Restaurant in Portofino, Italy
Cerea cooking, harbour views, book early.
Backed by the Cerea family of three-Michelin-starred Da Vittoria in Bergamo, DaV Mare holds Michelin Plate recognition and a prime seat on Portofino's harbour square. It is the clearest choice in the village for serious contemporary Italian cooking with a landmark setting. Book ahead — the tables are few and demand is high, especially in summer.
At the €€€€ price point, DaV Mare is asking you to pay for two things simultaneously: a front-row seat to one of the most photographed harbourside squares in Italy, and the contemporary Italian cooking of a family that runs a three-Michelin-starred operation in Bergamo. That combination is harder to find than it sounds. If you are visiting Portofino and want a meal that holds up on both counts, this is the clearest recommendation on the waterfront. If the price feels steep for a casual lunch stop, Da O Batti is a more affordable Ligurian alternative. But for a gourmet dinner or a serious occasion meal, DaV Mare is the right call.
The Cerea family operates Da Vittoria in Bergamo, which holds three Michelin stars — one of Italy's most decorated dining institutions. DaV Mare is their Portofino outpost, and the pedigree shows in the execution. The kitchen turns out contemporary Italian food at a level of consistency that is rare for a seasonal destination restaurant. The Michelin Guide has awarded it a Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025, which signals cooking that meets Michelin's quality threshold without reaching the starred tier. For context, a Michelin Plate denotes good cooking — it is a meaningful credential, not a consolation prize.
The wrought-iron outdoor dining area faces directly onto Portofino's harbour square, with the castle promontory in the sightline. The atmosphere is calm and composed rather than high-energy , this is not a buzzy, noisy room. Lunch here feels unhurried; dinner shifts toward something more occasion-ready. If you were here once for lunch, returning for dinner offers a genuinely different experience in terms of mood and pacing. The square quiets down as the evening progresses, and the setting becomes considerably more atmospheric after the day-tripper crowds clear.
Given the Cerea family's background in structured, multi-course fine dining at the calibre of restaurants like Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler or Dal Pescatore, the kitchen at DaV Mare is well-positioned to deliver a coherent tasting progression rather than a disconnected à la carte selection. The contemporary Italian framework here typically moves through Ligurian coastal ingredients and Mediterranean technique. Specific dishes and menu pricing are not confirmed in our data, so contact the restaurant directly for the current menu format. What the Cerea track record and the Michelin recognition together suggest: the sequencing and technical quality will be at a level above the average Portofino restaurant.
For a returning diner, the question is whether to commit to the full dinner format or keep it to a focused shorter meal. Given the price tier and the kitchen's fine-dining lineage, a full dinner with the complete progression is how this restaurant is leading experienced. A quick lunch is perfectly viable and the Michelin Guide specifically notes it as an option, but the cooking is built for longer, more deliberate dining. If you had a lunch visit previously, dinner is the logical next move.
Reservations: Book ahead , the table count is small and demand is high, particularly in peak summer months. The Michelin Guide flags this directly. Booking difficulty: Easy to book in principle, but availability compresses fast in July and August; contact as early as possible for summer dates. Dress: Smart casual at minimum given the price point and setting; Portofino's harbour context means the clientele tends toward resort-elegant. Budget: €€€€ , allow for a full dinner with wine to land at the higher end of Portofino restaurant pricing. Leading timing: Dinner over lunch if you want the full experience; arrive before or after peak season (June or September) for easier reservations and a more relaxed atmosphere.
Within Portofino's small dining ecosystem, DaV Mare occupies the clearest position at the leading of the contemporary Italian tier. Cracco Portofino is the other €€€€ option, with a seafood focus and the Carlo Cracco name attached , if you want a more seafood-forward menu with a celebrity-chef profile, that is the comparison to weigh. DaV Mare's advantage is the Cerea family's deeper fine-dining track record and the more intimate square-facing setting. For a significantly lower spend with local Ligurian cooking, Da O Batti is the practical alternative, though the experience is less polished. Splendido operates in a different category as a hotel dining experience, but if you are weighing a hotel dinner against a standalone restaurant, DaV Mare's cooking credentials make it the stronger choice for food-first diners.
For Italian contemporary dining at a comparable or higher level elsewhere in Italy, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Uliassi in Senigallia, and Piazza Duomo in Alba represent the higher end of the category if a special-occasion trip is being planned around food specifically. DaV Mare sits below that tier by award level, but it is the right choice when the Portofino visit is the primary reason for being there.
Google: 4.2 / 5 (271 reviews). Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025.
