Il Timone
Pizzerie / Restaurants
Via Olivo, 29, 19025, Portovenere (SP) – (+39) 347 2601008 – (+39) 0187 914595
Il Timone: A Taste of Liguria
Restaurant and Pizzeria in Portovenere
A family story since 1960
Il Timone was founded in 1960 in Portovenere, when there was no two-way road yet and only rocks and the sea lay in front of the restaurant. My father Marino and my mother Toni opened this seaside place where you could almost touch the water with your feet. Since then, Il Timone has become a landmark for those who love authentic Ligurian cuisine.
Today, we have reached the third generation. I, Antonella, carry on this tradition together with my children, with the same passion as always. Every day we welcome families, children who return years later with their own kids, and grandparents who tell us what Il Timone was like in the 1960s. Our restaurant is a blend of memory, tradition, and timeless flavors.
Antonella and her philosophy
My name is Antonella, and I’m at the helm of Il Timone.
Our restaurant was founded by my family in 1960 – not exactly yesterday – and I was born a few years after that. At the time, the sea waves came up to where our outdoor tables are now. I’ve always offered typical, regional, local cuisine, but not because it was fashionable to do so. Back then, in the 1960s and 1970s, it was customary for restaurants to serve the same typical local dishes we all enjoyed at home.
To this day, we still focus on dishes rooted in my father’s historical recipes, enriched with a slightly more contemporary presentation. Our restaurant provides patrons with a variety of options: breakfast from 10:30 am, then lunch, seafront afternoon snacks, drinks and aperitifs starting at 5:30 pm, and finally dinner. Facing the sea, it offers a splendid view of Palmaria Island. At Il Timone you can treat yourself to a lush dinner and great wines, or just drop in after dinner for a glass of excellent Passito and one of our daily homemade desserts.– Antonella
Il Timone: not just a restaurant, but a taste experience
Il Timone is not just a restaurant, it is: “Il Timone: A Taste of Liguria.” A place where you sit down and savor the true flavors of the territory—flavors rooted in strong family traditions, like stuffed anchovies, prepared today exactly as they were 60 years ago.
Our cuisine is based on local products, many of which are grown in our gardens in Portovenere, “Gli Orti del Timone,” from which fresh and fragrant vegetables arrive every day. For us, innovation means respecting tradition while enhancing it with seasonal, high-quality ingredients.
Gli Orti di Portovenere – Shopping & Tasting
In the heart of Portovenere, at Via Capellini 5, you will find “Gli Orti di Portovenere,” our new shop dedicated to the products from the Timone gardens. A space where you can purchase and taste local flavors: vegetables, preserves, local wines, and much more.
The philosophy of the shop is simple: “shopping & tasting,” meaning buying with pleasure while experiencing a piece of Liguria to take home.
Discover Gli Orti di Portovenere HERE!
The gastronomic offering of Il Timone
Il Timone’s cuisine is deeply rooted in Ligurian tradition, with dishes prepared using the freshest ingredients from both sea and land. The aromatic herbs from our garden enhance every dish, bringing out its authentic flavors.
Our offerings include:
- Traditional Ligurian dishes such as trofie al pesto, stuffed anchovies, and Ligurian-style rabbit;
- Oven specialties such as chickpea farinata made from stone-ground flour, focaccia made with controlled supply chain grains, and pizzas prepared with carefully selected doughs;
- Local cured meats and cheeses selected from regional producers.
Our wine cellar is the result of careful selection, featuring Ligurian labels made from Vermentino, Bosco, Albarola, and other local grape varieties. Each wine is personally chosen by me to create the perfect pairing with our cuisine.
Opening hours of Il Timone
Il Timone is open from late morning until evening, accompanying you throughout the day:
- From 10:30 am for a sweet second breakfast;
- At lunch, with traditional dishes overlooking the sea;
- In the afternoon, for a relaxing break, even in winter;
- At aperitivo time, with glasses of wine, focaccia, and oven specialties;
- At dinner, in a romantic seaside setting, with takeaway picnic options available.
We also offer wine tastings, local product tastings, and cooking classes, allowing you to experience Liguria with all your senses.
Do you want to receive information or book a table?
Discover our customers reviews on TripAdvisor
Info & reservations
Important!
Please wait for confirmation by email or telephone.
Il Timone
Via Olivo, 29, 19025, Portovenere (SP)
Explore the surroundings
Le novità per te
La nostra newsletter ti aspetta
Le novità per te
La nostra newsletter ti aspetta
Stai al passo con i tempi e visita la Liguria con noi!
Devi solo iscriverti
Non rimanere indietro...
Seguici anche sui social e scopri il mondo di Italia Per Voi
Italia per Voi s.r.l – Via Nino Ricciardi, 31, 19124, La Spezia (SP)
(+39) 333 8485291 – italiapervoi@gmail.com
P. IVA 01364530111 – italiapervoi@legpec.it
© 2012/2026 – All Rights Reserved – Privacy & Cookie Policy – Credits
Le immagini presenti su questo sito sono di proprietà di Italia Per Voi,
dei suoi partner o dei suoi collaboratori, e sono protette dalla
Legge sul diritto d’autore (L. 633/1941).
È vietata la riproduzione, modifica, distribuzione o utilizzo,
totale o parziale, senza autorizzazione scritta.
Alcune immagini presenti su questo sito web possono essere state
create, modificate o ottimizzate utilizzando software di Intelligenza Artificiale (IA).
Autorizzazione TRIBUNALE LA SPEZIA nr. 1116/12 del 09.02.2012
REA n. 122810 del 23/07/2012
Le novità per te
La nostra newsletter ti aspetta
Le novità per te
La nostra newsletter ti aspetta
Stai al passo con i tempi e visita la Liguria con noi!
Devi solo iscriverti
Non rimanere indietro...
Seguici anche sui social e scopri il mondo di Italia Per Voi
Italia per Voi s.r.l – Via Nino Ricciardi, 31
19124, La Spezia (SP)
(+39) 333 8485291 – italiapervoi@gmail.com
P. IVA 01364530111 – italiapervoi@legpec.it
© 2012/2026 – All Rights Reserved
Privacy & Cookie Policy – Credits
Le immagini presenti su questo sito sono di proprietà
di Italia Per Voi, dei suoi partner o dei suoi collaboratori,
e sono protette dalla Legge sul diritto d’autore (L. 633/1941).
È vietata la riproduzione, modifica, distribuzione o utilizzo,
totale o parziale, senza autorizzazione scritta.
Alcune immagini presenti su questo sito web
possono essere state create, modificate
o ottimizzate utilizzando software di
Intelligenza Artificiale (IA).
Autorizzazione TRIBUNALE LA SPEZIA
nr. 1116/12 del 09.02.2012
REA n. 122810 del 23/07/2012