Osteria di San Martino

Osteria di San Martino occupies a narrow street in Bastia's Genoese old quarter — the Terra Vecchia — at a remove from the tourist restaurants around the Vieux-Port, which makes it a reliable choice for visitors willing to seek it out. The name reflects Bastia's deep historical ties to Genoa: the city was the Genoese capital of Corsica for nearly four centuries, and the cooking here sits at the productive intersection of Corsican and Italian culinary traditions. Pasta with fresh sea urchin — ricci di mare in the Bastian patois — is the dish most closely identified with the osteria, arriving simply dressed with olive oil and a touch of chilli, allowing the oceanic flavour of the urchin to speak without distraction. Grilled figatellu — the island's distinctive liver sausage — is served with accompaniments that vary by season: lentils and chestnuts in autumn and winter, dressed salad leaves in summer. The Corsican stew, a slow-cooked preparation of pork or lamb with island herbs, appears on the winter menu when the kitchen has access to the right mountain cuts. The dining room is small and characterful, with stone walls, low ceiling beams, and the kind of close table spacing that encourages overhearing neighbouring conversations. Service is attentive and knowledgeable about the menu's Corsican-Italian provenance. The wine list favours the Patrimonio appellation — whose Vermentino whites are the natural match for the sea urchin pasta — alongside a short selection of Corsican reds. Reservations are recommended for dinner throughout the week.