Manuelina Focacceria

Manuelina is the Recco institution credited with making focaccia di Recco col formaggio famous, tracing its story to 1885 when Manuelina first served the cheese-filled flatbread in her roadside tavern on the Via Aurelia. Today the focacceria on Via Roma turns out the dish that defines the town: two paper-thin sheets of unleavened dough enclosing molten stracchino cheese, baked blistering hot and cut into squares, served all day alongside other Ligurian specialties such as trofie al pesto and pansoti con salsa di noci. The focaccia di Recco carries PGI (IGP) protected status, and Manuelina is the essential pilgrimage for tasting the genuine article at its source. The operation spans a casual focacceria for the flatbread and a more formal restaurant for sit-down meals, so visitors can drop in for a quick wedge or settle for a full Ligurian lunch or dinner. Prices are mid-range: the focaccia is sold by portion at modest cost, while a fuller meal in the restaurant runs to roughly EUR 30-45 per person before wine. The atmosphere is bustling and convivial, busy with day-trippers and locals, and the wine list covers Ligurian whites such as Vermentino and Pigato that cut the richness of the cheese. Recco sits on the coast between Genoa and the Portofino peninsula, easily reached by train, which makes Manuelina a natural stop on a Riviera di Levante itinerary. The focaccia is at its best eaten hot from the oven, when the stracchino is still molten, so timing a visit around a fresh batch is worthwhile. Reservations are recommended for the restaurant, particularly at weekends and during the town's focaccia festivities, while the focacceria counter is more walk-in friendly. For anyone wanting to understand why Recco is synonymous with cheese focaccia, a visit to Manuelina is the definitive experience.