The restaurants in La Spezia offer diverse dishes and flavors. The Ligurian territory is coastal and famous for fresh foods harvested from the land and sea.
The location of La Spezia (being so close to the Tuscan border) also offers a unique opportunity to eat Tuscan-inspired dishes.
We live very close to the city center and often walk into the old town to get a bite to eat. We like to try different cafes and restaurants to find new places to eat in La Spezia and of course, we’ve fallen victim to some of the tourist traps. But over time we’ve learnt where to go and now have a list of favorites.
In this post, I will share Our Five Top La Spezia Restaurants that we appreciate because of:
- Quality fresh food that is made with passion with an all-round good menu (not just one standout dish)!
- Service that is authentic and welcoming.
- Restaurant ambience which includes the style, décor and atmosphere.
If you are looking for other food and drink experiences, in La Spezia and beyond, then our comprehensive list will be sure to please!
1. Amo Ristorante and Cocktail Bar
Price Range: €€ – €€€
Location: Piazza Sant'Agostino, La Spezia
Address: Via Sant'Agostino, 58, 19121 La Spezia, Italy
Tel: 0187 977 893
Socials: Facebook Page
About This La Spezia Restaurant
Amo Ristorante and Cocktail Bar is a stunning modern Italian restaurant located in the heart of the historic center.
We walked past this restaurant a few dozen times and because of its location and fancy décor, we skipped it in search of more authentic local trattorias. Boy did we make a mistake?
Hand on heart, it’s amongst the best La Spezia restaurants for quality food and service. And compared to other restaurants in the touristy historic center, it’s in a class of its own. It was no surprise when we learned that Amo is part of a group of respected restaurants that includes Lapo'S and the deliciously divine Torre Aurora in Monterosso!
We first visited Amo, on an autumn day for lunch. The weather was still warm enough for an outdoor table and we sat in their pleasant alfresco area situated in Piazza Sant'Agostino. If you’re heading there on an evening or cold day, then the indoor dining area is also quite special with an elegant style and artistic vibe.
The menu at Amo is innovative, with dishes that have been elevated using exciting additions like hazelnut butter, pomegranate sauce, and port reductions. This kind of bold creativity is rare in La Spezia, and thankfully the chef has been graceful enough for the fundamental ingredients to shine.
Foods to Try
The Seafood Spaghetti (Spaghetti del Mare) seems very popular and is served in this spectacular shell-shaped dish. It’s now Lu’s favorite go-to dish (eaten with gusto) and I also can’t fault it!
Even though the seafood is fresh from the local waters and not to be ignored, the pasta stuffed with lamb is also unbelievably good (Cappellacci ripieni). As is their pork with potato puree.
For dessert don’t pass on the home-made tiramisu that is light but not soggy…. If you’re too full, then share!
The food and beautiful dining setting are all perfectly hosted by attentive staff including a pleasant and proficient manager called Gianfranco. I’m mentioning this only because this kind of hospitality is rare in the tourist hot spots around Italy and Cinque Terre.
As for pricing, I’ll only say this. You pay for what you get!
2. Fara Bistrot
Price Range: €€
Location: Old Town, Near the public gardens
Address: Via Felice Cavallotti, 57, La Spezia, Italy
Tel: 348 693 1524
Opening Times: (Everyday) 6pm to 12am
Website/Socials: www.facebook.com/Fara-Bistrot
About This La Spezia Restaurant
We discovered Fara Bistrot as we were wandering the side streets of La Spezia. It looked like a cute restaurant, so I pinned it on Google Maps and made a booking a few days later. We are so glad that we found this place!
Fara Bistrot is a smart little bistro restaurant that has a cozy but cool vibe. I really enjoy the music (a mellow version of alternative rock or indie). But probably the thing that is most appreciated is the welcoming and attentive hospitality.
Foods to Try
Fara offers modern Italian dishes, cocktails, and wine. The menu is only small, but this is a gastronomical experience and there is great pride taken in the quality of the food and presentation.
The dishes include meat, seafood, and pasta. Be sure to ask about their daily specials.
We enjoy their meat dishes and if you’re looking for a good tiramisu then this won’t disappoint! The last time we were there I also finished off my meal with their recommended Limoncello (I am not normally a fan of this typical drink) but I will say it was one of the best I've had.
3. Margherita e Le Sue Sorelle
Price Range: €€ – €€€
Location: Hills of La Spezia
Address: Via Montalbano, 69, 19123 La Spezia, Italy
Tel: 348 073 7314
Opening Times: (Everyday) 7.30 pm to Late AND (Weekends) 12.30 pm to 3 pm
Website: https://margheritaelesuesorelle.com
Getting There: The location is in the hills of La Spezia. You’ll need a car or a taxi. The number 13 bus is also an option for a weekend lunch.
About This La Spezia Restaurant
Margherita e Le Sue Sorelle is an unassuming Italian trattoria restaurant that is anything but ordinary and will leapfrog your expectations.
