Il Casello

If you want great service and helpful staff this is the best place to come. The seafood dishes look amazing, but we had spaghetti and meat sauce, and spaghetti with meat balls Very flavoursome and came with bread to soak up the sauce. Great location overlooking the beach. Definitely recommend it

Wish I could rate this place higher, the food was AMAZING. We had the lobster pasta, local white fish with lemon sauce and the chicken with mushroom sauce, and the tuna tartar appetizer. Everything tasted so fresh. It took a little while to get the food but between the drinks and the view, we were in no rush. The owner was so friendly and welcoming. 100% recommend!!

Amazing restaurant overlooking the Sea. Bacco has excellent service and his team are very friendly. The mussels and tuna tartare with caramelised onions are sensational. Get away from the tourist traps and wait for a table - you won't regret it.

Best seafood spaghetti we had during our trip to Italy! Beautiful view & the service was very accommodating. We would come back every night if we could!

We were walking along the road and decided to stop here for lunch. We got the fish of the day and seafood pasta and it was delicious. A very pretty plate with great flavors and great portions !! The plates were big. The wine tasted great. And of course the view.

Had a great dinner here during the evening. A very nice view over the ocean and the mountains as well. During the evening all the lights make it very cozy. The food was very good but the service was not on point. Might have been just our server but there was no interest in making our dinner a good experience, it was more “okay just order”. But overall a good dinner with a nice view!

Walked past in the morning and booked a table for six that evening. Requested gluten free pasta and they were happy to get some that day for the evening. I had gluten free penne pasta with homemade pesto. It didn't come with the beans on the menu (not sure why) but the pesto tasted amazing! My family really enjoyed their meal too and the view and atmosphere was lovely. Highly recommend.

The food was amazing, the view was incredible, and somehow the staff are the standout of this fantastic restaurant. Everyone was beyond friendly and accommodating. We had two different starters and a pasta for two and everything was to die for. We look forward to our next visit!

This seafood focused restaurant along the gulf of Monte has a romantic view overlooking the beach cliff from its umbrella patio. A stark difference from the indoor of the restaurant ~ shack like rustic vibes. Shared single bathroom located next to the kitchen in the building. Service was minimum but it seemed to be due to language barrier. Does not matter ~ a chillaxing time drinking wine and saying 'what a view' with every sip. Goes without saying, Monterosso marvelous.

Stopped here our first day in Monterosso for a snack and WOW! The views are incredible, and the fritto misto was *chefs kiss*. My husband & I think it's the best calamari we've ever had! We got that and some drinks and just hung out and it was delightful. Would recommend!

Some of the best food we've had in Italy! Avocado shrimp salad was fantastic, the Caesar salad was the best we've ever had, and the fish of the day was perfectly cooked and delicious. Great views from the terrace and very nice service!

The fish with limone was amazing. Everything was fantastic. Would eat there again if we didn't want to try different things.

I stayed at Hotel Porta Roca directly uphill from II Casello, and I was happy that I ventured down to have a bite to eat. I appreciated that they opened their dinner service a little earlier than what is typical in Italy. And, I did not need a reservation. I enjoyed a delicious Prosecco alongside my spaghetti con pesche (Seafood). It was absolutely delicious, and I ate it ever-so-slowly, so that I could enjoy the view. Right below the patio is a small beach where locals sunbathe, and I loved watching kids play soccer, and hearing them talk and the sounds of the waves.

Excellent service and a great view. Nice list of local wines to try. We had a table of 10 and they were quite attentive. The mussels appetizer was a fave of th me table and our server suggested we try stuffed anchovies, which we were nervous about but they were delicious. We tried a variety of dishes - the fish filet was fresh and delicate, and one of us had a seared tuna steak which was also quite good...and a surprisingly large portion of fish. The owner came and spoke about how we're supposed to taste various flavors together and seemed to give a lot of care to making good food.

What a pleasant moment it was having a lovely lunch overlooking the water with magnificent views, super service and delicious food all freshly prepared. I had pasta seafood, including shrimp, clams, and mussels, and my husband had Seabass encrusted with potatoes and a side salad. Our other companions had salmon entrée and an avocado and shrimp salad, both of which looked beautiful and tasty. Also had a glass of local wine, perfect! All this, and very reasonably priced. Staff was super friendly and spoke multi languages.

