Enoteche and restaurants in Genua?

I'm going to Genoa tomorrow for a week to attend a conference. In case anybody has any tips on good wine-shops and nice restaurants, and maybe other attractions too, though I will not have too much spare time, I'd be most grateful. I'll be checking the postings here also during the week, do don't hesitate to write me something also towards the end of the week.

Ciao,
Anders

Anders
Certainly a couple of wine shops near Stazione Brignole - one of them stocked some very decent wines (I recall we bought a bottle of Avignonesi VNdiM Grande Annata). The nearby market is very good, as are the pasticcerie near the market. The market should have the Fragoline di Bosco (tiny alpine strawberries) in at the moment and in general the fruit is of very high quality)

Other highlights from a previous trip include a 'locals' restaurant about half a mile north of the market (I'll have to see if I can find the name/address again - possibly Trattoria da Maria at Vico Testadoro 14), plus a decent enoteca on the edge of the old town (with a large barrique outside), which did decent wines to taste/drink, plus the usual interesting and tasty small plates of food. Sadly the really interesting sounding seed shop near the market wasn't open when we were there (Sementi Ronco on Via San Vincenzo 100 Red - next to 42 Black in that entirely logical local numbering system). I think they're mostly on Via San Vincenzo/Piazza Colombo

I've just bought a new book from Italy - Goloserio di Paolo Massobrio which has listings for food shops, wineries, restaurants etc. and it seems to accurately represent the stuff I've enjoyed in other cities. They have the Gelateria on Piazza Nettuno listed which I recall was good. They also list good wine shops on via Sottoripa 67 red; via Ganello 51 Red; Enoteca Sola on Piaza Colombo 13R and C. Berabino 120R (to taste & buy)..... plus on via Galata 46 Red an oil & pesto shop which sounds excellent. Give me a shout if you're looking for other foodie stuff as the listings are fairly comprehensive.

In terms of attractions, the old town is ok, but not that special and has an edgy feel from dusk onwards. The aquarium is good if you enjoy that sort of thing, but much of the marina area is a little modern for me. I contented myself with good food & drink, for which the city was very good.

... and I'll send you a pm in a few minutes on a different subject

regards

Ian

Thanks a lot, Ian! You are a wealth of knowledge, as always, and share it happily. Is there any region in Italy that you haven't visited? I wish I could pay you back your kindness. If you need any information about Marche, perhaps I could help, but I guess you've been there too...
Cheers,
Anders

Anders
Too kind!

... and no, we've yet to go the the Marche region, so will happily take your advice when we do.

This may sound bizarre to some, but having had a large number of holidays in Italy now, I've yet to set foot in the 'big 3' of Rome, Venice and Florence. Nor have I visited Tuscany, but do plan to see Lucca, Montepulciano, Siena and around sometime. I think I'm partly just contrary and partly like avoiding the tourist trail / tourist scene. We may make Venice for a day in October and if so I'll be carefully plotting a route away from the main drag to St Marks Sq. to some backwater enoteca/bacaro or trattoria

regards

Ian

Ian, I've been going to Venice, my favorite city in the world, almost annually for the last twenty years, so if you have a single night in October, I would suggest the restaurant of the Agli Alboretti hotel in Dorsoduro. The wine list is superb, the food likewise, and the atmosphere classy without being stuffy. The place is not so well-known, so it's relatively tranquil and uncrowded. I find Dorsoduro is the most charming district of Venice so, if you have time before the restaurant, stroll around and have a glass of the house fragolino with a bacalá chichetti at Lino's, a few yards from the Zattere facing Giudecca. I guarantee a magical evening!

Oswaldo
Many thanks for this and I've saved your post in advance of planning for October's trip.

Just the sort of suggestion I like, of somewhere off around the fringes, that avoids the easy tourist euro, in favour of aiming to do what they do well.

With a day, we could either follow the procession through/past the main sights or get just a flavour of Venice itself, through one of it's quieter (ad less touristy) districts - I like the idea of the latter!

regards

Ian

Other highlights from a previous trip include a 'locals' restaurant about half a mile north of the market (I'll have to see if I can find the name/address again - possibly Trattoria da Maria at Vico Testadoro 14
Sadly the really interesting sounding seed shop near the market wasn't open when we were there regards
Ian

Ian, We had a lovely dinner yesterday at a small restaurant, much thanks to you. We went to "da Maria", but found it to be closed. However, in another parallel vico, just two blocks away, we found another small one, Le Rune (The Runes) that was very good. A small and ambitious restaurant. We had the menu that featured pesto, which should be appropriate here in Genoa. One could have had fears that the pesto would become a bit overpowering, in particular after a couple of dishes, but the food had very nicely balanced tastes, elegant but full of tastes, with the pesto more acting as a background. So thanks for leading us in the right direction of the town!

We have a good conference here, but there is not much time to tour the city. I plan to take the train to Cinqueterre on Friday afternoon, after the conference.

Your recommendation concerning the seed shop puzzled me a little. Why would a seed shop be particularily interesting? Something special for this region of Italy?

Cheers, Anders

Anders
Great to hear that and if we head back there we'll give it a try ourselves. Hope you're having a good trip and enjoy Cinque Terre. There are a couple of decent wine shops in Monterosso al Mare, though one appears to attract tourist buses and prices were in places inflated. I particularly liked a town that isn't one of the 5: Portovenere, which you can get to by boat from Riomaggiore, or from La Spezia. A very good Enoteca for wine by the glass and great light food (as is so common in Enoteche), but sadly I wouldn't be able to recall the name. It was on the walk towards some of the fortifications. I also enjoyed La Spezia for an really vibrant evening Passagiata.

Your recommendation concerning the seed shop puzzled me a little. Why would a seed shop be particularily interesting? Something special for this region of Italy?

Cheers, Anders

My warped sense of the interesting I think
I recall the description of it being an old shop that held the seeds loose in wooden drawers, with some local specialities/variants. I liked the idea of both the quirkiness of such a shop and the history of how such a shop has been going for years. I like to 'play' with gardening, trying stuff on a whim and letting nature have a go and not getting too hung up on the science or success/failure. Hence this offered prospect of a new 'project' or two!

My latest 'project' is trying (for the 2nd time) to grow Nespole from seed. Last time I got a healthy 6 month old plant then proceeded to under-water it and then drown it! That was about 3 years ago.

regards

Ian