Is Portofino Worth the Trip?

For a little village with a year-round population of less than 400 people, Portofino has an outsized reputation. Once a humble fishing village on Liguria’s Riviera di Levante, Portofino began to attract English and Northern European travelers on the Grand Tour in the late 1800s and cemented its reputation as a hotspot for wealthy aristocrats and celebrities in the 1950s and ‘60s.

Attracted by the town’s picturesque port lined by brightly colored houses, mild climate, and natural beauty, movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, and Grace Kelly vacationed there, making the town a symbol of la dolce vita. Since then, its reputation never really faded. In more recent times, Kate Moss, Leonardo Di Caprio, George Clooney, Madonna, and Jennifer Lopez have all been photographed in and around Portofino (often on yachts that moor in or near the marina). But for mere mortals without access to a yacht, is Portofino worth the trip?

I visited Portofino twice in the last few years and had two completely different experiences. The first time, my husband Marco and I were staying in the nearby town of Rapallo and went to Portofino for dinner. Walking through the town, we passed designer stores by Pucci, Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Dolce & Gabbana.

After strolling around the marina, we had dinner at Ristorante Puny, a historic family-run restaurant on the Piazzetta where a plate of trofie al pesto costs €24 and to be honest, we left feeling a bit ripped off. The food was okay, but not good enough to justify the high prices. I remember leaving Portofino feeling utterly disappointed.

Then last summer, one of my editors at Robb Report asked me to go to Portofino to review the Hotel Splendido, a Belmond Hotel, so I returned. As I relaxed on a lounge chair by the pool with its jaunty red-orange umbrellas, sipped a craft cocktail at the new Baratta Seidici bar, and savored trofie al pesto made with DOP basil from Pra on the restaurant terrace, it clicked: This is why people go to Portofino.

The dolce vita fantasy is still alive and well at the Hotel Splendido. Opened in 1901 in a former monastery on a cliff overlooking the harbor, the Splendido is fresh off a renovation by renowned designer Martin Brudnizki. The hotel’s historic heritage has been preserved—and Elizabeth Taylor’s favorite spaghetti al pomodoro is still on the menu—but it’s been jazzed up and is ready to accommodate a new cohort of deep-pocketed travelers.

With the Splendido as my perch, I took the time to explore a bit more of the town. I took a ride on a traditional gozzo along the Riviera to Santa Margherita Ligure as the captain regaled me with tales of the rich and famous people who own villas along the coast.

I hiked up the hill to Castello Brown, the medieval castle bought and restored by the English consul Montague Yeats Brown in 1870. Up there, I gained a whole new perspective on Portofino—literally, as I looked down at the colorful buildings lining the marina and figuratively, as I read about the history of the town and how the Nazis intended to bomb it, even placing mines in the harbor, until a Scottish baroness convinced the German general to spare Portofino and its residents.

Before returning to the hotel, I bought a linen shirt for Marco from L’Ancora, a historic family-run shop hidden amid all the designer boutiques and stopped for a gelato at Gelateria San Giorgio. Back at the Splendido, I had a relaxing massage at the Dior Spa before dinner at the casual Splendido Grill. I left the next day feeling like I had cracked the town’s code.

So, is Portofino worth the trip? Maybe... depending on your budget and how much time you have. With rates starting at more than $3,000 per night in high season, the Splendido may be out of reach for the average traveler, but if you want to indulge in the dolce vita dream, you can always go for a meal on the terrace.

Are there more authentic, down-to-earth towns in Liguria? Absolutely—and I would encourage you to explore them. Portofino isn’t for everyone, but if you want to pretend to be rich and famous for a day, Portofino is a good place to do so.

What do you think? Have you been to Portofino? If so, what did you think? If not, do you want to go? Share your thoughts with me and other readers in the comments.

• My write-up of Hotel Splendido, a Belmond Hotel, is out now in Robb Report’s Best of the Best Awards.

• You can also read my more in depth, tongue-in-cheek review of the hotel for Robb Report here.

• After my first trip to Portofino, I shared a recipe for traditional pesto genovese with green beans and potatoes.

• You can see all the New Roman Times’ coverage of under-the-radar destinations here.