Focaccia at Antico Forno della Casana
Focaccia genovese is not pizza bread — it is a thin, olive-oil-drenched, sea-salt-flecked masterpiece that Genoese eat for breakfast, mid-morning snack, and lunch without apology. Antico Forno della Casana, tucked in the caruggi near Piazza Soziglia, is one of the oldest and most respected places to eat it.
The Focaccia Itself
The classic version — focaccia al olio — is deceptively simple: a rectangle of dough dimpled by fingers, flooded with Ligurian DOP extra-virgin olive oil, and scattered with coarse salt before baking at high heat. The result is crisp on the bottom, yielding and slightly chewy within, and intensely savoury.
Variations include focaccia col formaggio (stuffed with Crescenza cheese, a Recco speciality also found in the city), focaccia alle olive, and the sweeter focaccia di Voltri with a slightly different dough. Order by weight — 100 g is a satisfying snack, 200 g a proper meal.
When and How to Eat It
The Genoese tradition is to eat focaccia in the morning, often dipping it into a cappuccino — a habit that sounds strange and tastes magnificent. The forno opens early, and the first trays come out around 7–7:30 am, still warm enough to melt the salt crystals on top.
Queue at the counter, point at what you want, pay by weight, and eat standing up or perched on the steps outside. This is not a sit-down experience — it is a city ritual, and participating in it is one of the most authentic things you can do in Genoa.
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