We first visited Margherita e Le Sue Sorelle, on a chilly winter evening. The type of evening when you feel like staying home and keeping warm. But upon arriving and being welcomed by Barbara (one of the owners), and seeing the elegant dining room, all thoughts of home quickly evaporated.
The playful (yet elegant) and lush décor draws inspiration from its picturesque surroundings and in warm weather you’d have the option to dine in the pretty alfresco garden or in the cute conservatory. Both have views out over the Gulf of Poets and the Tuscan coastline.
But on our cold winter evening, we sat in the comfortable warmth of the beautifully presented indoor dining room. As we were seated, I couldn’t ignore the gentle hum of good vibes coming from a long table of guests celebrating a 50th birthday and several other smaller tables occupied by romantic couples and friends enjoying a dinner out.
This evocative and inviting setting turns out to be a perfect backdrop for the expertly crafted dishes flowing from the kitchen of Chef Alessandro (co-owner and brother to Barbara).
The menu at Margherita e Le Sue Sorelle is quite extensive and includes a generous choice of interesting antipasti, skillfully re-mastered classic Italian pizzas, aperitivo (cocktails), and a notable craft beer and wine list. You may also like to know that they use organic produce from Luni Verdi di Sarzana, and the menu accommodates dietary needs.
Foods to Try
Besides the pizzas, (which are excellent) I recommend you explore other parts of the menu including:
Pizza al Vapore: A steam-cooked, light, and airy pizza. If you're a pizza enthusiast, Pizza al Vapore is a delightful innovation that can’t be found in many places. We had ours topped with creamy burrata, 30 month aged San Danielle prosciutto, and a delicate drizzle of EVO di Salerno (I mention the olive oil specifically because it was so distinctive and delicious).
Fried (Fritto) Antipasti: Request a mixed tapas plate of lightly fried pastas. Including fried Cacio e Pepe and Lasagne! We can agree it sounds a little unusual, but it’s absolutely fantastic!
Beyond the food and the elegant dining space, it’s the humble and genuine hospitality that forges everything into an incredibly precious experience.
There is this ridiculous idea that you can visit La Spezia, Cinque Terre, or the Gulf of Poets and try, taste, see, and experience everything in a day or two. Case in point, we live here and only discovered Margherita e Le Sue Sorelle after months of exploring the area. Now that we have, it’s become our favorite spot in La Spezia to get Pizza and enjoy the atmosphere of a uniquely charming trattoria.
It may require a bit more effort (a short 10-minute car or taxi ride out of La Spezia town), but if you’re looking for the ‘hidden gems’ around Cinque Terre, then this is one of them!
4. Osteria all'Inferno dal 1905
Price Range: € – €€
Location: Near the Markets off Corso Cavour
Address: Via Lorenzo Costa, 3, La Spezia, Italy
Tel: 0187 29458
Opening Times: (Monday-Saturday, closed Sunday) 12:15pm to 14:30pm & 19:30pm to 22:30pm.
Website/Socials: www.osteriainferno.it/it/home
About This La Spezia Restaurant
It’s only fitting that the oldest restaurant in La Spezia is loved by tourists and the locals alike. For that and many other reasons, we couldn’t have a list of top restaurants in La Spezia without including Osteria all'Inferno dal 1905. This place is a La Spezia institution!
The osteria is inside the cellars of an ancient nineteenth-century building that has been restored.
You can dine inside a brick-vaulted room that is atmospheric and inviting. Or in good weather, there is an outdoor courtyard.
Foods to Try
Since this is an osteria, the dishes are local and traditional, so it’s a great place to try Ligurian cuisine such as anchovies, pesto pasta, and the ‘Spezian’ mesciua (legume) soup.
I almost always get their seafood pasta for a feeling of comfort and satisfaction. But the mixed anchovy entrée is another firm favorite!
If you’re eager to dive deeper into Ligurian flavors and immerse yourself in the local food scene, these foodie tours offer a fantastic way to taste authentic dishes, meet passionate local producers, and discover the region’s culinary traditions.
Important Advice: The good restaurants in La Spezia get busy! Even in winter, it’s recommended to book. Most restaurants accept telephone bookings, and some use The Fork app. Most of the city center places will speak enough English (and sometimes French) to get by.
5. Altrove Ristorante – La Spezia
Price Range: €€-€€€
Location: Near the public gardens
Address: Viale Mazzini, 3, La Spezia, Italy
Tel: 3792 622689
Opening Times: (Wednesday-Monday, closed Tuesday) 12 to 2:30 PM & 7:30 to 10:30 PM
Website/Socials: N/A
About This La Spezia Restaurant
Altrove Ristorante is new to the La Spezia dining scene and has taken a departure from the traditional Italian food and décor to welcome guests into a modern and stylish interior.
This is another restaurant that we discovered while walking past. We browsed the menu, chatted to the waiter, and knew we had to come back.
