Il Marin — Restaurant in Genoa

Best rooftop restaurant in town

We’re Genovese and live right across from this place, so when we want to be sure we’ll eat well and enjoy a professional (but never stiff) service, we come here. We dined on the terrace at golden hour with a surprise five-course tasting menu — rooted in Ligurian tradition, but elevated with remarkable creativity. The kind of cuisine that speaks for itself. No need for theatrics or fuss: just real, expressive food.

Their take on the cappon magro — which you can see in the photo I’ve posted — is simply unforgettable. I won’t share more images, to avoid spoilers, but each course was a discovery.

The wine list is solid, with some of the best Ligurian bottles we’ve tried. And the atmosphere? Relaxed yet refined. This is not a rigid fine dining spot — it’s a place where innovation and local identity meet, without losing warmth.

Whether you’re from Genoa and want to see how traditional dishes can evolve, or you’re a curious traveler who’s already experienced more classic local cuisine and wants to go beyond — Marin is a must-visit.

We come here once or twice a year, and we’ve always been impressed — not just since the Michelin star, but long before that. The team is committed and consistent, and they truly respect dietary needs: you’ll find excellent vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options thoughtfully integrated into the menu.

Price-to-quality ratio? Fair and well balanced, considering the level of the kitchen and the...

Some of the most attentive and friendly waiting staff. The staff know the menu by heart in English and Italian, translating italian words fluently into english. There are only 8 tables and only 3 set menus to choose from, with the possibility of creating your own menu.

Our waitress noticed the table was uneven, even before we noticed and immediately brought something to even it out. Whilst waiting for our table, a better table became available. We were asked if we could wait 3 minutes whilst they prepared the new table. When we were seated, we were asked what we wanted to drink, the drinks came and then our waitress explained the menu to us in detail.

Her colleague then came over, asked which menu we had chosen and gave us recommendations as to which wines suited the menu we had chosen.

I had heard the portions were small, so we opted for a 7 course meal. We had to skip 2 portions as it became too much food to eat. The food itself was very flavourful, each course was displayed beautifully and very flavourful. Not "traditionally" italian but they werent scared to experiment and add twists to discover new flavours which is very progressive and paid off because each course was very tasty and very unique.

The price for a culinary experience like this was very very justifiable, so much so that I would have gladly paid more for the service and food...

Fine dining, exquisite but pretentious.

This is a nice, modern, airy room at the far end of the 2nd floor of the Eataly building in the old port (take the lift to the second floor and keep going, don’t lose heart!). When we were there the waitresses all spoke incredibly quietly, which was a pain for my 86 year old mother. I think it’s all part of their slightly Scandawegian vibe. Everything is very precise, you are given old wine boxes to put your handbags in for instance. There are many amuse bouche, most of which were lovely. But all served on a series of unlikely articles worthy of Dalston. The food was all lovely, really excellent, but it was not a place you would go to laugh or relax with friends. It’s all about style, restraint and precision. I would go back but it would not be a favourite if I lived in the city. The price was reasonable for the quality...