Ristorante Il Buco — Cappon Magro
Cappon magro is Liguria's most theatrical dish — a baroque tower of poached fish, vegetables and green sauce — and Savona is one of the few cities where it is still made with full traditional ceremony. Il Buco, tucked into the old town near the cathedral, is the most respected address in the city for this and other classic Savonese recipes.
The dish you must order
Cappon magro originated as a 'lean' (meatless) feast dish for sailors and aristocrats alike, built on a base of hardtack biscuit soaked in vinegar and olive oil, then layered with poached scorpionfish, prawns, lobster, artichoke hearts, green beans, potatoes and beets, all bound together with a vivid salsa verde of parsley, capers, anchovies and pine nuts.
At Il Buco it is prepared to order and arrives at the table as a glistening, architecturally improbable centrepiece. It is a starter-meets-main that easily serves two and is best accompanied by a glass of chilled Pigato from the Riviera di Ponente.
Beyond the showpiece
The rest of the menu is equally rooted in Savonese tradition: look for buridda di seppie (cuttlefish braised with pine nuts and dried mushrooms), pasta al pesto made with Ligurian basil grown in the hillside greenhouses, and a dessert trolley featuring pandolce Genovese and local torta di riso.
The room is small, the décor unfussy and the service genuinely warm — book ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings when locals fill every table. Lunch on a weekday is a more relaxed, equally delicious option.
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