What to Eat in Genoa

Each region of Italy has its own cuisine. While there are some commonalities—like pizza, thank goodness—there are significant differences in what’s traditional and readily available on menus in different areas of the country. Liguria on Italy’s northwest coast and its capital, Genoa, have a cuisine that reflects the people’s history as mountaineers and sailors. Simple foods like wild herbs, fresh cheeses, vegetables, and fish started out as the food of the working people but have become sought-after staples of the Mediterranean diet. Here’s a look at some of the traditional foods we tried as we uncovered what to eat in Genoa.

Focaccia

Classic focaccia Genovese is a simple combination of soft and hard wheat flour, yeast, oil, water, and salt. But like most Italian foods, the simplest things are the best. Somehow, in Genoa, bakers can turn these basic ingredients into one of the tastiest Ligurian specialties. The most common and traditional versions are plain or topped with onions or olives.

I’ve always thought of focaccia as strictly an evening food—an appetizer at dinner like bruschetta. Unsurprisingly, I’ve been wrong. In Genoa, focaccia is often eaten at breakfast with coffee (best straight from the oven, of course), but it’s also common as an afternoon snack or as a replacement for other bread at dinner. We were lucky to grab some of the last slices of the day from Antico Forno della Casana in the historic center, and it was amazing.

Panissa

Dishes made from chickpea flour are common in Genoa. One very popular Genovese food is panissa. The mixture of chickpea flour, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper is slow-cooked and stirred into a thick paste. After it sets, it’s sliced and fried in olive oil. I expected it to be crispy on the outside and soft inside similar to French fries, but the type we tried was softer and topped with sautéed onions. While it was good, we weren’t racing back to have more.

Seafood

Thanks to its location on the Ligurian Coast, restaurants in Genoa feature lots of fish dishes, though they lean toward smaller fish rather than branzino or the incredible swordfish of Sicily. Acciughe (anchovies) are popular lightly fried and topped with sea salt, marinated in lemon juice and olive oil, in soups, or in just about any other preparation you can imagine.

Another snack is a local specialty known as friscieu. These fried batter balls filled with herbs and whitebait are common at aperitivo or from shops specializing in fried foods. While not a personal favorite, baccalà (salt cod) is super popular as is a basic fritto misto (mixed fried seafood). When it comes to fish, options are endless.

Aperitivo

The custom of aperitivo isn’t unique to Genoa, but this evening ritual is important to know about when you visit. For about the price of one drink, you get an adult beverage and help yourself to an assortment of heavy appetizers that are often enough to substitute for dinner. From about 6-9pm, most bars serve a variety of meats, cheeses, breads, and more, sometimes even including dessert.

In other Italian cities we’ve visited, you serve yourself, but in Genoa, we found a mix of self-serve buffets or set offerings delivered by a server—likely to dissuade people from eating way more than is covered by buying one drink. In general, though, you can continue to snack as long as you have a drink in your hand.

Pesto alla Genovese

The recipe for Genovese pesto is similar to any other pesto recipe, but it uses very specific ingredients—there’s no “parmesan” from a can here. It’s made from Genovese basil (the proper type comes from the district of Pra’), extra virgin olive oil from Liguria, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Sardinian pecorino cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and sea salt. It’s straightforward and utterly delicious.

Modo 21 boasts that it has some of the best pesto in town (and its many awards confirm that), so it seemed like the perfect place to try the dish. Our trofie al pesto (trofie is a short, twisted pasta) and lasagna al pesto could not have been better.

Pansoti with walnut sauce

Stuffed pasta with walnut sauce (pansoti con salsa di noci) is another local classic. Similar to ravioli, the pasta is stuffed with cheese and wild herbs like dandelion and purslane and is topped with a creamy sauce that includes walnuts, garlic, cheese, and milk. We particularly enjoyed it at Il Genovese.

Torte di verdure

If you can’t decide what to eat in Genoa, it’s almost impossible to go wrong with a torte di verdure (vegetable cake). Puff pastry shells are filled with fresh cheese, eggs, and aromatic herbs and spices. The vegetables inside change depending on the season but often include chard, spinach, artichokes, potato, onion, squash, or pumpkin.

The variety and simplicity of the tortes means they please just about everyone. We loved the spinach option at Cantine Matteotti, paired with one of their highly affordable wines.

Gelato

Because you can’t write about Italian food and not include gelato. Our favorites were the stracciatella (i.e., chocolate chip) and chocolate at La Cremeria delle Erbe. You know it’s good when there is a long line of locals waiting to sample what’s inside.