We're changing it up this year & trying a cruise.Any restaurant or sight recommendations for La Spezia and Livorno themselves ?
We're very familiar with the areas around these cities, but we have not been to the cities.

Get out of La Spezia and head 12 miles down to Portovenere--my favorite destination on that coast. I am surprised the ship is not stopping there---some do.

Have been there also many times, may end up there again if no one knows about La Spezia.Thanks Bob

I can not think of one appetizing thing about La Spezia.

We had a pretty good lunch in Livorno last year at a place called Le Volte, near the harbor. There was another restaurant nearby which I've forgotten the name of that we had wanted to try, but it was closed that day. (Sorry, that's completely unhelpful, but I guess my point is that there seemed to be several good places to eat around the harbor.)

It might have been one of these, which were on my list of Slow Food recommendations.

Il giro del cane.
Osteria-trattoria Borgo dei Cappuccini, 314

Cantina nardi.
Enoteca con mescita e cucina Via Cambini, 6-8

We didn't find much worth stopping for in Livorno; we went there mainly because we were taking Italian classes in a small town nearby and thought it might be a good place for lunch. It is a city without a whole lot of charm.

- Roz

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I can not think of one appetizing thing about La Spezia.

Ouch! Obviously, jfraz, you haven't spent much time there to discover some of its charm (yes, it does have some!) and delicious restaurants.

Tommaso, for fine dining, basically nothing is open for lunch, just dinner (and there are few and far between in LS proper). One of the best restaurants in town (and a bit more expensive) is Ristorante La Posta on Via Don Minzoni. Some of the best pizza around is Scugnizzo on Via Garibaldi. A new, charming little trattoria is Quanto Basta on Via della Canonica 32 (it's in a little knook so hard to find, but just ask). For no-frills, but best farinata in the Riviera Levante, try the 100+ year La Pia on Via Magenta (also good for a real taste of the locals!). For a great place overlooking the city, in Loc. Litoranea (road leading up to the CT), there is Paradiso del Golfo.

I wrote a post a (long) while back about the Daily Market which I would recommend visiting on your day in port.

Have fun!

Also recomended for food

Il ristorante di bayon
Dino
Cecco Revolte
I Servieri


For aperitivi and light meals

La Suprema
Enoteca Party House

Theres also the Museo Lia and the Museum of modern Art and the shopping on Corso cavour and via prione and I suppose the obvious the train to the cinque terre or the bus to Lerici.

Shaun - I ditto your suggestions, but I believe they are all only open in the evening. Could have changed though...

quote:

Originally posted by Tommaso:
We're changing it up this year & trying a cruise.Any restaurant or sight recommendations for La Spezia and Livorno themselves ?
We're very familiar with the areas around these cities, but we have not been to the cities.

For something different and impromptu I would suggest 'Doctor Kebab'. It is midway between the seafront the the hospital (there are plenty of resturants around it) on the Corso Amedeo (via Amadeo possibly). It has a great line of middle eastern/near eastern food - kosher - so expect lots of lamb, pitta and deep fried pastry parcels. No table service. So you eat at the counter or take away. Very good in our experience.