What to eat in Genoa
Pesto is Genoese, focaccia is bought by weight in nearly every bakery, and farinata, a chickpea flatbread, comes out of a wood-fired oven.
- Trofie with pesto
- €10–15 (a portion)
- Focaccia
- €9.99 (1 kg)
- Farinata
- €14 (1 kg), by weight
Trofie with pesto is the Genoese dish. Short twisted pasta goes into a pesto of basil, pine nuts and parmesan, €10–15 (a portion). With it come focaccia by weight, €9.99 (1 kg), and farinata, a chickpea flatbread from a wood-fired oven, €14 (1 kg). Both are paid for by weight.
The original dish
Pesto is made of basil, Genoese parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil, ground in a mortar, and it coats short twisted pasta. A portion runs €10–15 (a portion).
A stop on the move
Thick, oil-soaked focaccia is sold by weight in nearly every bakery in the city, €9.99 (1 kg). It slots in between two sights easily, in a piece that fits in one hand.
A chickpea flatbread
A thin batter of chickpea flour, water and oil is baked in a wood-fired oven. It is sold by weight, €14 (1 kg), and the seller cuts it to order.
A market and something sweet
The Mercato Orientale is a covered market in the former Sant'Andrea monastery, right in the old town. It is closed Sunday, and entry is free. For something sweet there is pandolce, €9.99 (500 g).
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Where does pesto come from?
Genoa. The original is eaten with trofie.
How is focaccia or farinata sold?
By weight. The seller cuts the amount you ask for, so it is not ordered by the piece.
Ready for Genoa?
Where to next
The best time to visit Genoa
→Spring and early autumn keep the warmth without the summer crowds on the riviera. The Lanterna is not open…
Cinque Terre · 63 km
→Five villages on cliffs above the Ligurian Sea, linked by train, footpaths and boat
How well does Genoa suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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