Genoa can now be reached by budget airline and I would recommend going before too many people discover it. For some reason it has a bit of a bad reputation as a run down port city not a bit of it. The port area has been re-generated with the second biggest aquarium in Europe, and the old part has some of the most fabulous palazzos and also one of the largest old quarters still in a city.
There is an excellent public transport system we arrived at Stazione Principe from France and bus tickets for either 90 minutes or 24 hours can be bought from bookstalls. The tickets cover bus, metro, funiculars and lifts.
Genoa also has the most generous free apperitivi snacks of any Italian city I have visited not just at the usual 7 till 9 in the evening but at lunchtime, at tea time and after dinner.
Hotel Cairoli, Via Cairoli 14/4 is in an ideal situation five minutes walk from the port and five minutes from Via Garibali (declared a world heritage site). The hotel is excellent wonderfully helpful staff and the rooms are great, all with themes relating to artists. However you arrive in Genoa their web site helps with directions and if you happen to arrive on a Sunday when a lot of restaurants shut they will point you in the direction of one or two local gems.
Pandemonio, Via Lomellini 20r, restaurant and wine bar, excellent food and great wine list, upstairs restaurant slightly formal but the food was worth it. €€-€€€
Da Maria, Vico Testadoro 14r, mainly lunchtimes, a Genoa institution now run by the original Maria’s daughters, three courses and wine for around €10 a head staff are very helpful so give it a try €
Maxela, Vico Inferiore del Ferro 9-11, a restaurant with a butchers counter so obviously they specialise in meat, the steaks are fabulous the house wine very reasonable and the service excellent. €€=€€€
Girpol, Via Cannetto Il Lunghi 61r this is a proper butchers shop that has some tables at the back and does lunches,pasta/soups to start and dishes like chicken with peppers, rabbit with olives all €2.50 a dish they serve wine or beer total bill for lunch for two with two courses €13.
Bar Berto, Piazza delle Erbe beautiful old fashioned bar with tables outside in a lovely little square excellent apperitivi snacks even at lunch time tough to get a table at night so if full try
28 Erbe, Piazza delle Erbe, the barman is a perfectionist so you may have to wait for your drinks but in the evening the wait is worth it 5 dishes of apperitivi to nibble on including a hot cheese dip !
Azenetti Wine Bar, Via cannetto Il Lunghi 132r excellent wine bar, very friendly staff food looked very good mainly meat and cheese platters
Altrove, Piazetta Cambiaso a beautifully restored building now a theatre and restaurant with a gorgeous terrace outside excellent place to sip a glass of wine after dinner.
La Polena Birreria Vico Delle Cinque, just behind Via San Lorenzo & via S Luca a great basic bar doing a variety of beers and wines and gives you free pizza with your after dinner drinks !
There are a number of bars down at the port area which is very busy but they are best for their setting as opposed to the atmosphere.
Looking at the Palazzosj and walking along Via Garibaldi, also exploring the warren of streets of the old town.
Visit the market off Via XX Sepetmbre.
The Port visit the aquarium and go up in the Bigo Lift for amazing views of the city.
Use your day ticket and go up on the Funicular from Largo de Zecca to Righi, and take the lift from beside Stazione Principe to Castello d’Alebrtis wonderful building and museum and great views.
The fishing port of Boccadasse can easily be reached by bus and has some great places to eat.
An ideal base to explore the Italian Riviera coast and the Cinque Terre.
Hotels
Grande Albergo, Via Vittorio Veneto, this is a lovely hotel on the front and although rooms with a view and balcony and expensive the ordinary rooms are very well appointed, and the hotel ahs excellent facilities. It is in an ideal position to use the train to visit the Cinque Terre and also for the excellent restaurants and bars of Sestri.
Polpo Mario, Via XXV Aprile 163, excellent fish restaurant, they have their own fishing boat. Very popular so booking is advised €€-€€€
Osteria Nazionale, Via Nazionale 101, worth seeking out, recently opened very modern with great cooking and a vast selection of wines which you choose from the shelves they are all priced €€-€€€
L’Osteria Mattana, Via XXV Aprile 34, a typical osteria with long shared tables and the menu on the blackboard, very reasonable and the staff are very helpful and will assist with translating the menu very good house wine €€
La Mainolla, Via XXV Aprile 187 excellent pasta dishes with a very pleasant outside terrace €€
Millelitre Via XXv Aprile 149 great bar with large variety of drinks , good free apperitivi snacks and does meals very prized outside tables
Asia Café, Via XXV Aprile 133 another great place to sit outside with a post dinner drink also does food
MamaLuna Café, Via della Chuisa 3, off Via XXV Aprile, a little gem with lovely tables in the little street again with excellent free apperitivi snacks
On the Bay of Silence just below the Hotel Helvetia is a lovely terrace bar with fabulous views just the place to sit out after dinner.
Visit Portofino & San Fruittoso by boat, there are trips that leave at around 2 pm returning at 6.30 a great way to see the coast and to visit Portofino which is stunning treat yourself to a drink overlooking the port and the designer shops
Cinque Terre your best plan is to get a day card which cover all trains between Levanto & La Spezia so you need to get a return to Levanto as well, the ticket also gives you access to the various walks you can do.
Recommended is to go to the last one Riomaggioe and make your way back, the walk from there to Manarola is an easy stroll and there is a lovely bar/café just before you reach Manarolla with great views.
Il Porticciolo ,Via A Rollandi in the main street in Manarola is a great place to stop for lunch very popular so get there early so that you can eat on the terrace
Corniglia is the only one of the five not easily accessible from the station 365 steps to the town although there may be buses again your day card gives you access to these
