Cinque Terra Recap III: The Blue Marlin

Vernazza is tiny. There are several restaurants and such but because it is so small, your nightlife options are limited to one place; The Blue Marlin.
The Blue Marlin is a Cinque Terra institution. It's run by three young Italian guys who are very popular with the ladies and who keep the place lively and fun from open til close. It functions mainly as a bar but also features a pretty good menu of snacks and small meals as well as the ubiquitous coffee and brioches for breakfast. But when the sun goes down, the Blue Marlin really comes to life. Lest there be any doubt about how hip and happening this place is, consider this: Playboy Magazine once rated it as one of the best vacation spots in the world to...ahem...get laid. They've even got the article hanging up inside on the wall. As I mentioned in the first recap, Vernazza is crawling with drunk college kids enjoying their summer break on their parents' dime so this should come as no surprise.

The bar itself isn't anything special, it's your typical bar with plenty of tables inside and outside and plenty of drinks on tap. What makes the Blue Marlin special are the guys who run it. Steff, the friendly flirt; Giuly, the ruggedly handsome, surly jokester; and Ettore, the carefree, fun-loving pretty boy who bears a resemblance to a young Brad Pitt. When these guys are manning the bar at night, it is impossible not to enjoy yourself. And if you're a cute, single girl be assured that you will receive the full "Italian" treatment. It's fun to watch these guys in action and hard not to be jealous - they're living the life most of us only wish we had. The drinks are also very good. Usually a bar that caters to tourists will water down their drinks so when I ordered a couple of mai tai's for the wife and I, I asked Giuly not to skimp on the alcohol. He gave me a sly smile and when I took my first sip, holy crap, it was the best and strongest mai tai I've ever had. Virginia couldn't even finish hers. We've been going to Vernazza for years now and we always have a good time at the Blue Marlin, enjoying drinks and striking up conversations with other tourists.

Anyway, here's a few photos from our most recent visit to the Blue Marlin (click photo to enlarge):


From L-R; Steff, me, Giuly, Ettore:

Virginia gets into the act:

Giuly and Ettore enjoying themselves as always:


The Blue Marlin has a myspace page as well. If you want to check it out, here's the link. Steff, Giuly and Ettore, if you guys are reading this...you guys got GAME!