Cantina del Polpo, on Piazza Cavour in the old town, has been feeding people here since 1989. The kitchen specialises in the obvious: polpo (octopus), squid, and cuttlefish prepared simply and well, with local Ligurian wines. The menu follows the season and the catch, so it changes regularly. No credit cards, and booking ahead for dinner is a good idea in summer.
The room is small and unfussy — wood tables, wine on the shelves, the kind of place where the owner knows the fishermen by name. This is what Ligurian seafood cooking looks like when done without pretension: the fish is fresh, the wine is local, and the price is fair.