Mercato Orientale, Genoa
Tucked inside a converted 16th-century Augustinian cloister on Via XX Settembre, Mercato Orientale is Genoa's beating culinary heart — a beautiful, aromatic covered market where fishmongers, cheesemakers and pesto artisans have traded side by side for over a century. This is where Genoese grandmothers shop, and where you should too.
What to Buy and Taste
The fish counters are extraordinary: whole branzino, trays of gleaming anchovies from Monterosso, and bags of dried stockfish (stoccafisso) that perfume the entire hall. Head to the inner cloister stalls for Ligurian olive oil, jars of hand-pounded pesto Genovese, and the small, sweet Genovese basil plants you can carry home in your bag.
The cheese vendors stock prescinsêua, a tangy Ligurian curd cheese used in traditional focaccia di Recco, alongside aged Parmigiano wheels and creamy local crescenza. Ask for a taste — vendors here are generous and proud of their produce.
The Renovated Food Hall
A stylish 2016 renovation added MO — a contemporary food court in the cloister courtyard — where you can eat a full lunch of farinata (chickpea flatbread), trofie al pesto and a glass of Vermentino without leaving the market building. It bridges old and new Genoa beautifully.
The market is liveliest Tuesday through Saturday from 7 am; arrive by 8 am on Saturday for the widest selection before the best anchovies and porcini sell out.
More of Liguria
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Liguria →
