Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Pesto genovese is raw basil pounded in a marble mortar with garlic, coarse salt, pine nuts, Parmigiano, Fiore Sardo and Ligurian oil, the green sauce Genoa puts on trofie, trenette and minestrone.
Basil in Genoese pesto is documented only from the 1850s: Emanuele Rossi printed a pesto of garlic and basil in 1852, and Giovanni Battista Ratto's La cuciniera genovese of 1863 gave a version made with Dutch cheese, then common in the trading port. The Consorzio del Pesto Genovese now sets seven ingredients, from Basilico Genovese DOP to Fiore Sardo, and the Pesto World Championship brings mortars to Palazzo Ducale every other spring.
5 editor picks for Pesto genovese in Genoa, ranked by editorial score. All Genoa signature dishes · Pesto genovese across every city.
Trattoria Rosmarino, a Bib Gourmand trattoria a few steps from Piazza De Ferrari in Genoa, serves Ligurian dishes such as brandacujun and trofie al pesto.
OrderBrandacujun and trofie al pesto, the two dishes Michelin names first.
TipMichelin says booking well ahead is almost always essential; the restaurant's page also lists a WhatsApp number.
Toe Drue Antica Osteria in Sestri Ponente, Genoa, began as a shipyard workers' osteria in the early 1900s and serves cappon magro, pesto and fried panissa.
OrderCappon magro, home-made pesto, breaded anchovies or the fried panissa, all listed on the site.
TipThe lunch menu is two dishes from the blackboard for €28, cover and water included; it is not valid on public holidays.
Il Genovese on Via Galata in Genoa opened in 1912 as a farinata shop called Raggio and keeps its wood oven; the menu lists pansoti, frisceü and stoccafisso.
OrderPansoti with walnut sauce, or the stoccafisso accomodato alla genovese.
TipPhone bookings are taken from 10:00 on +39 010 869 2937; takeaway and delivery run daily from 11:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 22:30.
Le Cicale in Trattoria on Via Ruspoli in Genoa serves Ligurian home cooking such as ravioli al tocco, trofie al pesto and rabbit, with paper mats at lunch.
OrderRavioli al tocco (€13) or the cheese focaccia (€22, minimum two people), both on the site's menu.
TipThe site says lunch uses paper mats and dinner cloth ones; the trattoria is closed on Sunday.
Osteria Le Colonne in Piazza Invrea, 80 metres from Genoa's cathedral, serves mandilli al pesto, ravioli al tuccù and brandacujun at lunch and dinner daily.
OrderMandilli al pesto (€13.50) or the brandacujun with salsa verde (€12), both on the site.
TipThe site gives lunch from 12:15 to 14:30 and dinner from 19:15 to 22:30 every day, with a WhatsApp booking line.
Pesto genovese makes more sense with someone from Genoa explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
2 hours
Learn how to prepare pesto in a mortar, gnocchi, and tiramisu with Tiziana, a finalist in the world championship, in a historic palazzo in Genoa.
3h 30m
Make handmade potato gnocchi and Genoese pesto with a mortar in a family-run Ligurian shop, then enjoy brunch with 2 local wines in Genoa.
3 hours
Master the art of fresh pasta and authentic Ligurian pesto with a local expert. Enjoy your delicious handmade meal and local wines on a stunning rooftop overlooking th...
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