The bars around Piazza delle Erbe are the best place to experience Genoese nightlife. Tables fill from around 6pm for aperitivo — a spritz or local vermouth with snacks — and the crowd stays until well past midnight. Bibo Bar, Zeta Bar, and Bar Berto are longtime fixtures; none of them is particularly large, and all of them are perpetually full at weekends.
The square works as a base from which to wander the surrounding caruggi, popping into whichever bar looks most inviting. The neighbourhood is safe at night and has been the city's social hub for decades. Arrive early on Fridays to get an outdoor table.