Il Genovese is a small, cozy two-story spot that feels very local -- mostly locals eating here,…read morewhich is always a good sign. It's also an easy walk from the cruise port, making it perfect for a port-day meal. We had the gnocchi, which was really good -- soft, comforting, and full of flavor. For dessert, the fried sweet milk was such a treat and totally worth ordering. The complimentary bread was perfect too, which always sets the tone. The menu has lots of options, and prices for both food and wine are very reasonable. Simple, relaxed, and satisfying -- a great stop if you want good food without anything fancy or touristy.

Had some really stellar pesto here at the spot where Stanley Tucci came in Genoa and ate pesto…read more Despite this, it is not as touristy as you would imagine, as a matter of fact, 70% of the folks in the restaurant when we were there were Italian native speakers. The restaurant isn't fancy, but it is a local spot that does solid pesto and other dishes. You will get some pesto for your bread, but you should certainly get the trofie al pesto - it's really quite wonderful. By far the best dish we had. If you don't get pasta with pesto, then you're making a very silly decision. We got the fried cheese as an appetizer and then the Pansoti with salsa di noci - it was good, but not even close to the Trofie al Pesto. I realize Pansoti with walnut sauce is a traditional food of Liguria, and you should try it - but especially during the summer the pesto is just to die for! House wine was good. Service was as expected, prices were perfect!

Super cool vibe for a drink and a snack. Second floor of a palace building with cool jazz, a buzzy…read morevibe & good drinks served with complementary cheese topped focaccia. Restaurants open 7-7:30 in Genoa, I'd come here first - it opened at 6:30 the night we visited.

What a super cool find! As soon as you step into the building, you feel like you are in a museum,…read moreit continues as you go up the stairs, upstairs you are surrounded by art, and in the back left corner is where the restaurant is. Great cocktail selections! When you are on the inside, you still feel like you are in a museum! People are nice and service is excellent! Cocktails are great! If you are in Genova you must come here at least once if not twice!

We had four shared courses that were all delicious. Christoph' service was perfect. If you're…read morelooking for good tasty food, good atmosphere and great service this your place.

We ordered the 5 course Chef Surprise meal. Best meal we ever had. Each course was delicious and…read moreunique with excellent presentation. Wait staff was friendly and professional. When in Genoa you must stop here for dinner.

We found this cute little place while wandering Genoa 's labyrinth of walkways…read more The staff was friendly and helpful. Local Genoa favorites are here. We had the pesto gnocchi with clams, spaghetti alla vongole, and the daily catch fish, bronzino. All cooked with expertise and flavor. Excellent. We also had the house wine and an octopus appetizer, both very good. Pistachio tiramisu, and Nutella gelato were also delicious. This place is great.

Zefferino has the best pesto sauce. They've expanded with three new locations in 2024. Genoa is the…read morefirst and in my opinion most authentic. It's the longest running one! The service is superb and the staff is so friendly. Marco, the owner is so kind and welcoming. I recommend Zefferino's to anyone passing through Genoa or staying in Milan. It's about an hour and a half from Milan ans so worth the drive! You'll be pleasantly surprised with the charming atmosphere and wonderful pasta (Frank's pasta) and pesto lasagana style pasta split. It's the most popular way to try the two best dishes in the house. Enjoy and remember to order the tiramisu for dessert!

I always love a good pesto sauce with my pasta and this place really delivers. After a short boat…read moreride from Portofino Italy, I heard this place was known for their pesto, so, I decided to give it a try. After a brief history on how the restaurant prepares its pesto and a table side demonstration, I ordered the Troffie pasta with pesto. The pesto was buttery, light, creamy and had a hint of cheese that truly took it to another level. This family owned second generation restaurant is probably one of the best if not the best Italian eatery in Genoa Italy. The mushroom ravioli, which, accompanied the pasta was equally delicious. I'm told they just opened another restaurant in Monaco with locations now in Paris and Genoa. With that said, the fish dish was a bit disappointing. It was dry and lacked both flavor and seasoning. However, the vegetables were tasty, but couldn't save the overall flavor of the dish. I would definitely come back for the pesto and the customer service experience should I return to Genoa.

We are guests in the Grand Hotel for three nights starting May 1. This restaurant is part of the…read morehotel. We entered the restaurant and asked the man who was at the front desk if we could dine there even though we did not have a booking. He asked if we were staying in the Grand Hotel and we said "yes." He then asked for our room number and told us we could get a table for dinner. He escorted us to a table in the back of the restaurant. The chair I was sitting in had a clear view of the entire room. We placed our order for a bottle of wine. When one of the females brought our wine to open and pour, I noticed the man and another female at the front desk looking at us, talking and grinning. It seemed odd. I wondered if our wine server was new, and whether or not they were watching her. I actually told her "They are watching you." Unfortunately, it did not take me long to realize all three restaurant staff members would stand at the front desk, look back at people who were dining in the restaurant, talk, and laugh among themselves. It seemed to me they were more concerned with gossiping and making fun of those who had come to dine than actually SERVING us and inquiring as to our satisfaction with our meal. Once I realized what they were doing, it was impossible to NOT see it. At no point did anyone come to our table to refill our wine glasses with wine. That is how "hands off" they were. When we finished our pasta, one of the females tried to bring us a dessert menu. I nodded my head "no." The next thing I knew, the man came over and asked if we wanted dessert. I said in a loud voice "no." We paid our bill and left, my frustration was clearly visible to the staff as we exited the restaurant. Yesterday morning, I noticed on another website that one week ago two people posted reviews complaining about similar non-service at this same restaurant. One said his fish was over cooked, but since no one came to see how it was, he didn't get a chance to ask that his fish be cooked properly. In short, we have spent approximately two weeks traveling in Italy, staying at Hilton boutique hotels in Milan and Venice, and we have received excellent service when dining at those hotels. This experience as detailed above was the first time we encountered such rude staff. Photos are attached of the rude staff.

we were staying in the hotel next-door and decided to go to that restaurant, which is also part…read moreowned by the hotel. I must say it it was a very good choice. They have a daily dinner special, 25€which was very good value. It came with prim del glorno swordfish with salad, with-choice any side you wanted dessert of your choice had warm chocolate cake, very good and coffee or tea Also order gnocchi Al pesto' staff was very nice little problem with the language barrier, but we both tried and made it work. Cute little Trattoria like the old Trattoria used to be !!this is a place if you're in the area you should definitely try.

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.

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.)