dinner at a special restaurant during our stay in Porto Venere and chose Locanda based off online reviews. The boat ride: we waited at the dock in Porto Venere for 45min. The “taxi”, a boat with no logo or markings, and a driver that would not answer questions (in any language) is obscure, unclear, and drastically different than what is advertised online and on the pier. The service: Our waiter was rude, condescending, and deceitful. We ordered a bottle of wine from the wine list and he brought out a very different bottle, then tried to convince us it was the same. When I asked for the bottle originally ordered, it was unavailable as was our next choice from the list. The food: This was the worst food my family and I have had in our four years in Italy. The kids pasta was covered in metallic-flavored sauce from a can. Our oldest daughter and my husband ordered a steak that was inedible because it was burned on the edges and still frozen in the middle. The steak came with half a lemon as garnish - perhaps to kill your taste buds. I ordered the fish, which lacked any seasoning or flavor. The atmosphere: bring mosquito repellent. While the view is beautiful, the mismanagement of mosquito prevention measures ruins the atmosphere. The boat ride back: The “taxi” is not continuous, the restaurant needs to call it to come pick you up - this took another 35 minutes. We had to ask the desk twice to call the boat taxi forward for a five minute transit.

Bottom Line: Avoid this restaurant unless you want a complicated evening complete with abysmal service, terrible food, and...

For €150 we expected a much better room than we were given, unfortunately we booked two nights. If you arrive at the weekend in the summer, particularly the last weekend in August festa time which is the weekend we unwittingly chose, it is almost impossible to find a parking space in Portovenere, it took us one hour. The ferry to the hotel runs from 12.00hrs to 15.00hrs and from 19.00hrs to 23.00hrs. I say to the hotel because it is timed to run when the restaurant is open. Yes the room had a good view over Portovenere and there are good walking opportunities on the Island. Abandoned small vehicles around the hotel do not add to its charm. The en suite bathroom is so small there is not room for a towel rail and towels have to be hung in the small bedroom. Careful when you sit on the WC if you are of slightly above average height you can knock your knees on the wall, I did it once. The one redeeming feature is the very good restaurant which is obviously one of the attractions of the area. We ate there on both nights and really enjoyed our meals which were good value for money. If we visit Portovenere again we will stay in a hotel on the mainland and take the ferry to...

For €150 we expected a much better room than we were given, unfortunately we booked two nights. If you arrive at the weekend in the summer, particularly the last weekend in August festa time which is the weekend we unwittingly chose, it is almost impossible to find a parking space in Portovenere, it took us one hour. The ferry to the hotel runs from 12.00hrs to 15.00hrs and from 19.00hrs to 23.00hrs. I say to the hotel because it is timed to run when the restaurant is open. Yes the room had a good view over Portovenere and there are good walking opportunities on the Island. Abandoned small vehicles around the hotel do not add to its charm. The en suite bathroom is so small there is not room for a towel rail and towels have to be hung in the small bedroom. Careful when you sit on the WC if you are of slightly above average height you can knock your knees on the wall, I did it once. The one redeeming feature is the very good restaurant which is obviously one of the attractions of the area. We ate there on both nights and really enjoyed our meals which were good value for money. If we visit Portovenere again we will stay in a hotel on the mainland and take the ferry to...