Portofino is perhaps four hundred meters from end to end. The piazzetta, its central square, ringed by pastel ochre buildings, is the size of a suburban garden. The harbour holds perhaps thirty boats. And yet it has been the most coveted address on the Italian Riviera for seven decades: Elizabeth Taylor, the Duke of Windsor, Aristotle Onassis, and currently whichever oligarch, tech founder or royal family is making the seasonal pilgrimage to the Ligurian coast. The problem with Portofino is not getting there. It is getting access to its best experiences once you arrive.
Il Pitosforo | The Table You Cannot Book Online
Il Pitosforo has been perched on the cliff above Portofino's eastern harbour since 1959. It has no website reservation system. It does not appear on OpenTable or TheFork. It receives approximately ninety covers per service and turns down several hundred requests for every table it seats during peak season (June-September). The terrace: cantilevered over the rock, with a direct view of the lighthouse and the fishing boats below: is considered one of the three or four finest restaurant settings in Italy.
The cuisine is Ligurian: pesto prepared from young Genoese basil and Ligurian olive oil, trofie pasta, branzino from the Ligurian Sea, the white wines of Pigato and Vermentino. The kitchen does not innovate for the sake of it. It executes the regional canon with a precision that has attracted the same families for three generations. We secure tables on the terrace at sunset, 7:30pm, through our standing relationship with the proprietors.
Belmond Splendido | The Two Hotels
The Belmond Splendido (above Portofino, reached by car or on foot) and the Belmond Splendido Mare (in the piazzetta itself, on the harbour) operate as one property in two very different locations. The Splendido sits in a former monastery garden overlooking the bay: 69 rooms, terraced pool, helicopter access. The Splendido Mare has 16 rooms and the best restaurant terrace position in the piazzetta.
FFGR Italia's relationship with Belmond's Portofino concierge team allows us to coordinate suite availability (suites 1, 3, 5, and 10 at the Splendido have unobstructed bay views), SPA access at non-peak hours, private dinner service on the upper terrace, and coordination of helicopter arrivals from Nice Côte d'Azur for clients arriving from France or Monaco.
Castello Brown | A Private Evening in the 12th Century
Castello Brown was built in the twelfth century to control the bay. It was sold by the Republic of Genoa to Montague Yeats-Brown (a British consul) in 1867, whose family owned it until 1961. The current public opening hours are 10am to 7pm. After 7pm, the castle closes, and the clifftop garden, which overlooks the entire bay at 100 meters elevation, becomes available for private events.
FFGR Italia organises exclusive sunset aperitivo access in the Castello Brown gardens: arrival at 7:15pm as the last public visitors depart, private guide for a 20-minute tour of the castle interior including the Yeats-Brown family archives, followed by an hour on the garden terrace with Ligurian wines and charcuterie as the bay turns gold below. This is the most theatrical sunset point in Portofino, and it is typically inaccessible without prior arrangement.
The Piazzetta | Shopping Without the Crowds
The Portofino piazzetta hosts boutiques of Loro Piana, Bottega Veneta, Bulgari, and the Gucci Portofino flagship: which stocks items, including the horsebit loafer in terracotta suede and limited Portofino-only colorways, unavailable in mainland stores. Peak season shopping means elbowing through seventeen nationalities in a six-square-meter space.
On request, FFGR Italia coordinates VIP access to these boutiques with personal shopper accompaniment, either in the early morning (8:30-9:30am, before the piazzetta fills) or in the early evening (7-8pm, after the main crowd has returned to their yachts or hotels). A local personal shopper, fluent in EN/FR/IT, accompanies you and has existing relationships with the store managers.
Helicopter | Portofino to Cannes in 35 Minutes
For clients arriving from or departing to the French Riviera, FFGR Italia coordinates helicopter transfers between Portofino and Cannes/Nice in 35-40 minutes. The flight covers the entire Riviera di Levante, Rapallo, Sestri Levante, the Cinque Terre cliffs, La Spezia, Sanremo, before crossing into French airspace above Monaco.
Landing is at Cannes Mandelieu (for Cannes hotels and Port Canto) or Nice Côte d'Azur FBO for connections to other European cities. Departures from Portofino use the private helipad above the Castello Brown: 3 minutes walk from the piazzetta.
Arrange Your Portofino Experience
