Oh my lord, this is the best pesto pasta I've ever had. The texture? Perfectly al dente. The sauce?…read moreEarthy, nutty, smooth, and creamy all in one. I regret not ordering a second serving. We also tried their special of the day which translated to "nut pasta" but essentially was a cacio e pepe with pine nuts, amazing, but can not compare to the pesto pasta. If you come here, expect a wait because this place is loved by tourists and locals. I'd recommend any pasta dish because it's all homemade and seasoned so well. Their other offerings are average, nothing to note as a recommendation.

If you happen to be staying someplace outside of Genoa's historical district, you might feel…read moreslightly unsafe walking through the graffiti covered alleys and streets that you'll have to navigate to get to Trattoria Ugo, but don't be decived by appearances - the area is actually quite safe, and there are quite a number of well-hidden but excellent restaurants. Trattoria Ugo is a completely legit and ultra-authentic eatery with a clientele that's more than 90 precent locals - that's how good the food is! The food here is nothing short of amazing and the portion sizes are so generous that it's almost impossible to go away hungry :-) Everything on the menu is wonderful, but I highly recommend the pasta with pesto. There's also a surprisingly broad wine list, and their house wine is very good, and really inexpensive - it pairs very nicely with the pesto. Water (both sparlking and still) is complimentary, and the service is outstanding - you'll have an incredible meal here! Tip: The portion sizes being as large as they are, I strongly suggest you pick either one primo or one secondo; if you get both it will be very difficult to finish.

Enjoyed the views of the harbor great beer, and great food had a seafood pizza great service,…read morefriendly atmosphere

Arrived 30 min before lunch ended (no reservations) on a weekday, and the waiter graciously…read moresqueezed our party of 3 in. A few individuals came around 10 min later, and were turned away. However, some opted to be added to the dinner reservation list. The restaurant is very busy, and waitstaff are bustling around. There was a sizable lunch group, so they can accommodate large groups. Everything we had was delicious. They are part of the "slow food" movement, and the dedication showed in their food. We ordered: Lasagna - I've never had a lasagna like this. Very, VERY thin sheets of pasta supporting layers of tomato and pesto sauce. The portion size was on the smaller side. Fantastic. Pesto - When in Genoa, you must try pesto! Perfectly al dente tossed in a vibrant and fresh pesto sauce. Seafood pasta - special of the day ~ I think this had mussels and local veggies, was pretty good. Fish + potato - This was a toss-up, but a unique (at least to us) combination. Fish flesh is mixed with mashed potatoes. Prominent fish flavor and heavy on the tongue, likely due to fat/flavor added to the potatoes. Finished with a dessert (pine nut cake) that we honestly could have done without. Highly recommend the lasagna and pesto.

Our party of 5 had a reservation which they asked for when we walked in, even tho we were early and…read morethe restaurant was empty. The menu is printed in Italian on one page and English on the other sinus easy to follow We ordered the burrata salad made from heirloom tomatoes and it was delicious with oil and balsamic vinegar. The soup had mixed reviews: one of us loved it while the other didn't. The eggplant Parmesan was flavorful as was the lasagne bolognese. Vermentino wine and house red were very drinkable. Service was excellent.

We had the ravioli for an antipasto. It was creamy and crispy. For mains it was the seafood…read morespaghetti and veal with a panko coating. Both were well prepared and fresh tasting. The team of servers works really hard and seemed to be delivering food hot and ready. They accommodated English speakers who spoke limited Italian. This was helpful. All together it was very good.

Great place that we came across. Glad we did because food was fantastic! Great service and huge…read moreportions...all for a very good price. Super close from cruise ship terminal too!

It's bustling. It's packed. It's FRENETIC! It's atmospheric. It's good. It's cheap. Down a stair…read morestreet vicolo in the old town near Stazione Principe. I ate there two nights in a row. Had the same thing: gnocchi al pesto, insalata mista, and a half liter of sparkling water (it amusingly actually said "sparkling " on the bottle, not "frizzante"). The coperto is €1.5, but Mario (there really is a Mario) rounded down to 10 even. Great place. (P.S. An old menu was still posted outside. And the bread was not fresh one night, but fine the other. But I still give 'em 5 stars.)

We took a pesto making class here and it was so much fun! I think we also talked to the owner; he…read morewas hilarious, super personable and a genuinely cool guy.

The food here is amazing, the services was just about perfect, if there were less tourists like me…read morethe service would probably be perfect, there were just too many people, so they would lag a bit (2-3min) with things we would ask for but the food itself and the friendliness of the servers was outstanding given the amount if people there. The ambiance there was very friendly. The pastas were some of the best I've had across Italy, and the the calamari was pretty good, as for the fish I liked it even though I'm a bit skittish of eating fish this way. i would recommend this redtaurant for anyone visiting. Maybe not the gold bier but the blond they have (8 ball) is pretty good.

The food was amazing. Great service. Great location, right across from the bay. I highly recommend…read moretrying this place out.

Great selection of not only pasta but other dishes like grilled fish, vegetables, focaccia, etc…read more and food was delicious. Fast, friendly service. It's tucked away in an alley but still very close to the main drag. Such a hidden gem. And prices are very reasonable.

This is exactly what you want for food in Genova. The staff was great. They helped us with…read morepicking our selection. The fried appetizer of fish and veggies was perfect. The specials were on point and everything went well.... Perfect portions especially for such a heavy day of walking... Dining alfresco in front of the museum made the atmosphere. Simple ingredients prepared in a simple manner and served correctly..

This is a wonderful restaurant. The atmosphere is incredible, wait staff very pleasant and food…read moredivine. Sadly, my wife and I speak no Italian but the wait staff speak English so ordering was easy. Our starter was a platter of combined torta d'herbe on fresh greens. I had a regional dish of handmade wide noodles with pesto and my wife had a pasta with calm dish. Dessert was a chocolate mousse (do not know name) with crumbles and a sprig of basil. Wonderful experience

Found this tiny place in an alley by accident while on a tour. Great pasta! I had the bolognese…read moresauce - surprisingly light and intensely flavorful. My wife had the pomodoro - same. The place has a welcoming family feeling and warmly greeted several folks like old friends ( as well as us) while we were there. It's just a few steps from the big restaurants near the dock area, so try it. Best meal we had while in Italy, even though it's unassuming and not "high end".

A nice trattoria off the touristy beaten path located in an alleyway. What a refreshing find. Most…read morerestaurants in SML are not reviewed too much as many Yelpers have not been to the area. My bro & I were promptly seated w/o a reservation. Reservations are not stressed too much unless you're dining in exclusivity. We split an octopus salad with softened potatoes and parsley, excellent, 12€. I ordered Bronzino alla Genovese with pine nuts, and olives. Excellent +. 18,50€. Staff was very friendly and spoke English quite well. The nicest restaurant we've been to in three days here in SML.