This is, hands down, the romantic spot in Vernazza. Carved out of an old stone fortress and impossibly perched against the cliff ledge, Belforte is the type of place that you'll see from afar and squint to discern just what the heck it is. When you figure out that it's a place where it's possible to eat and drink, you become obsessed and a meal there is obligatory. Belforte is also a splurge restaurant, where it almost doesn't matter what the food's like—that preposterous location, the breathtaking view, and some wine are enough to make you giddy. Aim to book a table on one of the three outdoor terraces that seem sort of precariously glued onto available platforms of the old fortress structure (so Italian!) at various levels, all with magnificent sea views. Inside, there's also a charming dining room with rustic stone walls. You'll try in vain to capture this whole, wonderful scene with your camera and fail miserably.

As for the food, it's actually very good, with a menu focused on refined, unfussy Ligurian specialties, which of course means an emphasis on local seafood, prepared in myriad ways. The risotto agli scampi con curry (with shrimp and curry, minimum two people) is a divine, well-balanced marriage of texture and sensuous exotic flavor. The restaurant also offers a small range of dishes per chi non ama il pesce ("for those who don't care for fish"), including lovely charcuterie, vegetable, and cheese plates with local honey and jam.