Loved this restaurant! The location is awesome right on the water. Our good was Delicious! I had the Pesce Limone which was amazing! My husband had Sea bass very good! And the waitress was terrific she recommended the Apricot custard? With melt chocolate yum!

This place was on the Michelins guide and it didn't disappoint. It had very good prices and the food was fantastic! Highly recommend.

Our goal was to eat dinner in Monterosso Al Mare after our walk through Old Town. We found Il Casello at the top and decided to give it a chance. The restaurant was empty when we arrived but we felt lucky to get a table on the patio overlooking the beach. Most of the tables were reserved. Our night at Il Casello was very relaxing and quite entertaining. The weather was perfect and the sound of the ocean was like a lullaby. We got the Trofie al pesto and Filetto di pesce del giorno al limone. I chose the pesto pasta because the region invented pesto. The pasta was spiral and is made with a little potato. It's hefty and soaks up the pesto real well. It was yummy. Think of this dish like a pesto mac and cheese. It's creamy and cheesy and the pesto is different from the pesto in the states. Loved it! As for the fish, I didn't expect it to be served raw. Nonetheless, it was still delicious and a nice alternative to the typical grilled fish we had been eating. Throughout dinner, everyone watched these two guys on the beach climbing the rocks. They seemed oblivious to the dinner crowd and peed full frontal view. The crowd burst into laughter and gave an applause. It was pretty funny. People, watch out for the crowd if you plan on doing something on the beach. Dinner and a show at Il Casello. I'd give this restaurant a 3.5 in comparison to other meals I've had. Rounded it up to 4 based on the ambiance and hospitality.

Even though this meal was only in my second weekend in Italy, this was probably the most memorable. It might've been because I was having a streak of really bad meals, from horrible and cold paninis at train stations to a bad Italian attempt at an eggs benedict... but I digress. We were walking along the shore in Monterosso, passed through the tunnel, walked by another beach, and decided we were hungry. There were a couple of restaurants that all looked equally good but we noticed the yellow umbrellas from a distance, and wanted to sit in a place where we can enjoy the beautiful scenery. Why I love this place: -Great view; outdoor seating overlooking the beautiful beach and Mediterranean waters. -Fresh seafood, though you'll get that at pretty much any restaurant in Monterosso But really, the reason I love (and still dream about..) this place is their salmon gnocchi. Peep the photo I uploaded. At first, however, you could say I was more than disappointed when my dish came. First of all, it was GREEN. And second, I was expecting a big slab of salmon on top of my gnocchi, not the few bits and pieces they scattered across my plate. I thought this was going to continue my streak of train wreck meals. But when I took a bite, I was utterly surprised. As I took more bites, my eyes got wider and wider. This salmon gnocchi.. is amazing. Even though there didn't seem to be much salmon, I felt like I was eating some in every bite because the sauce captured the flavor of salmon so incredibly well. Words could not describe. When I was done, I had gotten every sauce with bread. Seriously, amazingly done. My friends applauded me for finally having a great meal.

We came here for only dessert and a bottle wine. The wine was super and I had Tiramisu which was over the top fabulous!!! Couple reasons why I didn't give them five stars... first off and mostly the service was not great. This was for everyone, not just us..... had to ask for my dessert which might just be a customs issue but boy was it worth the wait. However, service basically sucked for everyone Around... though I would try it again for dinner just to see.

Staying in Monterossa we loved the views from this restaurant. However! Even given that service in Europe in general is leisurely (which we love) the service here was lacking. Although we did not have a reservation there were tables available and that continued throughout our time there. My husband's entree arrived at the same time as the capresse salad, and mine very quickly after. So all 3 plates at the same time. Tomatoes almost tasteless - when we drizzled balsamic much improved. But offering that as a daily special implies tomatoes will be good. I had grilled shrimp - cooked well, no seasoning. My husband had the pork - was good but not great. So food - 2 stars. I was never offered a refill of wine (my glass empty when food arrived and no one appeared after that). We were cleared then waited 30 -40 minutes before someone approached. Never offered dessert. I walked back to our hotel to get a jacket and then back! And still no communication from the 3 staff people, 2 who stood near the bar chatting or cleared all tables around us for closing. And this was at 8:00! Disappointed

Probably most memorable meal of the Cinque Terre--post hike from Corniglia, starving, and craving something delicious, we ate an entire dish (shared portion) of risotto al fruti de mare, and it was sooooo good! The seafood (clams, mussels, scampi, shrimp, and squid* [not totally sure if squid or baby octopus tails]) was to die for, and the risotto with chilled white wine (local) overlooking the sea was all one could even hope for! Sat out on the rocks under the umbrellas and enjoyed it all while taking in the views. We loved it. The staff was fairly cordial too-probably some of the best we've had since being here!

