Zeffirino

Great meal for family in Genova. Great service, very nice Italian ambiance and the food was tremendous. We called Zeffrino at 5:00 PM and they stayed open for me and my family to have an early dinner. We had the Parma ham appetizer and the Sea Bass both recommendations of the staff. The children had pasta and steak. All of the food was expertly prepared and delicious. Highly recommend Zeffrino for dinner when in Genova!

A very, very classy restaurant, not in the middle of the city but you can reach it easily.
They accept if you walk in just wearing shorts, shirt and sandals but be aware that the other guest might give you strange looks :)
Starting with the service, as the previous reviews say, the service is good, even if they take their time when the restaurant is crowded. After we entered they offered us a welcome drink and a started as «Greetings from the kitchen» which already was delicious.
Okay, one have to admit it is quite pricey. We spent ~200 € for a 4 person dinner, but keeping in mind what we ate and drunk, not to mention the quality of the food and that it was realy amazing, I think the price is okay. Not cheap at all but not too expensive, meaning the food/​service value is okay.
Btw. You can have a bottle of wine for round about 800 €, just saying.

Amazing service & food. This was the best meal on our trip to Italy recently. Contrary to other reviews, I think the price is very reasonable for the food & service you get. You’re likely to pay way more for mediocre food in other cities like Venice & Milan so just because Genoa is smaller doesn’t mean that the food/​service value is not worth the price.
~ pesto (what Zeffirino is famous for) — ahhhmazing! so light yet flavorful & delicious
~ risotto al nero — cuttlefish ink risotto w/​seafood — this has to be the best dish we had on our trip. It was so good that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I ended up ordering a jar of cuttlefish ink online to try to recreate this at home.
~ sea bass — served table-​side in a copper pan — fresh fish & great flavors!
~ mille feuille — make sure you save room for this dessert! so yummy & the presentation’s great as well
Complimentary prosecco & grappa — I really don’t like grappa or maybe I just cannot take shots anymore
As of early April, there’s some construction work going on that pretty much blocks the restaurant view from the main street. Look for signs to take you to the restaurant.

Excellent service, food is very good, but quite pricey. Dining room is larger than most in Genoa’s city center.

We arrived in Italy for the first time, after a very long drive, very late, one night. We stayed at the Meliã hotel, and a front desk person recommended Zeffirino for our late dinner, that night.
Although the décor may be a bit dated, our experience was simply excellent. The food was delicious, and staff had no problem customizing my order to suit my dietary needs. As good as the food was, the service was that much better. …Professionals, all around.
We were greeted warmly, then offered a little, vegetarian amuse-​bouche/​-​gueule with champagne. After our meal, we were then offered a digestif. Whenever possible, both the waiter and chef (owner?) greeted patrons as they left. (The chef even gave me the requisite cheek kisses. Adorable.)
In the end, it wasn’t inexpensive, but wasn’t inordinately expensive, either. I think our dinner for two (incl. one glass of wine and two desserts) was around € 180.
Highly recommended. What a fantastic welcome to Italy!

This restaurant is the favorite of many including the Vatican, Popes, famous singers (ie Sinatra) and movie stars.
The food was excellent and the service even better… Probably the best service i have experienced so far.
Menu «degustazione» was a very good choice.
Pictures posted :)
Strongly recommended !

My girlfriend and I walked in on a Sunday night after reading that this was Frank Sinatras favorite restaurant from wikitravel. Amazing food (their ravioli is the best I have ever tasted). Amazing atmosphere. Amazing service. I asked about Frank Sinatra and the waiter told me a nice story about his visit and then gave us to photo albums of when Pope Benedict visited. It is very pricey but this restaurant is now the scale I judge other restaurants.