Casamare, Portovenere

Casamare is a stylish, contemporary seafood restaurant on Portovenere's waterfront, on Calata Doria, with refined service and uninterrupted views over the Gulf of Poets, the broad bay celebrated by Byron and Shelley at the western end of the Ligurian Riviera. Where many of Portovenere's tables trade on tradition, Casamare offers a more modern register: the kitchen presents contemporary preparations of fresh fish, a polished raw seafood and crudo selection, and reworked Ligurian classics, plated with care for the elegant setting. The result is a sophisticated waterside meal that suits diners wanting something more design-conscious than the village's rustic trattorie, while still rooted in the local catch. The setting is the draw, an elegant room and terrace opening onto the harbour and the colourful houses of the village, and the atmosphere is refined yet relaxed, smart-casual in keeping with a waterfront dinner. Prices reflect the location and ambition, sitting at the upper-mid to high level, with pasta and antipasti courses around EUR 16-26 and fish mains from roughly EUR 24-38; whole fish is priced by weight, so a full meal commonly runs EUR 50-75 per person before wine. The wine list favours Ligurian whites such as Vermentino and the Gulf of Poets and Cinque Terre labels that pair with the raw seafood and fish. Because the waterfront tables and the view are sought-after, reservations are recommended, especially for dinner and at summer weekends; the restaurant keeps seasonal hours, so checking ahead off-season is wise. Portovenere is reached by road or by ferry from La Spezia and the Cinque Terre, and Casamare makes a polished meal after exploring the Church of San Pietro on its rocky point. For a contemporary, design-led seafood dinner with a fine Gulf of Poets view, Casamare is a strong choice in Portovenere.