Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre: The Best Breakfast on the Italian Riviera
A tiny bakery in Monterosso, run by Sicilian twins, that produces pastries so good they have become one of the defining food experiences of the Cinque Terre. The queue starts before it opens. Get there anyway.
The Place
Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre is not a restaurant in any conventional sense. It is a small bakery and café, barely a dozen seats inside, operated by Massimo and Antonio Pirrone — twins from Palermo who somehow ended up in a fishing village on the Ligurian coast. The place is famous for two things: cannoli and bomboloni. Both are extraordinary.
The Cannoli
Sicilian cannoli, made properly, should have a crisp shell, a ricotta filling that is sweet but not cloying, and a scattering of pistachios. The Pirrone brothers make them the right way: fresh each morning, filled to order, perfectly balanced. There are flavoured variants — pistachio, chocolate, Nutella — but the classic is what you want.
The Bomboloni
These are deep-fried Italian doughnuts, and the Pirata versions are the platonic ideal. Soft, pillowy, barely oily, filled with pastry cream (crema pasticcera) or Nutella, dusted with granulated sugar. We ate two each and thought about ordering a third.
The Coffee
The coffee is proper Sicilian espresso — short, dark, served at the right temperature. The granita di caffè (coffee granita with sweetened cream) in summer is exceptional.
The Practical Reality
There is almost always a queue. The café opens at 6:30am and sells out of several items by mid-morning. The tables are contested by 8am. The Pirrone brothers manage the whole operation with cheerful efficiency and no small amount of theatre — watching them work the pastry cases and coffee machine simultaneously is entertainment in itself.
Should You Go?
Yes, without question. Il Pirata is one of those places that has become famous precisely because it deserves to be. The quality has not suffered from the attention. Get there early, accept that you will queue, order more than you think you want, and eat it outside looking at the sea.
Best for: Everyone Price: Expect to spend €8–12 per person Tip: If you are staying in Riomaggiore or Vernazza, it is worth the train journey to Monterosso for breakfast here.
You might also like
Reviews
Le Sirenuse, Positano: The Jewel of the Amalfi Coast
Perched above the cerulean waters of Positano, Le Sirenuse delivers a masterclass in Italian luxury. A stay here is not merely accommodation — it is the Amalfi Coast distilled into its purest form.
Noma, Copenhagen: The End of the World's Best Restaurant
René Redzepi's Noma closed its permanent doors in 2024. We were fortunate enough to eat there in its final season — a meal that remains among the most remarkable things I have ever eaten.
Portrait Firenze: Florence's Most Personal Luxury
The Portrait Firenze occupies a Luisa Via Roma family palazzo directly on the Arno, opposite the Ponte Vecchio. It is the most intimate luxury hotel in Florence — 37 suites, no queues, no crowds, and a level of personal service that is becoming genuinely rare.
Videos
Driving the Amalfi Coast: One of the World's Great Road Trips
The SS163 between Sorrento and Salerno is terrifying, spectacular, and completely worth it. We drive the coast, stop at every village, and eat far too much seafood.
The Uffizi in 90 Minutes: The Essential Masterworks
The Uffizi contains more Renaissance masterpieces than anywhere on earth, and most visitors see less than 10% of them. We plot the essential 90-minute route and explain what you are actually looking at.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.