Archive for category: Savona

The right address to taste excellent fresh fish. In a particularly charming corner of Albisola Superiore, in a small square, facing the sea, Rosa, considered a “shaman”, intends to surprise us with her never banal and always tasty dishes. You get into the rooms inspired by the sea colours with maritime objects hanging on the walls, paintings and artwork, here the association “Rosa dei Venti-Arte e Cucina” is based. When we are seated Rosa serves her dishes, which depend on the whims of the sea and the local fishermen, and without having to choose you are accompanied in a path of taste that involves our senses. We start with the appetizers: honey shrimps, chickpea and octopus salad, marinated anchovies, salmon carpaccio, if you are lucky the freshest oysters and much more. Among the first courses, that are prepared with fresh homemade pasta, we mention the ravioli of sea bream and sea bass, the gnocchi with prawns or lobster, all to taste. Even among the second courses, the choice is based on local fish, from light and tasty fried fish to the baked fish with local vegetables. The desserts are another specialty of Rosa, from the delicious semifreddo with pistachio to the ice creams and the always new sorbets. The service is accurate and kind. Prices in relation to quality, from 40 euro upwards.

Quintilio’s restaurant is a guarantee of quality and good food since 1889, on the border between Piedmont and Liguria. Luca and Lorena have continued a journey of great tradition of the family restaurant. The interior of the restaurant is very refined and elegant, it is divided into three rooms, the largest classical dining room, with collections of antique glass vases, then there is the winery, Lorraine’s pride, competent sommelier, where you are surrounded by a collection of more than 500 labels and another lounge more private, with rare books and precious objects. The cuisine is based on products of the highest quality, depending on the season, such as precious truffles, collected in the surrounding areas, and mushrooms in classic and innovative recipes. The amuse-bouche is a tasting of rice cake, a real treat, followed by homemade bread, focaccia and breadsticks. The tasting menu consists of 4 courses for 45 euro and will fully satisfy you. Among the appetizers we mention the egg pochè with parmesan mousse and brown stock with or without truffles, a refined bowl of duck foie gras, marinated in sauternes. Among the first courses there are the unmissable ravioli al plin or the exquisite gnocchi with Calizzano potatoes with fondue and black truffle. Among the main courses you can taste the tripes with beans, or the classic braised with barolo. Delicious desserts, such as apple pie with homemade ice-cream. Well-stocked wine cellar with the best local labels.

After gaining substantial experience in the culinary sector, in 1980 Sara and Nino established this restaurant in the lush Val Lerrone, offering a traditional, local cuisine which will satisfy also the most demanding guest. Their dishes are appreciated by Italian customers as much as by foreigners, thanks to the finest local ingredients, and to their ability to merge Ligurian and Piedmontese traditions. The offered entrees are vegetables of the garden dip with Ligurian olives-flavoured oil, olives, and tried tomatoes, served with a mix of salamis: donkey’s, pork’s, and spicy from Calabria. The menu features a long list of starters: hot and cold, with fish, meat and cheese – such as goat’s tomino with peppers jam on the side, cured meats, steamed octopus, and exquisite rossetti (small fish) fritters. Among the first courses, the ravioli with borage stand out, but gnocchi and tagliatelle are also worth trying; everything is handmade, and served with seasonal sauces. The second courses are very important, substantial: grilled mixes, roast-beefs, and roasts, but also fish options such as the sea bream and salmon. Skilful pastry chefs create desserts such as fruit pies, amazing tiramisu, delicious semi-freddos, and pudding. Excellent value for money: tasting menu at 30 Euro, including homemade wine. It is also possible to stay for the night.

Walking in the narrow streets (carugi) of Albisola Superiore you will have the surprise to find this small restaurant, with a nice sign, where you can taste a simple and genuine Ligurian cuisine. Here you can taste, on Thursdays and Fridays, the delicious wheat-based pancake, served with cheese and olives and the chickpea-based pancake, combined with many ingredients, olives, onions, blue cheese and so on…The full menu for lunch time is offered at 10 euro, in the evening you may choose a la carte, with many fish dishes, such as the octopus salad or the devilled one, the special blueberry noodles with prawns, cod tortelli, the cut of tuna with artichokes. Not only fish, Francesca, helped by her mother, also prepares excellent ravioli with walnut pesto, borage noodles with pesto, all fresh homemade pasta. The desserts prepared by the chef are delights, such as the meringue or the apple pastry or the panna cotta. For a full dinner you spend between 20 and 30 euro. The intimate and bright dining room, the wooden furniture and the paintings by Dino Gambetta, Francesca’s uncle and painter very well known locally, make the atmosphere very comfortable. We recommend booking, especially at the weekend.

Location of great beauty for Fabio Bonavia’s restaurant, chef of great experience, who since 2002 has opened his first restaurant in the old town of Albenga and about 6 years ago just on the beach, facing the island of Gallinara. The structure is large and very bright, both outside and inside where there are large dining rooms, elegant and well furnished, with large windows for having dinner overlooking the sea. The menu changes every season, the chef is served by local farmers and fishermen. From the menu we mention the anchovy chest marinated in Ligurian way with stuffed confit of red onion and the cloud of crunchy fennels among the appetizers (15 euro). We continue with the inviting black tagliatelle with cuttlefish sauce, clams and crunchy broccoletti (17 euro) or yellow saffron ravioli filled with fish and the artichoke sauce of Albenga (18 euro). Among the second courses, the grilled mixed fish and shellfish with the lemon emulsion, the parsley salmoriglio cups, capers and red onion confit (33 euro) or among the meats the Fassona tender cheek with cream potatoes flavoured with nutmeg and Nebbiolo sauce (19 euro). The desserts are inviting such as the tart filled with almonds and pears, salted caramel sauce and praline ice cream (9 euro). Two tasting menus for 43 euro and 48 euro. The wine list is broad, with interesting offers of local wines.