Seafood in Cinque Terre ...... Ristorante Ciak. 14 Sep 2010 - Monterosso, Italy

Manarola one of the Cinque Terre village.

As we left Siena and approached the Italian Riviera, facing the Mediterranean, the smell of the sea welcome us into Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre refers to the 5 villages that are built on the cliffs along this part of the Italian riviera.  In order to enjoy the beauty of this UNESCO site, one must plough 5km of coastal walk along the cliff. We stayed in Monterro al Mare and were glad with our choice as it has a great beach with crystal clear waters.

Looking at Corniglia and Manarola in the backdrop.

Cinque Terre has olive and lemon plantations and being so near the sea, an abundance of great seafood. While we strolled along the main street of Monterosso al Mare, Ristorante Ciak attracted us as we saw the passionate Chef Ciak at work in his kitchen from a window along the street. As we walked pass the windows, we could hear him shouting at his waiters to serve the food that was ready in his kitchen. I did observed that Ristorante Ciak is popular with tourists and locals alike. It would be a waste not to visit a restaurant with such unique character.

 

Risotto alla Marinara - Seafood Risotto

Our 5km hike of Cinque Terre left us craving for food and Risotto alla Marinara was the right dish to order. This risotto was meant for 2 person and the waiter dissuaded us from ordering anything else until later. When this seafood risotto was served to us we realized why the waiter was so adamant that we hold off ordering other dishes. The myriads of fresh seafood was scattered among the risotto inside a big clay ware. The portion was huge with a generous amount of seafood like mussels. clamps, fish, shrimps, scampi and squid.

Spiedo Gamberoni - Skewers of Giant Prawns

The grilled giant prawns wasn't unlike the grilled giant prawns we get in the asian seas. It was good just drizzled with lemon but was nothing out of the ordinary to us.

Coppa della Casa - Ice Cream with Whiskey and Honey

This simple house dessert was absolutely delightful. Simply add vanilla ice cream to honey and whiskey. This is one dessert that I'm going to try at home. The musky taste of whiskey contrasting with the milky and sweet tasting ice cream and honey. Love this dessert.

Here's some shots of Chef Ciak at at work in his open kitchen amidst the fresh seafood.

Peering through the windows along the street ......

 

One can choose to have dinner outside but a reservation would be advised. We couldn't get any outside seats and have to eat our dinner indoors but we managed to enjoy our dinner nevertheless.

Piazza Don Minzoni, 6

19016 Monterosso al Mare, Italia
Tel : +39 0187 817014
Ristorante Ciak Website