Where to Eat in Genoa

Bold, distinctive flavours, the scent of the sea mingled with wild herbs, and a fascinating blend of cultures and ethnicities: this is the very essence of Ligurian cuisine. On a trip to Genoa, you’ll discover plenty of delicious recipes worth trying!

Fair warning, though. Genoa is a city where eating doesn’t always mean sitting down at a table, as many of its most famous specialities are enjoyed on the go – wandering through the narrow alleys or along the waterfront, grabbed quickly from a fryer near the old port or after queuing at a hidden focaccia bakery tucked away in the centre’s maze-like caruggi streets.

You need to know where to look for these culinary gems known only to locals. Our complete guide to where to eat in Genoa takes you to the best traditional restaurants and top street food spots: the perfect places to experience authentic Ligurian cuisine.

We’ve also included a selection of upmarket restaurants for discerning diners after something more refined, plus pastry shops and gelateries for a sweet treat, and pizzerias for anyone who can’t resist our national dish.

Street food in Genoa

Genoa rivals Palermo as Italy’s street food capital. Genoese street food specialities are perfect for quieting hunger or grabbing a quick, affordable meal without compromising on taste.

Focaccia genovese or fügássa is a true institution, though describing the original recipe is impossible – everyone has their own version, and the debate over which bakery makes the best focaccia will never reach consensus. What everyone does agree on is that focaccia differs from a white pizza thanks to an extra rise in the tray, which makes it crispy outside and soft inside.

The question of how oily a focaccia should be is another matter of endless disagreement, but one thing’s certain: olive oil is an essential ingredient – roughly the focaccia equivalent of tomato on pizza.

Farinata genovese or fainè is the other Ligurian street food essential not to miss. Born as peasant food – simple to make and inexpensive – it’s now a genuine delicacy; in restaurants it’s served as an appetiser (rarely as a main course), but it’s far more common to eat it on the street. Some people even dip it in coffee!

The basic ingredients are water, oil and chickpea flour, traditionally cooked in a zinc-coated copper tray. The result? A thin chickpea savoury cake with a golden, crispy crust that disappears in seconds.

Other typical chickpea flour snacks include panissa, fried panissa and genoese cuculli.

The third essential element of Genoese street food is fried fish, typically served in a cone-shaped paper. Light, crispy and never too oily, authentic Genoese fried fish should always be accompanied by a good glass of white wine. The fryers in the Sottoripa area, right facing the sea, are legendary – absolutely not to be missed!

Hunting for the city’s best focaccia bakery, fryer or takeaway trattoria is one of the most fun (and 100% authentic!) experiences to have while holidaying in Genoa.

If you’d rather not spend time searching, you can join a street food tour or head straight to the spots we recommend below.

Genoa’s best focaccia bakeries

• Antico Forno della Casana1: a historic bakery where many Genoese believe the best focaccia in the city is made. It has a second location on via Luccoli.
• Antico Forno Patrone2: open since 1961, the focaccia is excellent, but do try the pizza too.
• Panificio Mario3: well-known and loved by locals, this popular spot is always packed, so you’re practically guaranteed to get a hot, freshly baked focaccia.
• Panificio Le bontà del grano4: the most affordable among Genoa’s best focaccia bakeries. Located just a stone’s throw from Genova Principe train station.

Genoa’s best fish fryers

• Friggitoria Carega5: a historic spot hidden beneath the porticos of Sottoripa, in the Old Port. In an ancient coal-fired kitchen, they fry salt cod, squid, anchovies and specialities such as panissette and frisceu.
• Friggitoria San Giorgio6: another Old Port institution. You’ll find it on a corner across from the Aquarium. The speciality is triple-fried panissa.
• Fish'n Street7: an informal spot serving fried dishes and other fresh seafood, strictly from the day’s catch. The ingredients come from the historic Conti Fishmonger at the Oriental Market.

Genoa’s best sandwich shops and takeaway trattorie

• Gran Ristoro8: a historic deli offering over 150 types of sandwiches. At lunch time the queue is always enormous, but don’t give up – it’s worth the wait.
• Ristorante tipico Zimino9: a very bare-bones takeaway with vividly yellow walls. Specialising in humble traditional dishes such as squid in tomato sauce, fish soups and stockfish casserole.
• Antica Sciamadda10: a dependable choice, this historic spot serves quality Ligurian street food.

Traditional Ligurian dishes

Prefer a sit-down meal to a quick snack? In that case, best not to be in a rush, as traditional Ligurian cuisine is brimming with tasty dishes to be savoured slowly.

The most famous ingredient in authentic Genoese cooking is pesto, a sauce made from basil, salt, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano and olive oil that’s become one of Italy’s culinary symbols worldwide. In the original recipe, the ingredients are pounded in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle.

Traditionally, pesto is used to dress trofie, a distinctive Ligurian pasta shaped into long, thin strands. Trofie with pesto is the first course you’ll find on every traditional Genoese restaurant menu.

Another pasta dish to try is pansotti, a vegetable-filled pasta similar to ravioli but without meat. The classic version to try is pansotti with walnut sauce.

Among Ligurian seafood dishes, brandacujùn is worth trying – a main course of stockfish or salt cod with potatoes. Originally from the Ponente Riviera, it’s fairly easy to find in Genoa too.

For meat lovers, look for a restaurant offering cima ripiena or rabbit Ligurian-style.

Cima ripiena is a complex and decidedly rich dish that even the folk singer De André dedicated a song to. It’s a pocket of veal stuffed in various ways (common ingredients include eggs, brains, white bread, cheese, peas and pine nuts) and boiled. Due to its elaborate preparation, it’s reserved for special occasions.

Rabbit Ligurian-style comes in several variations, but the recipe generally involves rabbit meat seasoned with aromatic herbs, wine, pine nuts and olives (naturally taggiasca olives – the prized Ligurian variety!).

We’ve reached dessert. The best-known Ligurian sweets are canestrelli, Alassio kisses, Rapallo gobeletti and Genoese pandolce.

Where to eat in Genoa – best restaurants

Most of the best places to eat in Genoa are tucked away in the narrow caruggi of the centre, sometimes in areas that travel guides shy away from, making them tricky to locate if you’re only staying briefly. Don’t overlook the neighbourhoods near the centre – you’ll find excellent restaurants there too.

Follow our recommendations: we’ve selected the best restaurants in Genoa for you, from budget-friendly to luxury, plus the finest pizzerias, pastry shops and gelateries. There’s an option for every appetite, from a light snack to a hearty meal, and for every budget!

Traditional restaurants and trattorie

Genoa is full of small eateries serving the classics of Ligurian culinary tradition at modest prices: trattorie, wine bars with food, inns and unpretentious traditional restaurants with a casual atmosphere. Sometimes the owners can be a bit gruff, and you might have to wait quite a while, but that’s all part of the authentic experience.

Upmarket restaurants and creative cuisine

Pizzerias

If you can’t go on holiday without pizza, note down the addresses of Genoa’s best pizzerias.

Pastry shops

Genoa seems to favour savoury over sweet, but the city does have excellent pastry shops perfect for breakfast or an indulgent snack.

Ice cream parlours

Genoa’s gelato isn’t famous? Think again: this city is actually home to some of Italy’s finest ice cream parlours.