Possible but not ideal. The few tables and high demand mean solo diners may find it harder to secure a reservation, and the outdoor square setting is more naturally suited to couples or small groups. If you are dining solo in Portofino, lunch is a more relaxed option than dinner. The setting and price point (€€€€) are both oriented toward a paired or group occasion rather than a solo meal at the counter.
As far ahead as possible for summer. The Michelin Guide specifically flags the limited table count and high demand. In July and August, several weeks in advance is a reasonable minimum. In shoulder season (May, June, September), a week or two may be sufficient, but there is no reason to wait given how small the restaurant is. Booking is described as easy in terms of process, but availability is the constraint.
Cracco Portofino is the direct peer: also €€€€, seafood-forward, and a celebrity-chef name. Choose Cracco if you want a more seafood-centred menu. Da O Batti is the sensible step-down option for local Ligurian cooking at a lower price point. Splendido is worth considering if you are staying there or want a hotel dining experience, but DaV Mare's kitchen credentials are stronger for food-first visitors.
Yes, and it is one of the clearest choices in Portofino for exactly that purpose. The combination of the harbour square setting, the Cerea family's three-starred Michelin pedigree from Da Vittoria in Bergamo, and the Michelin Plate recognition here makes it the most credentialled special-occasion restaurant in the village. Book dinner rather than lunch for the full occasion feel. Dinner in the outdoor dining area as the square settles down is about as good a setting as Portofino offers.
Based on the Cerea family's background running a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bergamo, the technical quality and structure of a multi-course dinner here is likely to justify the price at the €€€€ level. Specific tasting menu pricing is not confirmed in our data , contact the restaurant for current formats and costs. For comparison, Italian contemporary tasting menus at Michelin-recognised restaurants in coastal settings (see L'Olivo in Anacapri or Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone) operate in a similar tier. The kitchen's pedigree makes the investment reasonable for a food-serious visitor.
Smart casual is the safe baseline. Portofino's harbour clientele tends toward resort-elegant , think well-cut summer clothes rather than formal dress, but not beach cover-ups either. At the €€€€ price point, the room expects a degree of effort. There is no confirmed dress code in our data, but the setting and price tier make it easy to calibrate: dress as you would for a serious dinner at a coastal fine-dining restaurant.
At €€€€, yes , provided the setting is part of what you are paying for. The Cerea family brings genuine fine-dining credentials from Da Vittoria (three Michelin stars in Bergamo), and the Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025 confirms the cooking holds up. You are paying for the harbour square view and the kitchen quality together. If you want only the food and the price feels steep, Da O Batti is the practical downgrade. If you want the full Portofino-with-serious-cooking experience, DaV Mare delivers it.
Specific dishes are not confirmed in our data, so we cannot make a reliable dish-level recommendation. Given the contemporary Italian framework and the Cerea family's coastal outpost context, the menu is likely built around Ligurian and Mediterranean ingredients. The safest approach for a returning visitor: ask the kitchen for the full dinner progression rather than ordering à la carte selectively. The kitchen's fine-dining lineage means the tasting sequence is where the cooking is leading expressed. Confirm the current menu directly with the restaurant before visiting.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| DaV Mare | €€€€ | — |
| Cracco Portofino | €€€€ | — |
| Da O Batti | — | |
| Splendido | — |
How DaV Mare stacks up against the competition.
Solo dining here is possible but not the natural format. The wrought-iron outdoor terrace is set up for couples and small groups, and at €€€€ pricing with high table demand, you may feel pressure on seat time. If solo fine dining is your goal, a counter-style omakase or bar-seat restaurant will serve you better. DaV Mare rewards those who want to linger over a full meal with good company and the square in full view.
Book as early as possible — the Michelin Guide flags the small table count and high demand explicitly. In peak summer months (June through August), expect the terrace to fill weeks out. If your travel dates are fixed, prioritise securing a reservation before arranging anything else in Portofino.
Cracco Portofino is the closest competitor in the contemporary Italian tier, though the profile and format differ. Da O Batti offers a more casual, local-focused experience at a lower price point — suitable if the €€€€ commitment feels steep. Splendido's restaurant is the choice if you want the full luxury hotel setting alongside the food, though you are paying partly for that address.
Yes, for the right kind of occasion. The outdoor dining space overlooks one of the most photographed squares in Italy, with a castle promontory as the backdrop — the setting does significant work on its own. The Cerea family's track record at three-starred Da Vittoria in Bergamo means the cooking holds up at €€€€. Anniversaries and landmark dinners are the natural fit; this is not a venue for a low-key business meal.
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