The Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience: An Extremely Detailed Guide

08/12/202404/10/2026wareontheglobe 2 Comments

Nessun Dorma, the open-air restaurant overlooking Manarola in Cinque Terre, Italy

On our recent trip to Cinque Terre with Dan’s Uncle and Aunt, we spent an afternoon in Manarola learning to make pesto at the Instagram famous Nessun Dorma’s Pesto Experience. This article provides a very detailed review of the Pesto Experience and if its worth the time and money. For seafood in Monterosso, see our Cantina di Miky review.

Dan and I seated at the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience above Manarola, Cinque Terre

Dan & I at the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience.

RESERVATIONS AT NESSUN DORMA

The first step to enjoying the Pesto Experience is making a reservation. Reservations are complimentary and can be made on Nessun Dorma’s free phone application. You simply enter your information on the application and done! Nessun Dorma emailed us a reminder the day prior. Also, you don’t pay until the actual event, and credit card is accepted.

Nessun Dorma!

GETTING TO NESSUN DORMA FROM MANAROLA

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A 3 Day Itinerary for Cinque Terre, Italy in Late September!

03/12/202406/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Manarola seen from the path above the town, Cinque Terre, Italy

Dan and I traveled to Italy with his Uncle and Aunt from Texas in September 2024. This was his Aunt’s second time in Italy and his Uncle’s first, despite being entirely of Italian descent. Our first stop on this visit was Cinque Terre, Monterosso al Mare specifically! We had a wonderful time and ate some fantastic food. This blog post details what we did, how we got around and what we ate and drank! After Cinque Terre and Lucca, we spent three days in Florence. We returned to Italy in 2025, starting on the Amalfi Coast in Raito.

The four of us in Cinque Terre!

CINQUE TERRE

If you are unfamiliar with Cinque Terre, Cinque Terre, or “Five Lands” in English, is a group of five tiny villages in Northern Italy, located on the Ligurian Riviera (a/k/a coastal Liguria or the Italian Riviera). Locals still live in Cinque Terre, but it has become terribly popular in the last decade or so, being popularized by cruise ships docking in La Spezia, Rick Steves’ travel guides, and most recently, the adorable Disney movie Luca (give it a watch before your visit). Travelers come to Cinque Terre for its beautiful villages, coastline, delicious seafood and pesto, and hiking. This was Dan and my fourth visit to Cinque Terre. And while the tourists are honestly somewhat unbearable, especially when cruise ships are in port, Cinque Terre is still almost as magical as our first visit way back in 2008. The end of this article lists some of our top “tips and tricks” for visiting Cinque Terre, the # 1 being please stay overnight (and spend money in locally owned establishments!).

Vernazza from the Blue Trail.

A THREE DAY ITINERARY FOR CINQUE TERRE

The beach at Monterosso al Mare, the only proper beach in Cinque Terre

Classic Cinque Terre. Monterosso al Mare beach.

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Fantastic Food in an Adorable Setting in Cinque Terre, Italia: L’ancora della Tortuga.

19/11/202406/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Tagliatelle with butter, Parmigiano Reggiano and black truffles at L'Ancora della Tortuga, Monterosso

Dan and I spent 10 days in Italy in late September/early October 2024 with Dan’s aunt and uncle, who had not really traveled extensively in Italy. Our first stop was the gorgeous Cinque Terre, and this post details our first dinner in Cinque Terre at L’ancora della tortuga!

Vernazza seen from the train line between Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza, Cinque Terre

Picture perfect Cinque Terre. This is the train from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza, looking at Vernazza.

L’ancora della tortuga, or the Turtle’s Anchor, is located inside the sea walls of old Monterosso. L’ancora della tortuga is well regarded in the Cinque Terre and specializes in the area’s famed seafood. The restaurant also offers great gluten free options, which was necessary for one member of our group. Access to the restaurant is by literally walking down a set of stairs build into the old fortifications of Monterosso.

The entrance to L'Ancora della Tortuga, inside the old sea walls of Monterosso al Mare

This is the entrance to L’ancora della tortuga.

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Spending New Year’s in Rome Rimessa Roscioli

06/09/202406/10/2026wareontheglobe 1 Comment

The table at Rimessa Roscioli in Rome at the start of the New Year's Eve dinner

Dan, my mother and I spent New Years in Rome last year! This was Dan and my second time spending New Years in Rome, and was just a fabulous the second time around! To ring in the New Year, or Capodanno in Italian, Rome goes all out with fireworks, free concerts, etc. (truly the works), but many Italians spend the holiday with family eating a big meal (and wearing red undergarments for good luck!). We decided to forgo the street craziness and made New Years dinner reservations at Rimessa Roscioli in Rome, one of Roscioli’s great restaurants in Rome (this one specializing in wine). We returned to Rome in 2025 and put together a 3.5 day Rome itinerary.

Crowds around the Spanish Steps in Rome on New Year's Eve

Rome on New Year’s Eve. This is the Spanish Steps area – pure madness.

We have previously dined at Rimessa Roscioli, and it was delicious, so we were all in for Rimessa’s New Years tasting menu. I cannot recall the exact price of the tasting menu, but it was reasonable and included tons of food and wine. I do not think anyone left hungry or thirsty. We arrived at Rimessa Roscioli a few minutes before the dinner was scheduled to start and were seated at a communal table with one other family from Switzerland. They were very nice (and their two sons very well behaved)! The dinner progressed at a reasonable pace and finished just before midnight. Rimessa stayed open late and actually turned the dining room into a dance floor after midnight. We didn’t stay much longer than midnight, but it looked fun! This post reviews my New Years dinner at Rimessa Roscioli!

The New Year's Eve tasting menu at Rimessa Roscioli in Rome

Rimessa’s New Years menu.

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Restaurant Review: Roscioli Salumeria, Roma, Italia

23/08/202406/10/2026wareontheglobe 2 Comments

Short pasta all'Amatriciana with tomato, pork cheek and Pecorino Romano at Roscioli Salumeria, Rome

It seems that I am on a whole Roscioli series here. Having just reviewed the Roscioli New York City restaurant, here is my review of Rome’s Roscioli Salumeria in the heart of Campo d’Fiori, Roma! I love, love, love this restaurant, and this Christmas visit with my husband and my mother did not disappoint. This post reviews our recent visit in late December 2023.

Dan and Betty at a table in Roscioli Salumeria, Rome, decorated for Christmas

Dan and Betty at Roscioli Salumeria decked out for Christmas.

For those unfamiliar with Roscioli, Roscioli is a Roman brand synonymous with great food. The Roscioli brand has been around for decades, and it is very well known to those who love Rome. Roscioli has several restaurants in Rome, including the instant Salumeria, a tasty wine-focused restaurant called Rimessa Roscioli (that often has openings if the Salumeria is full), a pizza and bread take away and a coffee/pastry shop (that I have never visited!), plus a New York City outpost that opened last year (2023). Dan and I have visited Roscioli’s main restaurant, Roscioli Salumeria, in Rome several times, most recently just before Christmas last year. We also rang in the New Year at Rimessa Roscioli on that same trip.

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