Food, Drinks & Traditional Dishes in Genoa

Forget any dry, thick bread you might have had elsewhere; the authentic local version is a completely different, transcendent experience. It is a relatively thin, incredibly soft, and slightly chewy flatbread characterised by its golden, crispy crust and deep dimples holding pools of rich, fruity extra virgin olive oil. A generous sprinkling of coarse sea salt adds the perfect savoury crunch to every bite. Locals treat it as an all-day staple, famously dipping strips of it into their morning cappuccino, eating it as a mid-morning snack, or using it to accompany an evening aperitivo. Eating it warm, straight out of the bakery oven, is an absolute must.

This vibrant, incredibly aromatic green sauce is the undisputed king of the city's culinary heritage. True local pesto is never cooked; it is a raw sauce traditionally pounded by hand in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle. The authentic recipe strictly requires local DOP sweet basil from the nearby Pra' district, garlic, pine nuts, coarse sea salt, a mix of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheeses, and high-quality Ligurian extra virgin olive oil. The result is a brilliantly fresh, creamy, and complex flavour profile that completely ruins you for the jarred supermarket versions. It is typically served tossed with local pasta shapes like trofie or trenette, often alongside boiled potatoes and green beans.

If pesto is the king of local sauces, then trofie is absolutely its most loyal and traditional companion. This unique, regional pasta consists of small, dense, hand-rolled twists of dough made simply from flour and water, without eggs. The slightly chewy texture and the tight spirals are perfectly engineered by generations of cooks to grip the oily, herbaceous pesto sauce, ensuring every single bite is completely coated. In a deeply traditional local preparation, the pasta is boiled in the same pot as diced potatoes and fresh green beans, creating a highly satisfying, starchy, and complete meal that defines the city's comfort food.

This incredibly simple yet highly addictive street food is a testament to the city's ancient, resourceful culinary traditions. It is a very thin, unleavened pancake made from a smooth batter of just chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt. Baked at blistering temperatures in large, shallow copper pans within wood-fired ovens, it develops a beautifully crispy, golden-brown crust while the interior remains incredibly soft and creamy. It is typically served hot, cut into irregular slices, and sprinkled with a generous dash of black pepper. Naturally vegan and gluten-free, it is a deeply satisfying, savoury snack that has been fuelling dockworkers and locals for centuries.

This rich, incredibly comforting dish is a brilliant showcase of the region's resourceful vegetarian cooking. Pansotti are plump, belly-shaped ravioli traditionally stuffed with 'preboggion', a specific mixture of wild, bitter foraging herbs collected from the surrounding hillsides, combined with a mild, fresh cheese called prescinsêua. They are bathed in a luxurious, creamy sauce made from crushed walnuts, garlic, olive oil, milk-soaked breadcrumbs, and parmesan. The slight bitterness of the wild herbs cuts perfectly through the sweet, rich nuttiness of the sauce. It is a highly traditional, celebratory dish that offers a totally different flavour profile than the more famous pesto.