ONE of the most exciting international travel options this year are Qantas’ new flights to Rome. Starting in the third week of June, there will be three return flights – Sydney – Perth – Rome – per week during the Northern Hemisphere summer until October. The route will allow travellers to combine the Rome flights with the airline’s double-daily direct flights between Australia and London and also access 16 other destinations in Europe and 15 in Italy, including Milan and Venice.
From Milan, it’s only a 144-kilometre drive to Genoa, the port city that gave birth to pesto, focaccia and Christopher Columbus. Often by-passed in favour of the Cinque Terre, the rugged Italian Riviera coastline, and Portofino, this year marks the 530th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to the Americas. You can also pay homage to the city’s second most famous son, Renzo Piano, the star architect responsible for the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the rejuvenated Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, The Shard in London and Aurora Place in Sydney.
I fell in love with Genoa after a walking tour of Cinque Terre and have made numerous visits since. In parts it’s still pretty gritty but the city boasts the largest mediaeval town centre in Europe, centred on the 12th century Porta Soprana gates, the Piazza de Ferrari anchored by a bronze fountain and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, whose stripey exterior is reminiscent of the Duomo in Florence. The ornate 16th and 17th century palaces on the Strade Nuove (New Streets) are a UNESCO World Heritage site and the Palazzo Ducale, the former residence of the Doges of Genoa, is a must-visit for architecture buffs and Instagrammers.
Kickstart a food and wine exploration of Genoa in Via XX Settembre, a shopping boulevard lined with local and international fashion brands, which is also home to the city’s premier food market, MOG Mercato Orientale. If you are staying in an Airbnb, this is the place to stock up on freshly made pesto, handmade pasta, black and white truffles, pecorino cheese and fresh fish. The MOG in the title refers to the food court opened in 2019, where you can choose Ligurian specialties such as torta di carciofi (artichoke tart) from 11 gastronomic providores. Upstairs you will find the MOG restaurant, where the upmarket menu was created by Daniele Rebosio, who has worked with Ferran Adria of El Bulli and Alain Ducasse. There is also a futuristic wine shop offering over 40 varietals from Liguria, including vermentino and bosco, and other Italian wine regions.
Fans of Hotel Portofino, the British whodunnit TV series set in the nearby coastal town, will feel right at home in the 125-year-old Grand Hotel Savoia, crammed with Murano glass chandeliers, marble floors and plush furniture. The rooftop terrace offers wrap-around views of Genoa and is tailormade for watching the city’s famed pink sunsets. While the hotel’s Ristorante Salgari offers upmarket twists on local cuisine from tagliolini in truffle butter with black truffle slices to Piedmontese beef fillet with porcini mushrooms and golden hazelnut potatoes.
Genoa walks the line between its new and historic foodie reputation. Sa Pesta, literally meaning crushed salt, is a landmark trattoria located in the city’s former salt market. Famous for its pesto, diners also flock here for seppie con piselli (cuttlefish with peas) and farinata, the local chickpea flour flatbread served in antique cooking pans. Trattoria Rosmarino is located in a side street off the Piazza de Ferrari and also makes much of its pesto and stoccafisso, a traditional Genovese dish of air-dried stockfish and pine nuts. The relaxed mood and industrial chic decor with green banquettes are very popular with locals so bookings are necessary.
Le Rune is listed in the Michelin guide and dishes up contemporary takes on seasonal and regional flavours with an emphasis on seafood, including ciuppin, the local version of bouillabaisse. Bella Bu bills itself as a bistro, tapas and pinchos bar and the laidback kitchen also specialises in upmarket offerings with organic ingredients. The bucatini al pepe, pasta with freshly ground pepper, proves that simple dishes can be sensational.
Ivano Ricchebono built up a major reputation working in some of the grandest hotels in Italy before returning to his hometown to open The Cook, a Michelin one star venue. He acquired a wider audience with appearances on the popular Italian cooking show, La prova del cuoco, and picked one of the most striking locations to house his signature restaurant – an historic palace which once belonged to the wealthy Doria family with stunning trompe l’oeil frescoes in the dining room. Currently offering four and eight course menu degustations – think salmon cannoli, rice in squid ink with seafood and a crustacean “cappuccino”.
The bar scene in Genoa is as trendy as you will find in other major Italian cities. Le Lepre is a speakeasy-style hangout with filament lighting and untreated wood furniture focused on aperitivi such as Aperol spritz to wash down the piadine – flatbread filled with cheese and cold cuts such as Genoa salami. If you want less “edge”, Cantine Matteotti has a classical music playlist and the staff are very knowledgeable about the wide selection of Italian wines on offer.
La Bottega del Conte fills the site of an old grocery story, sporting marble walls and iron bars once used for hanging hams. The basement, an excavated mediaeval cistern, is where the cool crowd gather to sip beer or wine amid quirky artworks. Beer, or rather a huge selection of tap brews and local and imported craft beers, lures in the punters at Scurreria Beer & Bagel. “Filler” food includes burgers and bagels filled with Italian ingredients, not lox and sour cream, and the English-speaking staff offer informed guidance for a beer tasting.
A visit to Les Rouges Cucina & Cocktails is like walking into a movie set. Founded in 2013 by three Israeli brothers, it is located in the Palazzo Imperiale, built in 1560 and still pockmarked with bomb damage from World War II. But the artful decay is all part of the charm and the dedication to cocktails is so pronounced that bar tenders ask you which salt you prefer on your margarita. Or choose from the wine list of mainly Ligurian bottlings or the international gin list and order the slow cooked beef ragu with polenta.
Outdoor bars and restaurants are not only atmospheric, they are also a preference for many people in these uncertain times, especially when travelling. Genoa is full of sailing enthusiasts and yachties and the city is packed with bars that take advantage of the long summer sunsets and Mediterranean sea views. Monu Cafe boasts one of the largest outdoor terraces in the city. Located near the monument to Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand, the landing that sparked the re-unification of Italy, it’s a favourite with the younger set and boaties and the menu is split between seasonal local listings and international dishes like poke bowls. Blunt Beach Club has tables on the beach during summer, a huge terrace and a top wine list including Franciacorta sparkling wines and crisp vermentinos. Not for those looking for a quiet night as the club can house hundreds at full capacity.