swytsen

Hi there - my boyfriend and I are traveling with friends who are celebrating their 20th anniversary and we are headed to he Ligurian coast. A friend owns a Hotel in Sori. We definitely will do the walks and a boat ride and head to Portofino for a day.

Any suggestion for a romantic or special dinner anywhere in the rapallo, camogli, SML area to celebrate the wedding anniversary? Like many others we order the authentic and non touristy places but that might be a challenge

Any ideas of something else special to do while there - sept 20 to Sept 27

I know it's not Olive oil pressing season but we are happy to experience anything food related or music or artisan

Thank you!

sandralist

For a seaside view, dinner at Rosa's in Camogli might be just what you are looking for a wedding anniversary. Never hurts to tell the owners it is a special occasion.

Sori has a wonderful and deserved reputation for making its own fresh pasta (if you eat fresh pasta elsewhere on the coast, chances are it was made in Sori). And there are some totally charming trattorie in the beautiful hills above the town where ZERO foreign tourists go. Your friend who owns the hotel should be able to arrange for a taxi to take you there (it's less than a 10 minute drive, but you can't walk, it's straight uphill), and if you want a memorable lunch or dinner, head for the hills.

Your friend might also recommend someplace with a seaside view closer to Genova rather than Rosa's in Camogli for a special dinner or lunch. Be sure to ask the price of a typical meal if he or she does, because a handful of the famous restaurants have astronomical prices. They are good restaurants, but there can be sticker shock.

But most of the restaurants in the area falls something in between the irritatingly touristy and the workaday world of making a living by the sea where many visitors come to enjoy the view. Most the restaurants are simply very gracious and patient with non-Italian speakers, but all along the seaside the prices are elevated and all the menus are "typical cuisine" -- in this case, pesto pasta, seafood/fish -- because pretty much everybody comes to eat that, even Italians (the same way Americans want to eat lobster by the seaside in Maine or bbq in the south). Where you want to avoid eating is super-touristy Portofino or paying too little for fish. If you want to eat fish -- meaning, whole fish -- expect to pay for freshness and quality. If you really want local charm, go inland.

There is an excellent local pasta stuffed with greens and sauced with a pounded walnut and milk pesto that is wonderful to eat in September. It is called "pansotti con salsa di noci" (purses with walnut sauce). Local tuna is at its best in September in the region. Mussels and anchoives are excellent choices too, and so are local scampi (from Portofino) if you can afford them. Be aware that in Rapallo they make their own version of pesto using curd cheese rather than parmigiano & percorino, so if you want to taste a true Genovese pesto, eat it somplace other than Rapallo.

I think you are too early for the pesto festival in Lavagna, but scarcely a September weekend goes by along the coast where some little town isn't having a food festival -- San Lorenzo al Costa for mussels, or someplace else for chestnuts.

There is a lovely old fashioned shop in the center of Rapallo that sells handmade lace, a now almost-disappeared speciality of the women of the town. There is also a lace museum in town. (Remember everything closes midday).

http://www.gandolfilaces.com/index.php?cont=prod

For something special to do, if you like views, consider taking the cable car in Rapallo to the Santuario di Monteallegro. It is easy to find directions online. Or take a boat from Camogli to San Fruttuoso for lunch or just to enjoy the unique spot (you can take another boat from there to Portofino, or vice versa). Beware that on windy days the boats might run but the short ride can be unnerving if the sea is choppy.

One of the most beautiful seaside walks in all of Italy is in the tiny town of Zoagli, just south of Rapallo. Not every train stops there, so be sure to look at the schedule.

yorkshire

I am surprised Sandra did not mention the La Cucina di Nonna Nina in San Rocco di Camogli. I believe it was she (and ekscrunchy) who informed me of the place, and I enjoyed two lovely meals there. (ps there is also a small grocer with excellent sandwiches, etc., in San Rocco that is very convenient if any of your hikes begin or end there.)
In Camogli proper, my favorite meal was at Ostaia da o Sigu--a nice combination of tradition and inventiveness. It has been several years, but recent reviews were good.

sandralist

It is quite difficult to be staying in Sori and to go to Nonna Nina for dinner, because unless you call a taxi, there is no way to get back to Sori after dinner, and a taxi fare to Sori is likely to run as much at 35e+ at night, and Nonna Nina isn't cheap to begin with. It is more doable for lunch, but you still need to be pretty motivated (and precise) to take the train from Sori to Camogli and then take two buses to get to Nonna Nina (and you need to pay attention to the timing, because the buses take a long pause beginning about noon). Although the food at Nonna Nina is often excellent, there is no view and I find the atmosphere in San Rocco at night more special than during the day, although the walk back to Camogli, down the stairs is charming.

In Camogli proper, I like La Rotunda, but I haven't eaten at Sigu for awhile (I prefer a not-creative menu). One thing in favor of Rosa's is that even if the booked day turns out to be rainy, you can still sit inside and have a beautiful view. If you like pesto pasta and seafood or fish, the food at Rosa's is usually fine. The sometimes have special dishes in season -- with mushrooms or lobster -- and they are usually quite nice.

sandralist

One word of warning: If you want to try Nonna Nina, don't attempt to walk down the stairs after dinner to the Camogli train station to avoid the stiff taxi fare. This year, there have been a number of wild boar sightings at nighttime. (There is the possibility that the dry summer resulted in the boar coming down to lower elevations for water.) No one has seen them in the middle of the day, so lunch is safe bet.

yorkshire

Oh yeah, details like that matter.
When my husband and I were counting those steps up (and down), a boar was the last thing I would have expected--yikes! We did see signs of their rooting in the park.

sandralist

You never realize how fast you can walk up 800 stairs until you encounter a wild boar early in your ascent.