Best seafood salad and pasta that we've ever had. Plus an incredible view. One of the best meals we've had in Italy thus far!

Subpar seafood & bland pesto pasta (pesto is the specialty for this area). Super disappointed Rick Steves. Two stars for the awesome view and excellent service.

Definitely a fan of this place. The guys are so friendly and the food is to die for. Ask for the table up on the balcony if you want the absolute best view, that's we're we sat! The must haves are the stuffed mussels - amazing, we went to Arzak a couple of weeks earlier and these are up there with that quality of taste but much more homely presentation (obviously). Also try the pesto pasta. Delicious. Great place great spot

This restaurant charges for everything.... a seating fee, a cup fee (separate from the actual drink), a drink fee, and a fee to split several dishes... The food didn't have much flavor and didn't come as advertised on the menu. It was a big waste of money, especially since half of the check was just being there.

A disappointment. We asked for the salad first and it came last. The waiter was clearing tables and brought us a bread basket from another table. Our pasta and second course came within 30 seconds of ordering it and it was wasn't hot. Couldn't get the waiter's attention to bring Parmesan cheese. Had to borrow it from the next table. And we couldn't get a check because the waiter wanted to first close umbrellas. We asked twice and finally got up to leave. Beautiful view but clearly they think that because of that they don't need to focus on customer service.

You go here for the view and to be on the water. Food and service are average. Our seafood was a little over done and waiter was more interested in larger groups. There are better dining options here.

We ate here twice, the location is amazing just beside the beach. Seafood and fish dishes very well done. We had the mussels marinier, I have eaten better before, but again, you are seating right by the beach so they sounded just perfect to us! The prices are very reasonable and the house wine was very good.

Delicious fish ravioli with shrimp. Great view. Reasonable prices for the location.

The best salted sardines I've ever tasted. The house white wine was perfect after a long hot walk, and the Tuna in lemon juice was also excellent. All that was on top of a gorgeous view and a gentle sea breeze.

Great selection and we loved our wine so much we bought bottles to go

Fantastic. Fresh fish. Seafood Pasta and stuffed Ravioli are a must. Owner and wait staff were great and gave awesome service and recommendations! Best dinner we've had this week in Italy by far.

Great lunch with a great view!! Nice bottle of Rosé, excellent seabass!!! Shrimp and avocado salad was nice, better once we added salt & pepper and olive oil. Definitely recommend this restaurant in a beautiful place!

Great location but the food was definitely subpar. Ordered shrimp with avocado and the avo was so u ripe it was rubbery. The anchovies Liguria were fresh and tasty but they skimped on the olives and pine nuts. Perhaps the dinner chef is better? Service is good. Great view

The food was as wonderful as the view! The seafood risotto was insane and the pasta with pesto was just as delicious. We knew Cinque Terre was famous for seafood, pesto and white wine, but each one of these at this place exceeded our expectations. The bonus was the great service....the place is owned by a very friendly guy who grew up in Monterosso.

This was our first dinner and meal in monterosso. It set the tone for the rest our stay, very difficult to beat. The stuffed mussels as an appetizer were sweet and had the perfect red sauce. The were filled with such wonderful flavor. The risotto al mare was out of this world delicious! The risotto was cooked perfectly and the flavors of all of the different seafood was a perfect compliment. The pot was filled with mussels, clams, shrimps, prawns and calamari. The portion for two was very satisfying. Service was wonderful and accommodating and the view from most outdoor seats is breathtaking.

Ate here twice during our three-night stay!! Tasty food - fish of the day, pesto, gnocchi, ravioli, desserts, salted sardines. The staff is super friendly and the view is gorgeous. A total no-brainer spot for dinner. Delicious, friendly, excellent location . Go!