The best Italian pizzerias and restaurants Liguria

Dining by the pool or on the terrace, barbecuing in summer or sampling fresh fish dishes (seafood platters, crudités, grilled fish, fresh pasta, homemade focaccia...), the options here are many! The restaurant also offers interesting formulas with complete meals or dishes of the day with a glass of wine and dessert. In July and August, for weekends only, you can enjoy lunch with seafood sandwiches (e.g. with burrata and salted anchovies), salads or fried fish.

You have to climb to the very top of the village to discover this Manarola address, opened in 2016. But it's worth it. The food is impeccable and the service is fast, just the thing for those who want to go hiking in the Cinque Terre afterwards. To try the cappun magru, remember to call in the morning to reserve a portion! And for those who don't know, it's a Genoese specialty: a sort of vegetable and fish terrine, topped with a parsley sauce. Delicious, and worth trying at least once!

Located on the charming little croisette, the restaurant's seafront position offers an elegant, privileged setting, and its terrace lets you take full advantage of the romanticism of the place. The restaurant's cuisine highlights the freshness of its produce while respecting culinary tradition. The specialities on offer, typically Ligurian, are based on the catch of the day, with grilled and fried meats, where the balance of aromas and flavours is the strong point. And let's not forget the homemade pasta and cakes. It's hard not to be tempted!

A business tradition that goes back a long way: a former carriage and horse depot, then a wine cellar for aperitifs, and finally today's restaurant. Il Cadraio is one of the city's most popular restaurants, a warm, family-run place offering simple, authentic dishes typical of Liguria and Genoa, enriched by more refined dishes that are always faithful to tradition. One of the house specialties is cappon magro. Centrally located, the restaurant is welcoming and friendly. Excellent service.

Among Portofino's overpriced restaurants - which aren't always up to scratch, by the way - here's a place where not only are prices a little more affordable and the regional cuisine tasty, but you'll also have the chance to meet real Italians, not just tourists. You're guaranteed a good meal in the town of the stars, with simple yet tasty dishes in perfect position on the piazzetta. Octopus salad, fried anchovies, mussels marinara, pesto lasagne, grilled fish and homemade pies.

Santa Margherita's oldest brasserie, open since 1910, has managed to retain its identity and stand up to the trendy establishments in the area. Well-known for its rich menu and variety of dishes. Its cuisine is based on regional tradition, with a few Italian classics and an interpretation of authentic recipes, using local produce to ensure the quality and freshness of the raw materials. The wine list complements the dishes on offer, and the friendly atmosphere makes for an enjoyable dining experience.

One: you can't miss it, the name is written in big letters on the façade. Two: the place is idyllic, whether you are on the terrace or in the panoramic room; the view of the turquoise sea, the abbey and the Doria tower is such that you forget everything! Inside, you will find a decoration where marine elements (shells, anchor, fish) are omnipresent. And in the plate, a local and family cooking (transmitted from mother to son!) based on fish. The pesce alla ligure is simply divine as well as the lasagne al pesto.

A charming address ideally located in the historic center of Portovenere. Authentic wooden interior. Family-style cooking for typically local dishes such as warm octopus salad or chickpea and bean soup. Of course, the menu focuses mainly on seafood products, which are sold in ultra-short circuits! Everything is beautiful and tasty, and the service is more than pleasant. In short, this is a highly recommended restaurant!

Set in an ancient palazzo in the heart of the historic center, the elegant dining room of this restaurant, decorated with frescoes by Bernard Strozzi, is truly magnificent. The table is set with care, and the gourmet cuisine is orchestrated by chef Ivano Ricchebono, who has been awarded a well-deserved 1 Michelin Star. His cuisine draws its inspiration from the sea and the land, for an explosion of aromas and flavors. The dishes are a thing of beauty. Great art! A culinary experience rich in emotion.

If you're in the mood for a traditional Genoese meal, among all those modern bistros on Via Ravecca, step into this tiny, yellow-painted restaurant. FYI: Zena is the Genoese dialect name for Genoa. Farinata, ravioli, fish, and the classic trofie with green pesto, everything is prepared in the simplest of ways. A very friendly family atmosphere, where French is spoken. Prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious. Places are scarce, but it's well worth the wait!

This ultra-trendy restaurant chain promises elegance and refinement in the heart of the plate! Just a stone's throw from the port of Genoa, a chic address in the centro storico, with a rather refined black and white design decor. On the menu, sea products worked like gems: scallops, fettuccine with langoustines, fresh fish of the day and, for dessert, a delicious frozen pear to fall in love with! Indeed, the fruit is covered with spicy chocolate... Pleasant terrace, quickly crowded in summer.

Just outside the Vernazza train station, this pretty little address on the coast offers traditional Italian and Mediterranean street-food recipes. Particular attention is paid to the choice of raw materials, especially for the preparation of fritto misto (fried fish, shellfish, seafood and vegetables, all served in a cone) and the various pizzas. You can eat in or take away to enjoy the sea. Professional, friendly team.

A few steps from the Porto antico, this is an address that accurately recited the best of Neapolitan cuisine in a family atmosphere. In cooking Carlo caters his fish dishes, always ultra-fresh, while in the room, under the vaults of this historic room, Chiara will help you choose among the few 200 wine labels that account in the cellar of the house.

The Il Marin restaurant, overlooking the Darse on the top floor of Eataly, not only offers a magnificent view of the old port. The cuisine on offer is refined, meticulously prepared using fresh local produce. Service is impeccable. Let us advise you on the catch of the day and follow chef Marco Visciola in his creations. Ligurian gastronomy is reinterpreted with great skill. A refined setting for those seeking a high-level gastronomic experience.

A 16th century room with a high vaulted ceiling, wooden tables lit by candlelight and a renowned cuisine make this restaurant a sought-after address in town. Among the house's specialities, tasty recipes such as octopus carpaccio, tagliatelle with lamb juice and pork or salmon skewers, but above all grilled labelled red meat (impressive beef steak!). Le Tiflis is also a pizzeria and a wine bar popular with Genoese youth for its pleasant summer terrace.

In an admirable historic setting, a local cuisine that has never disappointed its customers since 1907. Here, we eat like fishermen at the turn of the century: minestrone, pasta e fagioli (pasta with beans) and a piece of farinata cooked over an olive wood fire... Desserts include the succulent torta Luchin made with chestnut flour. Typical Genoese dishes, simple and tasty as we like them. And, what's more, they produce their own wine! An osteria to discover in Chiavari.

One hundred years old and still popular with locals and tourists alike. Since Madame Pia opened her store in 1887, the pizzeria has never been empty! The specialty here is a slice of pizza and a slice of farinata on the same plate. Quite a hearty meal! Alternatively, you can order antipasti, pizette(round pizzas that fit on a small plate), focacce with cheese, chestnut cream or Nutella! The management has opened other establishments in La Spezia, one in Sarzana, one in Monterosso and one... in London.

In a pleasant setting to eat, especially in the pretty garden where flowers and herbs grow, you are in the hinterland, far from the hustle and bustle of the coast. This restaurant strives to rethink traditional regional cuisine with inventiveness. Hearty soups, the flavors of the mountain willingly mixed with the products of the sea, fresh pasta, tasty gratins, vegetarian dishes. Very good desserts. Prices are a bit high but within the average for this part of the Ligurian coast that is so touristy.