[Nov. 2025] On the day we arrived in Santa Margherita Ligure, Liguria, northern Italy, we went out again in the evening.
It was just after 6 PM, but it was already pitch black.
This is one of the downsides of travelling in the autumn and winter.
But some scenery is even more captivating at night.
We walked toward a different way from we did during the day towards the port, and the scene of the boats anchored in the dark sea was beautiful.
The sight of two old men walking and chatting away was so Italian.
The narrow alleys were also very charming.
It didn’t feel dangerous at all.
After enjoying our stroll, we headed to Trattoria Da Pazzi, where we had a reservation, around 7:30 PM.
Given the deserted townscape, we assumed we’d be the only ones there, but there were about three other groups of customers.
The atmosphere was very casual, barely more than a cafe.
It’s certainly a popular restaurant, with people constantly coming in and out, and then another one entering.
We wanted to start with a seafood salad, but it turns out it’s only available on weekends, so we decided to share the Tris Pesce Marinato instead.
The three types of fish were salmon, swordfish, and anchovies, and the lemon drizzle made it light and tart.
I love dishes like this that emphasize the ingredients.
For the main course, I chose the Branzino Mediterranea (Mediterranean-Style Sea Bass), which was the dish of the day.
By Mediterranean-style, they meant puttanesca with some potatoes.
At first glance, the portion seemed small, but that wasn’t the case, and the taste wasn’t surprising, but it was delicious and satisfying.
My husband ordered the Trofie al Pesto, a regional classic.
It’s not very nice to say, but it’s a dish of maggot-like pasta tossed in a green pesto sauce.
The sauce seemed to be a mixture of parsley, garlic, Parmesan, and pine nuts.
I had a bite, and it was delicious.
But I thought I’d probably get bored of just this one dish.
For dessert, I had Cantucci and Vin Santo, and my husband had Semifreddo Amaretto.
Added to that a 3/4 litre of house wine, the total came to a bargain at €69.
Regional restaurants are always cheap, delicious, and satisfying.
