Off Season Italy: why Portofino is best in September, according to filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini

Including lunches with locals, dinners at sunset, and boat trips to secret coves
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This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favourite local tastemakers. Read more here.

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Francesco Carrozzini

Brantley Guterrez

For Milan-born, New York-based filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini, being in Portofino is like a homecoming. The Ligurian resort town was the backdrop to nearly all his early summers and remains a place he returns to each year. But unlike his childhood, he often avoids being there in August. “Portofino is hard to reach, which for years kept it protected,” he says. “But now it hits capacity – and in August it is just too crowded.” Instead, Carrozzini insists mid-September is the sweet spot. “Most tourists have left and the Italians are back in school; it reminds me of those last days of summer where I would stay out from early morning to sunset and enjoy every minute.”

How would you describe Portofino in September?

It’s quiet, fewer boats dot the harbour. When I stroll through the square, I can take my time chatting with the vendors. In August they are too busy for that. A favourite spot is Bar Jolly, where I’ll chat with the owner, Mauro, for hours. This place is wonderful – it channels 1950s Riviera with old-school stripes and wood lacquered tables. In August, there is so much glitz that passes through Portofino but in September that’s all gone and the place starts to feel timeless again.

The crowds clear in the Piazzetta come September

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Boat rides are a preferred mode of transportation, even in the fall

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What do you look forward to eating this time of year?

I can’t decide between two very dear places to me. Taverna del Marinaio, owned by Manu and Paolo, feels like having dinner at a friend’s house. In September, I see all the people I grew up with in there, and I always eat marinated scampi. It is out of this world, done in some citrussy thing, like ceviche. Then I order a zucchini frittata, which is served in small bites, followed by the moscardini – like a baby octopus – cooked with wine and rosemary.

Do you have any other go-to spots?

Concordia – it’s more hidden. It’s not in the square and there is no view but it is family-owned. In Portofino, we say the owners are the mayors of food. All the Portofinese eat here when they go out. Do the pastas.

Tell me about the weather in September – how does it transform Portofino?

It’s warm and the sea feels like an open-air pool. The trees turn golden and they add a fragrance to the air – especially the maritime pines, which get exacerbated by the coolness in the air this time of year. It smells like the end of summer and is truly magical.

Colorful houses line the streets of Portofino

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You'd do well to dig into a bowl of pasta with clams here.

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What do you consider a Portofino meal worth travelling for?

The scampi at Da Ö Batti Restaurant in Santa Margarita is the best thing you can eat in the entire region – the family uses some type of secret recipe. There is some lemon, wine, a little butter… it’s fresh and wonderful. I took a friend there once and later on, he flew down from Munich just to eat the scampi before returning to Germany straight away.

Where can we find you at cocktail hour?

On the terrace at Hotel Splendido with a Campari spritz. I like to do it before dinner because of the beautiful sunlight that time of year. But if you come later, you’ll hear the pianist; his name is Vladimir and he has been playing there for 30 years. He performs songs in both Italian and English and people sing along – it is so entertaining.

Step into the bar at Hotel Splendido for a Campari spritz

Helen Cathcart/Belmond

The light over Portofino softens in September

Helen Cathcart/Belmond

What does a typical Saturday in September look like for you?

In the morning, I head to Santa Margherita on my Vespa for newspapers and a stroll. I live in America, so seeing an actual zucchini or tomato in the local food market is kind of a thrill. Then friends and I will take a boat out; you can rent them in the square in Portofino. We will bop around a bit, stopping for swims in places like Baia degli Inglesi, which is a tiny bay between Camogli and Portofino. It’s nice to get to Spadin, in Camogli, for sunset. This place is so hard to reach and doesn’t see a lot of tourists. The tip is to reserve a table for sunset – the tables are set up between the rocks and you practically sit in the ocean, drinking wine and watching the sun go down.

Are there any other quintessential spots that are special for you?

Da Giorgio – you arrive by boat, kick off your shoes, and go barefoot on the sands. The tables cling to the rocks. I always eat fried fish, tuna carpaccio, and raw gamberetti. For me, its simplicity is the very definition of Italian luxury. It’s what tourists fall in love with when they come.