Genoa has one of Italy's most distinctive food cultures, shaped by sailors, merchants and a steep, narrow coast with little farmland. The result is a cuisine of olive oil, herbs, vegetables, anchovies and flatbreads, simple in ingredients and brilliant in execution. Eating well here does not require a big budget, only curiosity and an appetite.
Focaccia for breakfast
Start with focaccia genovese, a soft, olive-oil rich flatbread dimpled and salted. Locals eat it in the morning with a cappuccino, which sounds odd until you try it. The bakeries of the old town, many of them family-run for generations, sell it by the slice, still warm. Variations include focaccia with onions, with olives or sage, and the famous focaccia col formaggio from nearby Recco, a thin crisp bread filled with soft fresh cheese.
Farinata and street food
Farinata is a thin pancake of chickpea flour, olive oil and water baked in a wood oven until the edges are crisp. It is eaten hot, with black pepper, and often shared. Fried specialities are everywhere, from panissa, a chickpea fritter, to cones of fried anchovies and calamari from friggitorie, the traditional frying shops. These are cheap, filling and tasty, and are a good way to eat lunch on the move.
Pesto and pasta
The city's best-known export is pesto genovese, made with small-leaved sweet basil, pine nuts, garlic, coarse salt, Parmigiano, pecorino and Ligurian olive oil. Traditionally it is crushed in a marble mortar, and served with trofie, short twisted pasta, or trenette, a flat noodle, often with potatoes and green beans. Other pasta dishes include pansoti, triangular filled pasta served with a creamy walnut sauce, and ravioli with meat or herb fillings. A cooking class is an excellent way to understand the dishes.
From the sea
The Ligurian coast supplies anchovies, sea bass, prawns, mussels and squid. Look for stuffed mussels, fried mixed seafood, stockfish prepared with tomatoes and olives, and the zuppa di pesce, fish soup. In Camogli and Santa Margherita, simple grilled fish and pasta with seafood are specialities. Prices are higher on the waterfront, so look a street or two back for better value.
Savoury tarts and meat
Torta pasqualina, an Easter pie of greens, eggs and ricotta, is eaten all year. Cima alla genovese is a stuffed veal breast served cold in slices, and a festive dish. Stuffed vegetables such as zucchini, onions and peppers appear on many menus. For something sweet, try pandolce, a dense fruit and pine-nut cake traditionally eaten at Christmas, and canestrelli, buttery flower-shaped biscuits.
Wine and drinks
Liguria produces small quantities of excellent wine. Vermentino and Pigato are crisp, aromatic whites that pair well with seafood and pesto. Rossese di Dolceacqua is a light red. A tasting of local wines gives a useful introduction. At aperitivo time, a spritz or a glass of white comes with small snacks. Coffee is taken standing at a bar, and you can add a pastry to the order.
Where to eat
In the old town, small trattorias, friggitorie and bakeries form the core of the food scene, and the market halls offer produce and street food. Along the Porto Antico and the waterfront, restaurants are convenient but more expensive. The best strategy is to ask a local guide or hotel receptionist for recommendations and to take a food tour on your first day. Many restaurants close on Sundays or Mondays, and kitchens close in the afternoon, so check hours.
Etiquette and tips
Lunch is usually served from noon to two thirty, and dinner starts around eight. A cover charge, coperto, is common and legal. Tipping is modest. If a menu looks tourist-oriented, with photos and many languages, look elsewhere. When in doubt, order what is on the blackboard, and ask for the local speciality.
A suggested food day
Begin with focaccia and cappuccino, snack on farinata mid-morning, enjoy pesto pasta at lunch, take an afternoon wine tasting, and finish with fresh seafood or a mixed fry at dinner. It sounds like a lot, but the portions are reasonable, and walking the hills of Genoa helps.
Dietary notes
Vegetarians will find plenty to eat, from focaccia and farinata to pesto pasta, stuffed vegetables and torta pasqualina, though broths and fillings sometimes include meat or anchovies, so ask. Gluten-free travellers should know that wheat and chickpea flour are central, but many restaurants now offer alternatives with notice. Shellfish allergies are worth flagging early at seafood restaurants.
