Liguria is a region rich in food culture in a country obsessed with what goes on the plate. There simply is nowhere else in the world that cares so passionately about food. The dedication to eating well shouldn't be mis-understood, it's not about fine dining, table cloths and intricate presentation, it's about love.

The Ligurians, like every region in Italy have their own style of cuisine that has it's foundation in high quality ingredients, cooked from scratch and eaten simply. Here you'll find Trattoria's, Osteria's, neighbourhood restaurants, all buzzing with locals and tourists that love to eat in the myriad of restaurants on offer. The principle Ligurian building blocks are olives, green herbs (pesto is from here), seafood and of course tomatoes and Mediterranean vegetables such as aubergine, peppers and courgette.

To an extent the restaurants here are fairly homogeneous. However each has it's own little tweak that makes it worth visiting. Some are THE place to go for local dishes such as Coniglio alla Ligure (ligurian rabbit), fresh fish and shellfish or a good old Piedmontese steak, most will serve a decent pasta with vongole (clams) dish, have a solid pizza menu and some form of grill serving both seafood and meats. The secrets to knowing which is worth your visit? See below!