Where to eat in Liguria

Some Notes

How I rate the restaurants

Food, service and location are the main factors I consider, while the price influences my expectations

The Restaurants are in order of my preference.
I haven't tried every restaurant in the list, but if I have, there is a brief description of my experience and an overall Rating.

The votes are, obviously, coherent with the price I paid: I don't expect to have a Michelin-Starred dinner paying 30 euros.

My top Recommendations

If you're in Liguria, here are the restaurants you should not miss

If you're in Genoa:

  • Dinner: Capo Santa Chiara, Osteria le Colonne, Fra Diavolo
  • Lunch: Strakkino, Masetto, If you're staying in Genoa and you like fine dining, I absolutely recommend you Capo Santa Chiara!
  • Snack: Ice Cream at Fruit&Ice Factory, Via San Lorenzo (it's the most coloured one, you can't miss it)

If you're in Cinque Terre:

  • Dinner: La Regina di Manarola
  • Aperitivo: Nessun Dorma Cinque Terre
  • Lunch: Fooderia Manarola

Eastern Liguria

Cinque Terre

Manarola

My favourite of the five

  • Nessun Dorma 5 Terre, 7.5/10
    • Great aperitivi with a wonderful view of Manarola
    • It is closed during winter season and could close if there are bad weather conditions, so check on their Instagram profile
    • Warning: to book, you have to download the app and do a "virtual" cue
  • La Regina di Manarola, 8.5/10
    • Really good seafood and nice pizzas (didn't try them, though). Try the Lemon Pie as a dessert!
    • Spectacular view of Manarola if you eat on the terrace (only during late Spring/Summer)
    • Book ahead of time on their website
  • Fooderia Manarola, 8/10
    • Located near in the street that goes down Manarola
    • Perfect for lunch, their specialties are Seafood Panini! You have to try their Octopus Panino
    • Check on their Instagram Page to see if they're open

Monterosso

Since it has a flat structure, you won't find great locations here

  • Ristorante Miky, 7/10
    • Located in the center of Monterosso
    • Good food, although a bit pricey

Other Places in Eastern Liguria

La Spezia

If you have a car, this could be a great escape

  • Officina del Cibo, 8.5/10
    • Located in Sarzana, a bit outside La Spezia; you can only get there by car
    • One of the best pizzas in Italy, according to Top50 Italy
    • They offer a Tasting Menu where they let you taste all their dough mixes
    • The various doughs are really good and they also like to experiment a lot with the ligurian typical products
    • Tasting Menu: 25 (2022)

Chiavari

Camogli

If you want to try the Focaccia al Formaggio di Recco, this is the place

  • Dai Muagetti
    • Perfect for Aperitivi
  • Honorable Mention: Revello
    • Historical Focacceria (bakery that only makes bread in Liguria = focacceria) in the center of Camogli
    • If you want to try Focaccia or Focaccia al Formaggio, this is the place!
    • Note on why you should prefer this focacceria: while all the others make all the focaccia at the beginning of the morning, Revello keeps cooking it all day: this way, you will almost always eat warm focaccia (focaccia becomes chewy after just a few hours)
    • Advice: if they ask you if you want to wait for the next batch (and they often do), please SAY YES! ahah
View of the harbour from the main Square of Portofino

Genova

Fine Dining

If you want to have a dinner you'll remember

  • Capo Santa Chiara, 9/10
    • Located in Boccadasse, one of the most famous locations in Genoa. During the summer you can eat on the terrace, and enjoy a beatiful view!
    • One of my favourite restaurants in town!
    • Mainly seafood, extravagant cuisine and a very competent chef
    • Tasting Menu: 125
  • Not recommended
    • The Cook: Michelin Starred, the food is average and the service is most of the time delusional
    • Ristorante San Giorgio: the menu is sub-average for a Michelin Starred Restaurant. The location is average.

Restaurants

Average Priced Restaurants

  • Osteria le Colonne, 7.5/10
    • Good food at a good price
    • Modern cuisine
  • Ristorante 20Tre, 7/10
    • Good food, even though some dishes are not that well thought
    • A bit pricey for what it offers
    • Try the Cappon Magro!
  • Oosteria, 5/10
    • Not recommended. It is in a square which is very noisy and crowded, and the food is not that good
  • La locanda in centro

Pizza

Here, it really depends on your dough preference

  • Strakkino, 8/10
    • Pizza Type: Gourmet
    • Pizza made with a dough crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, really good if you want to try something different!
    • Try the one with the pesto!
  • Gino Sorbillo, 7.5/10
    • Pizza type: Neapolitan
    • Really good neapolitan sourdough pizza
    • They don't accept reservations, so you'll have to wait
  • Fra Diavolo, 7/10
    • Pizza Type: Canotto
    • The best Pizza Canotto in town: big, airy crust and extravagant dressings
    • Try their pizza with charcoal dough!
    • However, their quality has been declining
  • Pizzeria Egizio, 7/10
    • Pizza type: Roman (thin and crunchy)
    • Located in Quinto (a city on the sea about 20min from the center of Genoa)
    • Thin Pizza
    • Warning: Book ahead of time!

Hamburger

Please, do not go to McDonalds.

  • Masetto, 8.5/10
    • IMO the best burger in town
    • Great cow meat and bun: go with a classic and order the Masetto Menu!
    • There's no place to eat inside, so my advice is to take it away and eat it in Giardini Luzzati, about a 5min walk
    • Advice: if you want to skip the queue (usually 30min), just call an hour before and they will gladly prepare your order in advance!
  • Rooster, 7.5/10
    • Really good chicken burgers
    • If you feel adventourous, try the Monthly Special!
    • There are two Locations, one in Piazza De Ferrari and one in Via Cesarea: if you want to sit, in Via Cesarea there's plenty more space!

Andrea Franceschini @ 2022