Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
€€€€
But should the occasion require (or budget constraints allow), the 11-
room
Locanda di Palazzo Cicala
(Piazza San Lorenzo, 16;
%
010-2518824; www.
palazzocicala.it)
is worth every cent. It's Genoa's only boutique hotel, and by far
its best, located in a beautifully restored 17th-century palace overlooking the San
Lorenzo Cathedral and a small piazza. Furnishings are a veritable catalog of mod-
ern design classics mixed with a smattering of antiques, all beautifully offset
against the stucco decorations and high vaulted ceilings; bathrooms are tiny but
state-of-the-art. Rooms go for
€
170 to
€
200, but check the Internet for special
deals.
€€€€
If you'd prefer not to be in the city itself, Genoa's other top choice lies
in the garden suburb of Nervi (a short train journey away) at the gorgeous
Villa
Pagoda
(Via Capolungo, 15;
%
010-3726161; www.villapagoda.it).
This romantic
villa (apparently built by a rich merchant in the hopes that he could import his
mistress here) is a tiny four-star hotel with five-star service (unmatched in Genoa),
and a superb chef (no reason to dine anywhere but on their terrace, cooled by sea
breezes). Nervi has a wonderful seaside walkway, and plenty of parks and villas to
explore, the most famous of which houses Liguria's finest modern-art collection.
Bag the top-floor room—all billowing white curtains and sea views—and you
have the makings of a very romantic evening. Rooms cost from
€
195 to
€
390.
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
€
For
drinks and canapés only,
start your evening at
Café Garibaldi
(off Via
Garibaldi;
%
010-2470847).
The huge gilt mirror behind the bar reflects a group
of elegant gray-haired women reclining on antique couches while they pick at
plates of appetizers; behind them, seated between marble pillars, young trendies
get down to some serious drinking. It's early evening and the locals are celebrat-
ing. Hardly surprising: Get here between 6 and 8pm and you are welcome to help
yourself to the wonderful aperitif buffet—free as long as you order a drink (
€
4
for their famous Shakerati).
€€
Because Café Garibaldi is overpriced for dining, you'll want to wander
down to
Squarciafico
(Piazza Invrea, 3r;
%
010-2470823),
another atmospheric
vaulted cellar in a 15th-century
palazzo
near San Lorenzo Cathedral.
Primi
run
around
2) and are well worth it—the “cantina” is renowned for
its simple but innovative approach to traditional recipes (like adding fresh mint
to traditional
acciughe
pasta).
€€
Sopranis
(Piazza Valoria, 1R;
%
010-2473030)
is another of Genoa's best-
value restaurants. Service is a real joy and the food (predominantly pizzas at
around
€
7.50) is good. Set in a small and cozy cross-vaulted room dating back to
1594, Sopranis has an atmosphere more exclusive than similarly priced venues.
€
9.50 (
coperto
€
€€
Located in the harbor (about a 10-min. walk from Via Garibaldi) is another
extremely popular restaurant with locals:
Antica Osteria di Vico Palla
(Vico Palla,
15/R;
%
010-2466575),
the perfect place to discover authentic Ligurian cuisine.
The atmosphere is fantastic: The tiny space buzzes with large Italian families and
their friends, as well as with loud waiters laden with plates of traditional fare (try
