Restaurants

Also don't miss out on the good food at the wine bar I Tre Merli.

Fast Food, Genoa Style -- Fast food is a Genovese specialty, and any number of storefronts all over the city disburse focaccia, the heavenly Ligurian flatbread often stuffed with cheese and topped with herbs, olives, onions, vegetables, or prosciutto. A favorite place for focaccia, and so close to Stazione Principe that you can stop in for a taste of this aromatic delicacy as soon as you step off the train, is La Focacceria di Teobaldo, Via Balbi 115r ([tel] 010-246-2294), open daily 8am to 8pm; focaccia starts at .50€ a slice.

Another Genovese favorite is farinata, a cross between a ravioli and a crepe made from chickpea flour that is stuffed with spinach and ricotta, lightly fried, and often topped with a cream-and-walnut sauce. Locals say this delicious concoction gets no better than it is at the two outlets of Antica Sciamada, Via Ravecca 19r ([tel] 010-280-843), and Via San Giorgio 14r, both open Monday through Saturday 9am to 7:30pm; prices from 3€.

Pastry & Gelato

Antica Pasticceria Gelateria Klainguti, on Piazza Soziglia 98r–100r ([tel] 010-247-4552), is considered to be Genoa’s best bakery, as well as its oldest—it was founded in 1828 by a Swiss family. One satisfied customer was the composer Giuseppe Verdi, who said the house’s Falstaff (a sweet brioche) was better than his. This and a stupefying assortment of other pastries and chocolates, as well as light snacks (including panini), are served in a pretty rococo-style room or in the piazza out front. It’s open daily 8am to 7pm.

Add Banarama, at Via San Vincenzo 65r ([tel] 010-581-130), to your explorations of the many food shops and markets in the neighborhood near Stazione Brignole. Is this the best gelato in Genoa? The jury is still out, but the creamy concoctions are indeed memorable. Just as good are the simple granites, shaved ice with fresh fruit flavorings. It’s open Monday to Saturday until 7:30pm. Just off the waterfront and near the fairgrounds, the simple, no-frills Cremeria Augusto, at Via Nino Bixio 5 ([tel] 010-591-884), is almost a mandatory stop when taking a stroll through this part of the city. The house makes dozens of flavors of rich, delicious gelato fresh daily, and it is marvelous, but the specialty is crema, a frozen egg custard. It’s open Sunday to Friday to 10pm.