Where to Eat Typical Pansoti in Genoa: The 8 Best Restaurants Chosen by Gambero Rosso

Jan 25 2024, 17:32
Among the most characteristic and identity-defining dishes of Genoese culinary tradition are the pansoti (from Ligurian "pansa," meaning belly), a kind of tortelli filled with wild herbs and prescinseua (a slightly acidic fresh cheese), usually seasoned with walnut sauce.Among the most characteristic and identity-defining dishes of Genoese culinary tradition are the pansoti (from Ligurian "pansa," meaning belly), a kind of tortelli filled with wild herbs and prescinseua (a slightly acidic fresh cheese), usually seasoned with walnut sauce.

If you want to prepare them at home, the filling of pansoti can also include Swiss chard, spinach, or borage, while prescinseua can be replaced with ricotta. The dressing is made with walnut kernels, extra virgin olive oil, bread soaked in milk, and pine nuts. Moreover, this dish, one of the most popular in the Genoese repertoire, is also suitable for vegetarians. In our opinion, however, eating them in the city is much more satisfying. Here are the 8 best restaurants chosen by Gambero Rosso.

Where to eat pansoti in Genoa

Antica Osteria di vico Palla

Trattoria. Located near the Aquarium and the port, in a somewhat hidden street, a sign with over 400 years of history that has preserved the atmosphere, conviviality, and above all, the offering, with a cuisine faithful to tradition. Guests can sit in two small rooms with wooden furniture, vaulted ceilings, exposed bricks, and many hanging objects. You can enjoy, according to the day, marinated anchovies, cappun magro, fried panisette, minestrone, mandilli al pesto, homemade pansoti with walnut sauce, baked cod, Ligurian-style rabbit, and, to finish, the typical Sacripantina and tiramisu. To drink, house wine and a few bottles.

Antica Osteria di vico Palla – vico Palla, 15/R – 010 2466575 – www.osteriadivicopalla.com

Arvigo

Trattoria. Easily reachable from the Genoa Bolzaneto exit of the A7, it is the ideal address to revisit the never yellowed pages of ancient Genoese cuisine, especially those dedicated to the garden, courtyard, and woods. Always in the spotlight are the mandilli (pasta handkerchiefs) with pesto, ravioli al tuccu, and pansoti with walnut sauce (the pasta is homemade). Among the main courses, in addition to the unmissable cima, never forget lamb and rabbit, always present on the menu: fried, stewed, and grilled. In the mushroom season, there are plenty of mushrooms. The desserts deserve the sin of gluttony. The wine list is constantly evolving.

Arvigo – via Cremeno, 31 – 010 7170001 – www.trattoriaarvigo.it

Bruxaboschi

Trattoria. In the San Desiderio neighborhood, a few minutes from the center, a classic destination for out-of-town dining to savor family dishes. We are talking about the slow-cooked minestrone, pansoti with wild herbs and walnut sauce, tomaxelle stuffed in the ancient way, boiled free-range chicken, and the mythical rolled lamb belly. The desserts are delicious, including an excellent warm chocolate soup and the Mont Blanc. Unconventional wines and beers that populate one of the best lists in the city accompany the pleasant vintage atmosphere. Reservation is essential.

Bruxaboschi – via F. Mignone, 8 – 010 3450302-388 7778914 – www.bruxaboschi.com

Le Cicale Trattoria

Trattoria. There are five establishments under the umbrella of Le Cicale: the wine shop, the bistro, the deli, the restaurant, and last but not least, the trattoria, in the Foce area. The two small rooms are very welcoming, with different tables, antique furniture, and carefully chosen objects. The same philosophy is found in the kitchen, the result of a meticulous selection of each ingredient and the philological re-proposition of historical home recipes. Fixed points on the menu are trofie with pesto, pansoti with walnut sauce, Ligurian-style rabbit, stockfish in salad. Note that fresh pasta, preserves, sauces, and desserts are all produced in-house.

Le Cicale Trattoria – via E. Ruspoli, 55/R – 010 9910724 – www.lecicalegenova.it/trattoria/

Ostaia da Ü Santü

Trattoria. Despite the winding road, it is worth covering the few kilometers needed to get here, in Voltri, in an ancient country farmhouse surrounded by greenery with a view of the hills. In summer, you can stay cool outdoors, while in the cold season, you can sit in one of the tastefully furnished rooms. The menu stays in the usual comfort zone, with brandacujun stockfish, "al tuccu" ravioli, pansoti with walnut sauce, cima, rabbit, tripe, lamb. Completing the picture is a decent house wine and some valid references from Liguria and Piedmont.

Ostaia da Ü Santü – via al Santuario delle Grazie, 33 – 377 0810039 – www.ostaiadausantu.it

Trattoria delle Grazie

Trattoria. One of the most genuine and straightforward signs in the city, frequented by tourists but also by the Genoese themselves, or more generally by those who want to find the flavors and aromas of tradition at the table. There are two service shifts, the first at 7:30 pm and the second at 9:25 pm, which may seem limiting but actually helps in organization. What do you eat? Simple and well-made dishes, such as stuffed lettuce, minestrone, mandilli al pesto, pansoti with walnut  sauce, cappon magro, stockfish Vecchia Genova, and cod fritters. House wine, some labels, and you leave reluctantly.

Trattoria delle Grazie – via delle Grazie, 48 – 010 8698240 – facebook

I Tre Merli

Trattoria. In the Castelletto neighborhood, near the gardens of Villa Gruber De Mari, managed for generations by the Pagano family, it is a reliable address ideal for those who want to eat as tradition commands. For the beautiful season, there is a lovely outdoor area, otherwise, you can sit in pleasant spaces furnished in rustic style and savor stuffed anchovies, cuttlefish buridda, accommodated stockfish, "tocco" ravioli, pansoti with walnut sauce, not to mention that the menu always includes some seasonal digressions. Homemade desserts close the journey accompanied by good house and bottled wines.

I Tre Merli – corso Magenta, 3/R – 010 810923 – facebook

Ugo dal 1969

Trattoria. Always very crowded, especially on weekends, to the point that reservations are mandatory, it is a solid bulwark of Genoese culinary tradition. Exposed beams on the ceilings, checkered floors, straw paper tablecloths, hanging pots, and paintings on the walls, it is the right place to enjoy stuffed anchovies, the typical minestrone, pansoti with walnut sauce, fried cod fillet, buridda, tripe (on Wednesdays), stockfish (on Fridays). The house wine pairs well with the proposal. Don't leave without buying a jar of their homemade pesto; it would be a mistake.

Ugo dal 1969 – via dei Giustiniani, 86/R – 010 2469302

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