A fusion trip to Albissola Marina between ceramics as blue as the sea and the colours of good food

Walking on a mosaic a kilometre long, created by artists such as Lucio Fontana, Roberto Crippa, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Aligi Sassu, all under a very dense row of cheerful palms behind which the crystalline blue of the sea can be glimpsed: to live this fabulous experience you just need to go to Albissola Marina. The Lungomare degli Artisti, created in 1963, is among the symbols of Albissola Marina, a place known for centuries in the world for its ceramics, whose production had begun in 1122. Venturing into the historic centre, we discover one of the most characteristic villages of the riviera, with alleys that wind through a kaleidoscope of lively Ligurian colours, preserving the ancient medieval atmospheres intact.

You come across potters' workshops and studios just about everywhere, and inside them you admire an endless number of handmade objects, often in blue and white, recalling the splendour of the sea. Before us, many illustrious travellers had come to Albissola, of whom we're "told", to the delight of the children who are with us, by nothing less than a crocodile: the one created by Lucio Fontana for the historic Giuseppe Mazzotti Manifattura Ceramiche. The life-size art reptile is today displayed in the Manufacture's Garden Museum, as a symbol of the era in which many Futurists, including Filippo Tommaso Marinetti himself, often visited Albissola Marina to create ceramic works.

In Albissola Marina there's also a piece of Novara: the Villa Faraggiana, today the venue for art exhibitions, built in the eighteenth century as the residence of the Durazzo family, then left to the Municipality of Novara by the last owner Alessandro Faraggiana. During our walk we also visit the sixteenth-century parish church of Nostra Signora della Concordia, admiring, besides its Baroque facade, created in the twentieth century, and the large churchyard with white and black stripes in pure Ligurian style, also several valuable works of art placed inside. The Oratory of San Giuseppe, built in the seventeenth century, overlooks the same evocative square.

It's right a stone's throw from the church that we decide to stop for dinner at a young, colourful and sparkling place: Sale Fino – Trattoria Moderna, in via Colombo. Leading us inside the building dating from 1500, once the site of a kiln, but perhaps also a slaughterhouse, is a characteristic corridor furnished in a lively and sunny way with paintings, decorations and various objects that give off cheerfulness. The effervescent and fun atmosphere continues inside too, both in the dining room and in the garden, structured on various levels and furnished with comfortable benches, cushions and small tables that create intimate corners, also ideal for sipping an aperitif with friends. The garden is directly connected to the churchyard of the church; in fact we discover that you can also access the restaurant by going down two steps from the square.

Welcoming us to this original place is Roberta Stabile, the owner who runs the restaurant with contagious enthusiasm and with original ideas that quickly win over the public. "Our cuisine is Ligurian, but revisited with imagination and presented with an impactful aesthetic. We're a bit fusion, we create interesting fusions of ingredients to reveal surprising and very pleasant combinations, such as for example the use of Japanese spices on certain Ligurian dishes," Roberta explains to us. We dive into the intriguing world of this fusion Liguria, tasting appetizers such as the anchovies stuffed with mustard and honey sauce, the real flagship of the place, but the fassona tartare with almonds, salt, pepper and chinotto syrup is also a delight.

Some of our friends had spoken very highly of the tapas they had eaten here during the summer; now instead we find irresistible the gourmet sandwiches such as the francesino with Genoese-style shredded rabbit, taggiasca olives, herb pesto and fried onions, or the Ligurian focaccia with prescinseua, baked pumpkin and sautéed guanciale. From the evocative cellar excellent Italian and French wines arrive at our table, carefully selected by Roberta. Some of us opt for a nice soup with pesto, while among the main courses we choose the fresh fish soup with bread croutons, and the confit salt cod on celeriac purée and taggiasca olive powder. This time our evening in Albissola ends in great sweetness thanks to the tasty homemade desserts such as the fig tiramisù, with dark chocolate and honey: one of the many good reasons to come back here soon.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Sale Fino – Trattoria Moderna Via Colombo, 15 Albissola Marina (SV) Tel.: 019/480156 Facebook: