The best restaurants Genoa

The restaurant's decor is well thought-out and the atmosphere refined without being pompous. After a successful experience with the Le Cicale restaurant in Santa Margherita, chef Matteo Costa and his wife Federica have opened this establishment a few steps from Piazza della Vittoria. The emphasis is on fresh, high-quality produce, from meat and fish to homemade pasta, bread and focaccia. Another address, Le Cicale in Albaro Bistrot, focuses more on the wine bar formula, perfect foraperitivo.

This friendly café-bar-restaurant, with its red brick walls (hence thename rossi), is a favorite meeting place for young Genoese at aperitif time, or for group dinners at the end of the school year. The atmosphere is youthful, and with good reason: a vast choice of pizzas to devour on large convivial tables, pastas, risottos, seafood, etc., as well as a fine cocktail menu. And don't forget the bar to round off the evening. Good value for money, in a neighborhood where interesting addresses are few and far between.

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.

On a small square at the junction of via Garibaldi and via Cairoli, right next to the Palazzo della Meridiana, an establishment that is both a tea room, a wine bar foraperitivo and a fine dining room for lunch and dinner. Depending on the time of day and the season, you can sit on the terrace, in the room with its large windows, in a second, more intimate space or upstairs for a cosy restaurant break. The semi-gastronomic table is renowned as is the wine list. Takeaway of great regional wines.

After the success of the two trattorie, one on the port and the other Vico della Maddalena, I Tre Merli is a few steps away from the romantic Spianata Castelletto. On the menu, typical recipes of the sponge tradition. Nice exterior for beautiful days.

At the foot of the Porta Soprana and the house of Christopher Columbus, this trattoria is just right! The entrance doesn't look like much, and yet the address defends itself well for a regional meal between two visits. The atmosphere is warm, just like the Ligurian cuisine. Among the specialities of the house, let's mention the streppe (variety of pasta) al pesto or the fish fillet and its accompaniment of small vegetables. There are also gluten-free menus and a good selection of wines and traditional beers.

A typical address in the Sarzano district: young, trendy, hipster and of high quality. As its name suggests, they eat toast, including sandwiches of toasted sandwich bread. Ideal for a snack in a contemporary setting.

Among the stalls under the arcades of Sottoripa, Il Gran Ristoro is a legendary address where you come to break bread with a succulent panino. There's a good chance you'll have to wait in line, as this is a very popular address with Genoese, but be patient for as long as it takes: the sandwiches, featuring cold meats, grilled vegetables, tasty sauces and cheeses, are incomparable. Enjoy them with a drink at one of the tables under the arcades, or on the harbor. Follow the advice of the owner, who will show you the best combinations.

On the corner of Via San Bernardo and Vico Vegetti, in the heart of Genoa's oldest district, this establishment has retained the atmosphere of yesteryear, with its checkered curtains and tablecloths. Here, you can discover old regional recipes such as lettuce stuffed with broth and tripe, or classic fried fish and spaghetti with pesto, but also more original recipes such as fried ravioli (a kind of fried pasta that's absolutely divine) or calf's liver in vinegar sauce, all accompanied by an excellent wine list.

On the détour of the old Genoa, a charming, charming square, easily recognisable as it overlooks a church. Nestled in a corner, the restaurant La Sosta degli artisti offers pizza and focaccie specialities and other Italian recipes. Young and casual clients. On summer evenings, you can enjoy dinner on the terrace with a beer or glass of wine.

Run by two brothers, Carmine and Antonio, this pretty seaside restaurant has become a favorite haunt of Sampdoria players. Famous for its fish dishes (try the delicious raw fish antipasti!), it offers recipes prepared with top-quality ingredients. In summer, service is on the terrace, with views of the Portofino promontory. Just 8 km west of Genoa, this is a good address for a beautiful escape from the city.

This small group of friends, young fishermen entrepreneurs, have opened a friendly bistro in the most picturesque corner of the Genoese Riviera. They serve only the products of their catch, sometimes lobster. Their boat is always "parked" on the pebble beach of Boccadasse. The place is small, but we're happy to wait with a fruity white wine and a variety of calamari and seafood. Our favorite is the fish pasta. Reasonable portions.

Elegantly, the restaurant is located at the end of the pontoon, this restaurant offers a fine wine list. Typical kitchen and specialities from the sea.

At the foot of the Porta Soprana towers, this is a historic address! Today, although Ania has taken up the torch from previous generations, the recipefor farinata remains the same. It's a Genoese specialty: a thin wafer fried in oil and made from chickpea flour, the equivalent of the socca of southern France's Nice region. As you can see, this is undoubtedly the best place to try it, or to eat it on the go! Specialties also include savory quiches, focaccia and fried foods.

Nestled on the heights of the city, facing the Aldo Acquarone park, this typical restaurant with a guinguette look is not lacking in charm! We like its retro look with its open-air terrace. In the summer, it's crowded and it's better to reserve. Indeed, the pizzas prepared here are delicious. But the must is the pinsa: an even more succulent preparation with quality ingredients. In a young and relaxed atmosphere, the idea is to devour several slices while sipping a beer. Traditional ice cream (homemade) to die for!

The city's umpteenth friggitoria is a takeaway cone of fried fish, but it's still a safe bet among all the lestakeaway places in the Aquarium district. The typical Genoese snack is available here in several variations. Depending on your tastes (and your budget), choose the type of fish that most appeals to you. From shrimp to anchovies, sardines, octopus or cod, you're spoilt for choice. There's even a vegetarian cornet and verrines of fish mousse to enjoy on the quayside. Fair prices and pleasant service.

A gourmet bakery, renowned for serving the best focaccia in Genoa. The area is quiet, not very touristy, close to the Museo Sant'Agostino, and it is mostly local people who use this place for their "daily bread". The shop windows are mouth-watering: the focaccia boards come out of the oven hot, leaving their fragrance to float down the street. The house specialty is focaccia alla genovese covered with pesto, potatoes and green beans. Some stools for tasting on the spot.

Elbow to elbow with your neighbour, on large tables covered with checked tablecloths, where they don't really bother to sweep up the crumbs before you arrive, you will eat a tasty Genoese cuisine, in a most authentic atmosphere. The same for 50 years. With its success and unbeatable prices (practically it will cost you less than eating at home), the establishment has let itself go a bit lately and the service is not as perfect as it once was. Good for a quick lunch.

Since 1954, the expanded bakery has remained a family business. From father to daughter, we pass the basics of the oven and how to make the best focaccia. Of course, there are also good bread, sandwiches, mini petits fours and pastries, pizzas in the cup, cold drinks.

One of the best pizzerie in Genoa, where the pizza is so wide that it is barely on the plate!

There are not many vegan restaurants in Genoa, so you shouldn't miss this address, which is not strictly vegan but which offers plenty of gourmet ideas with or without meat. The team at Guiditta prepares dishes based on cereals, legumes, cooked or raw vegetables. We like the soft polenta, the spinach quiches, the penne with pesto, the hummus with focaccia, the panzerotti with wild herbs and Taggiasca olives, without forgetting the meatballs in the cabbage leaf or the fried fish. With this, a glass of local wine!

In the yellow and brown tones, the Forneria extends to our great pleasure. With this good smell that comes out of the baker… you're like drawn inside! In the background of the store is a curious bread oven covered with copper plates. Here the Genoese come to buy their daily bread (to the various meals from natural manufacturing processes), gressins, parts of pizza and other focaccie of all kinds! Sweet and sweet treats (biscuits, pandolce) invade the two respective windows (bakery on one side, caterer on the other). As a bonus? A really light addition! A few steps from the eastern market (which also houses the second shop: La Forneria 2), a warm and authentic address overlooking Colombo Square.

For purists and fans of the genre, welcome to vegan and raw food heaven! Tripe and fried food are a long way off here. The canteen on the ground floor of a yoga centre perched on the pretty Salita della Tosse offers 100% organic dishes that are both healthy and tasty. Lasagne with pesto, basmati rice with coconut milk and Thai vegetables, tofu with sesame... A wide range of herbal teas with ayurvedic herbs, fresh juices and cold extracts, vegan cakes and biscuits and rigorously homemade bread. A pure place to meditate and relax.

Just a stone's throw from the old port and the aquarium, in the historic center, this restaurant offers a new concept in pizza: gourmet pizza. An idea that's proving increasingly successful, with the emphasis on taste and the quality of the 100% natural products used, resulting in an incomparable bread flavor, both soft and crunchy, the result of long natural rising and excellent preparation. A pizza that has been elevated to the level of a gourmet dish! Don't miss the excellent house cocktails at aperitif time!

Small restaurant located next to the aquarium on one of the harbor piers. A privileged position from which to enjoy the tranquility of the place, in the company of the boats and sailboats that always have an evocative effect. Just a few tables in the interior dining room and on the terrace confirm the intimacy of this address. This also allows the chef to carefully prepare dishes based on fish caught daily. A delicate, well-prepared cuisine that stands out for its aromas and flavors. Impeccable service and courtesy are the order of the day.

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.

Just a stone's throw from Piazza De Ferrari and the Palazzo Ducale, this small restaurant in a historic alleyway offers cuisine with a strong local flavour. Its recipes are as simple and tasty as tradition demands. The dishes are distinguished by the chef's savoir-faire, who successfully enhances the freshness of the raw materials, which change regularly according to the season. The place is warm and inviting, and in fine weather you can enjoy the terrace on Piazza Giacomo Matteotti in front of the Palazzo Ducale. What more could you ask for?

A refined place on the quayside of the old port, a stone's throw from the aquarium, to discover the tradition of Genoese cuisine in an atmosphere that's both simple and warm. A cuisine inspired by the past, where flavours remain faithful to their origins. The wood-fired oven bears witness to this, with succulent farinatas and cheese focaccias. The recipes, mainly based on the sea and the catch of the day, highlight the gastronomic and oenological specialties of Liguria. Not forgetting the possibility of a cocktail on the terrace on summer evenings...

Another 100% Genoese address, where pesto, fish and focaccia have had pride of place since 1912. However, there are a number of original dishes, such as pasta with chestnuts and goat's cheese with beans, which draw their inspiration from the repertoire of recipes from the Ligurian hinterland. A welcome change from seafood dishes... Plenty of market vegetables and, above all, meatballs of cabannina, that rare breed of beef unearthed by the meticulous owners. Fine regional wines. A very pleasant stopover in the Brignole station area.

An august, pink-fronted house that's been open since 1862. It's worth the trip, just 20 minutes from downtown, and smells of a Sunday family meal. The menu is classic but demanding, with an old-fashioned decor. Its homemade pesto has a fine reputation, as do the fried fish and grilled meats. A brand-new improvised Beer Garden just 5 minutes from the restaurant attracts night owls on summer nights.

An excellent address next to the Principe train station and just a few minutes from the port. Open daily for lunch and dinner, this family-run restaurant serves classic Genoese and Ligurian dishes. The decor is sober and discreet, but the portions are very generous for very reasonable prices, and the service is highly efficient and extremely friendly. The traditional focaccia stuffed with stracchino cheese is a delight, and the house white wine is light and sparkling (in moderation, of course!). Simple and faultless.

In the center, a few steps from Piazza De Ferrari and the Palazzo Ducale, Da Gibba offers a warm place in a historical building, the former cellar of a bank: fascinating! One of the specialties of the house is the pizza, with the particular elaboration of different doughs: classic, integral, multigrain and gluten-free with low yeast content... There is something for everyone. A cuisine that knows how to diversify thanks to the quality of its products. Don't miss the traditional focaccia with Recco cheese, and of course the farinata.

Discovering Genoa also means discovering good restaurants in the city's old streets, and Veracruz is one of them...: Mexico opens its doors to you! The friendly place is decorated in the warm colors of the country, and offers a menu of traditional Mexican dishes. There's no shortage of choice, and neither is there any shortage of quality. An excellent opportunity to discover this spicy cuisine, rich in aromas and flavors that speak to the soul of the country. A great way to spend an evening with a difference.

This small restaurant is located in one of the narrow streets of the historic center: it's not visible at first glance, but once you've found it, you'll enter a characteristic 2-room premises with warm colors and a warm welcome. The cuisine is essentially based on traditional Ligurian recipes. Simple and authentic, they highlight the freshness of the produce. The result: generous, tasty dishes. The wines offered go well with the menu. A simple, unpretentious address where you'll feel right at home.

The idea behind this restaurant opposite Renzo Piano's Il Bigo on the port? Accommodate all the recipes of Italian cuisine in the form of polpette, those little dumplings adored by children (and adults). There's something for everyone, from carnivores to vegetarians. Everything is very good and original, beautifully presented, with plenty of assortments to try. The welcome is very friendly and the desserts are truly extraordinary (special mention to the Sotto il Vulcano, a poached pear in a hot chocolate coulant with raspberry coulis...).

A restaurant that sets itself apart from the rest: traditional Ligurian gastronomy gives way to cuisine typical of Eastern European countries. It's a folkloric address that gets off the beaten track and puts the emphasis on the quality of its products. The best-known traditional dishes are on the menu, including goulash and bigos. From wine to beers to cocktail spirits, the origins are always Eastern European. The retro-style venue is warm and inviting. A good address for a convivial, different and unusual evening.

In one of Genoa's secret little alleys, which contribute so much to the city's immense charm, you'll find a tiny osteria serving top-quality dishes combining Ligurian tradition with the creativity of the mistress of the kitchen. The pasta is succulent and the desserts delicious. A fine list of regional wines. Please note that, due to the size of the place (8 tables, barely 20 covers), it is necessary to make a reservation or arrive when the restaurant opens at 7pm, in order to have a chance of dining there.

Situated opposite the Teatro della Tosse, this renowned restaurant offers top-quality Ligurian and Piedmontese cuisine using local produce. Its speciality? Atypical recipes: asparagus flan, octopus salad with bacon, Taggiasca olives, ginger mashed potatoes, ravioli filled with pesto and pine nut cream, squid ink rice with cheese and pepper and, last but not least, homemade génoise ice cream and espresso washed down with Amaro Camatti liqueur, a Genoa specialty. A landmark for audiences leaving the show.