La Regina di Manarola — Restaurant in Riomaggiore

This was my husband and I's first meal in Manarola. We had just arrived from Florence and were STARVING. Don't be deterred by the hike. It is a bit of a trek up the hill but in Cinque Terre hills are all part of the norm. By the time we got to the location we were PARCHED but the beauty of the location allowed us to put that thirst on hold and explore the beautiful patio area. Beautiful views and decor here! There's also large fans which was desperately needed and much appreciated. Our waitress suggested a drink and it was the most delicious thing we'd ever tasted. I didn't order one as we went during a heat wave and I felt quite ill but DO NOT miss out on this drink. It was refreshing, light, full of flavour and just absolutely thirst quenchingly HEAVEN in our mouths. I wish I could go back even for that drink alone. It was called Campania. We loved the drinks menu as it featured different drinks according to places around Italy which was really fun and new! We ordered the large portion of the CUORE LIGURE - burrata cheese stuffed with pesto and it was honestly out of this world. We then ordered pasta and got the SCOGLIO “AL QUADRATO” and the DALLA SICILIA WITH LOVE. We preferred the seafood pasta over the shrimp pasta - simply because we enjoyed the flavours in the first pasta more. Both were very good though! We then ordered LA LEGGENDA DEL POLPO CROCCANTE - crispy octopus that was cooked PERFECTLY and with the accompaniments was a true star of a dish. How people don't eat octopus will boggle my mind for life. Lastly, was probably our favourite dish of the entire meal which was quite sad because by this point I was so full I only had a couple pieces. We ordered GIRO GIRO TONNO - the seed crusted tuna fish. It was so fresh, and the flavour combinations must have been CAREFULLY thought out as this dish was matched up so well with the garnishes. We were actually giggling and smiling from ear to ear while eating this dish. Our waitresses were wonderful. Very helpful, very sweet and gave us our much needed time to relax. We stayed for a little over two hours and will not forget this meal. The place was well taken care of, with clean bathrooms, beautiful decor and views and the plates were also stunning. This place is a MUST visit. Highly,...

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 – Cold Pizza, Hot View, and a Soup Spoon I’ll Never Forget

Let me begin by saying: she asked me to write this review. So... here we are. Buckle up.

Let’s start with the positives: the view is absolutely insane. Breathtaking. Life-changing. It’s the kind of view that makes you want to delete all your emails, move to the mountains, and start making olive oil under a fake name. It’s that good.

Now — the pizza. Visually? A masterpiece. Instagrammable. The stuff of mozzarella-fueled dreams. Temperature-wise? Arctic expedition. We took a bite and genuinely considered checking it for frostbite. Still — and here’s the tragedy — it was delicious. Like, I-want-to-hug-the-chef good. Just… 3°C too chilly.

So, naturally, we asked if it could be reheated. Politely. Sweetly. Humbly. Enter: The Owner. She’s actually very nice — but the moment we asked for a warm-up, something changed. She smiled… but it was the kind of smile that says, “I’m going to reheat this, but I’ll be emotionally processing it for the next 6 to 8 years.” She did it. The pizza came back warm. But I think I lost a little piece of her trust forever.

Now the staff? The rest of the crew? Absolute heroes. Friendly, warm, probably working overtime just from emotional fallout. Someone get them a raise, a massage, and a trophy.

Then came dessert. Tiny cup. Lovely little treat. And what’s this? A soup spoon. Not a teaspoon. Not a dessert spoon. No, no — a full, pot-stirring, winter-stew-serving ladle. Trying to get that spoon into that little bowl was like trying to parallel park a bus into a mailbox. A core memory. Possibly trauma.

In conclusion: 🌄 View: actual paradise 🍕 Pizza: cold, but tasted like heaven 👼 Staff: angels with aprons 👸 Owner: sweet, but emotionally devastated by microwaves 🥄 Dessert spoon: wildly oversized and mildly threatening ✍️ This review: requested by the owner (still unclear if that was a dare or a test)

Would I return? Yes — but I’m bringing a spoon, a heating pad, and possibly...

Beautifully decorated but slightly overpriced for what you get!

PROS: Pretty decoration, very Instagrammable View of the Manarola houses on the hills side and wineyards Friendly staff who speak English Food was pretty okay and the starter 'cuore ligure' was really tasty

CONS: You don't get a view of the sea, perhaps only on the top terrasse level (Note: there are ~4 terasse levels in this restaurant + some indoor seating next to the kitchen/bar) The service is VERY slow, we needed 3hrs from drinks-starter-pizzas to dessert. It's okay if you are after the experience and not in a rush to get somewhere else! A table of 10 people next to us were very unhappy witj this as they all got their food at different times & couldn't eat together as a group as dishes came one by one. This will perhaps improve as they operate longer & get a hang of the organization / flow! You need a reservation (we got lucky with getting a table for 2 w/out reserving because we came at 18:45 before the kitchen opens), folks below us were told to leave in 5mins as the next reservation was coming in at 9pm (confirming some previous reviews) Prices range from €10-12 for a cocktail, glass of wine €8 & upwards, €13-18 per starter, €14+ for pizza and desserts €7+ As in most of Italy, you will get charged for bread "coperto" (2 thin slices in this restaurant was €3 per person) and barely-cold tap water (€3) Not a huge number of vegetarian options when it comes to main meals if you don't eat fish or meat (trofie pesto for 16€ and the...