recco
 
Allied bombing in 1944 to cut the coastal rail line virtually destroyed RECCO - at the head of the gulf 18km east of Genoa - and the town that has sprung up in its place is unremarkable but for its gastronomy. People come here specifically to eat at some of the best restaurants in Liguria. If your wallet is fat, book a table at either Da-ö Vittorió , Via Roma 160 (tel 0185.74.029, fax 0185.723.605; L150,000-200,000/¬77.47-103.29; restaurant closed Thurs), a characterfully renovated century-old building 500m north of the town centre, or the modern villa-style Manuelina , Via Roma 300 (tel 0185.74.128, fax 0185.721.095, manuelina@manuelina.it ; L200,000-250,000/¬103.29-129.11; restaurant closed Wed) some 300m further north set in its own garden; both establishments are also hotels. They are acclaimed for their focaccia al formaggio (Recco's speciality), minestrone alla genovese and local troffiette recchelline (pasta with green beans, potatoes and pesto). Eating well in Recco needn't cost a lot, however: La Baracchetta , a hut on the Via Marinai d'Italia waterfront with outside tables, also does outstanding focaccia al formaggio .