If you manage to befriend any bona fide monterossini and ask for a restaurant recommendation, they're likely to steer you away from the more high-profile waterfront restaurants and instead to this unassuming but always-busy locals' trattoria on a side street away from the madness of the harbor. There's nothing overtly extraordinary about this place, but locals know they can count on Oscar for solid, often excellent Ligurian homestyle fare (lots of seafood and local pastas) in a warm and friendly atmosphere. But what really sets Trattoria da Oscar apart is that it gives you a rare opportunity in the Cinque Terre to be (maybe) the only tourist in the establishment. (Yes, there are people who were born here and live here year-round, and they eat at places like Trattoria da Oscar!) Prices here are also significantly lower than in comparable Monterosso restaurants by the water, but note that wines are available by the bottle only, not by the quarter- or half-liter carafe available most casual Italian restaurants, so that can bring your bill up a little bit. As lively as it is, the dining room is rather plain, so for a meal amid more traditionally charming Italian surroundings, snag one of the handful of streetside tables.