Foods to Try
The food here is a notch up from most of the eateries around town. We go here to discover new flavors and when we want a more refined Italian dining experience.
We enjoy the meat dishes, but the prawn ravioli is also delicious. They also have a decent selection of wines.
Everything is beautifully presented and will leave an impression.
6. La Pia Centenaria
Price Range: € – €€
Location: Old Town, Near Piazza Sant'Agostino
Address: Via Magenta, 12, La Spezia, Italy
Tel: 0187 739 999
Opening Times: (Monday -Saturday, closed Sunday) 11am to 10pm.
Website/Socials: www.lapia.it/
About This La Spezia Restaurant
La Pia is a pizzeria with deep roots in La Spezia.
It was Mrs. Pia who first opened a shop in the old town to sell farinata (a tasty chickpea ‘pancake’), focaccia, and chestnut to the workers and laborers in the city. Cheap healthy food to fill the belly.
This is a simple-style restaurant that has efficient service and a vibrant atmosphere. It’s also popular amongst locals for places to eat in La Spezia.
Foods to Try
If you haven’t tried farinata, then this is the place to do it.
If you go here, you’ll see that ‘pizza farinata’ is the order of the day! This is a simple plate with a slice of margherita pizza and farinata. It’s a good option for a quick lunch!
But if you have a big appetite then they also offer a selection of whole wood-fired pizzas and it’s always hard to go past their focaccia & Nutella dessert pizzas.
Is one pizza recommendation not enough? Don't worry there are plenty of options, see our pick of the best pizza and pasta in La Spezia.
7. Osteria Giobatta
Price Range: €€-€€€
Location: Old Town, Near the public gardens
Address:Corso Cavour, 36, La Spezia, Italy
Tel: 0187 913847
Opening Times: (Everyday) 9am to 11pm
Website/Socials: www.facebook.com/Osteria-Giobatta
About This La Spezia Restaurant
Osteria Giobatta is a traditional local restaurant.
We enjoy sitting outside in the decorative patio/garden area, so we can people-watch along Corso Cavour. However, the indoor space has been elegantly designed to express a modernized European bistro feel.
In fact, just the look of this place will inspire you to eat here! And of course, it’s popular with tourists, but the food is of excellent quality, and I don’t consider this a tourist trap at all!
Foods to Try
Dining here includes dishes of mussels, pansotti (triangular-shaped ravioli stuffed with a mixture of cheese, nutmeg, and chard), ragu, and octopus. From the bar, you can enjoy specialty cocktails, craft beers, and wine.
Dinner is a gourmet experience, but if you want something more casual then we can recommend their aperitivo and tagliere (a charcuterie board) covered in sliced meats, cheeses, bread, and a variety of other delicious local foods. It’s enough for two people and is presented with style.
Other Options for La Spezia Restaurants
There are also other restaurants in La Spezia that we’ve visited but because we’ve only gone once, I can’t add them to our favorite list just yet. In any case, I think these places deserve an honorable mention for a great dinner in La Spezia:
- Origami House. €€. Serving some of the best vegan food in the area. The flavors are fresh and creative.
- Nana Meat & Wine. €€€. Specializing in marbled, tender, and tasty beef. This is an elegant and modern restaurant for a good steak!
- Il Ristorantino di Bayon. €€€. The seafood is delicate and artistic, and the restaurant and service are refined. And if seafood is what you’re particularly fond of, then consider a day trip to Porto Venere, where there is a mouth-watering choice of excellent seafood restaurants.
Detailed info: La Spezia is only a small town. Most of the restaurants are easy to reach on foot and close to Corso Cavour and Via Del Prione. But don’t be afraid to explore a little. Some of the best food in La Spezia is waiting to be discovered in the side streets and laneways!
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Wrap Up
So that’s it! In this post, I’ve shared our “go-to” favorite places to eat in La Spezia. If you’re looking for where to eat in La Spezia, then hopefully this will help.
If these few options are not what you're after then our ever-growing directory of Food and Drink options will almost certainly have something for you.
Lu and I love eating out, so keep an eye on this blog for more foodie favorites!
“Pin & Read Later”
FAQ
Do I need to book a restaurant?
Yes! In Italy, booking a table is considered polite and it is a good idea during the busy peak season.
How much is a typical restaurant meal?
An average meal for two people (2 courses each) including a bottle of wine will range from €80 to €120. Fine dining is likely to be upwards of €150, and a casual café style meal might be closer to €60.
Do restaurants in Italy accept credit card?
Generally, yes. But sometimes you’ll find restaurants only accepting cash. If you’re heading out of town, then it’s a good idea to carry some cash or confirm payment methods before being seated.
Can I take my dog to restaurants in Italy?
Dogs are welcomed in most restaurants. But we always ask the wait staff before entering with our dog, Cooper. Sometimes they prefer to seat you outside or away from other dogs.
