Imperia Food Guide
Local cuisine, restaurants, markets & olive oil in Liguria's City of Olives
Published 6 June 2026 · 7 min read
Imperia is one of the great food towns of the Italian Riviera. Known as the "City of Olives," it sits at the heart of the Taggiasca olive oil region — producing an extra-virgin oil so prized it's been exported for centuries. But Imperia's food story goes far beyond olive oil. This is a town where Ligurian cooking traditions run deep: chickpea farinata sizzling in copper pans, hand-rolled trofie tossed with pesto made from locally grown basil, and fresh fish brought in from the morning catch at Oneglia harbour.
Here's your guide to eating, drinking, and tasting your way through Imperia.
🫒 Olive Oil — Imperia's Liquid Gold
If one ingredient defines Imperia, it's olive oil. The hillsides behind the city are terraced with groves of Taggiasca olives — a small, flavourful variety that produces a delicate, slightly sweet oil prized by chefs across Italy. The Taggiasca olive is also cured and eaten as a table olive, often appearing in pasta sauces, on focaccia, or alongside aperitivo drinks.
Olive oil is so central to Imperia's identity that the town is home to the Museo dell'Olivo (Olive Tree Museum), run by the Fratelli Carli company in Oneglia. This world-class museum traces 5,000 years of olive cultivation — from ancient Mesopotamia through Roman times to modern Ligurian production — with antique presses, amphora collections, and interactive displays. Entry is free, and there's a tasting room where you can sample different oils and learn to distinguish quality by aroma and flavour.
For a more hands-on experience, visit a working frantoio (olive press). Frantoio della Rosa welcomes visitors for guided tastings, explaining the cold-press process and the differences between early and late-harvest oils. During harvest season (November–December), you can watch the entire pressing process and taste olio nuovo — fresh oil straight from the press, vivid green and peppery — one of the most exciting flavours in Italian food.
🍽️ Essential Ligurian Dishes to Try in Imperia
Farinata
A crispy, golden flatbread made from chickpea flour, olive oil, water, and salt — baked in a wide copper pan in a scorching oven. It's one of Liguria's most iconic street foods, and Imperia's version, made with local Taggiasca olive oil, is among the best on the coast. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan, with just a grinding of black pepper. You'll find it at bakeries (forni) and dedicated farinata shops across both Porto Maurizio and Oneglia.
Trofie al Pesto
Hand-rolled, twisted pasta shapes tossed with Genovese pesto — basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano, pecorino, and of course, Ligurian olive oil. Imperia's pesto benefits from the local Taggiasca oil, which gives it a rounder, less sharp flavour than versions further east. Some restaurants add green beans and sliced potato to the pasta water, the traditional Ligurian way.
Pansotti con Salsa di Noci
Large, triangle-shaped pasta parcels stuffed with a mix of wild herbs (preboggion), ricotta, and parmigiano, served with a walnut cream sauce. It's a dish of extraordinary delicacy — the herb filling is foraged from the hillsides behind the town, and the walnut sauce is rich without being heavy. A Ligurian classic at its finest.
Brandacujun
A traditional Ligurian preparation of stockfish (dried cod), whipped with potatoes, olive oil, and garlic until it becomes a smooth, creamy purée. The name — meaning "shaken" in dialect — refers to the vigorous whipping process. It's served warm, sometimes with a drizzle of fresh oil and a scatter of pine nuts. A humble dish that becomes something special with good olive oil.
Buridda
A hearty Ligurian fish stew made with whatever the morning catch brings in — often a mix of white fish, squid, and shellfish, cooked slowly with tomatoes, pine nuts, dried mushrooms, and olive oil. Every restaurant has its own version. It's best in autumn and winter when the fishing boats are active and the demand for warming dishes is high.
Focaccia Ligure
Ligurian focaccia is different from the thick, bready variety found elsewhere in Italy. Here it's thin, dimpled, glistening with olive oil, and lightly crunchy on the outside while staying soft within. The best examples use Taggiasca oil, which gives it a distinctive sweetness. Eaten at any time of day — for breakfast dipped in coffee, as a mid-morning snack, or torn apart at the table before dinner.
🍴 Where to Eat in Imperia
Osteria del Parasio — Porto Maurizio
Set in the heart of the Parasio medieval quarter, this intimate osteria serves classic Ligurian dishes with a focus on local ingredients. Think rabbit with Taggiasca olives, fresh pasta with seasonal sauces, and a well-chosen wine list heavy on Pigato and Vermentino. The terrace views over the coast are a bonus. Reservations recommended, especially in summer.
Ristorante Le Rune — Oneglia
A well-regarded restaurant near Oneglia's harbour, known for its seafood and creative takes on Ligurian classics. Fresh fish is the star — grilled, baked, or in stews like buridda. The trofie al pesto is reliably excellent, and the wine list showcases the province's best producers. Slightly more formal than the average trattoria, good for a special dinner.
Trattoria da Pino — Diano Marina
A no-frills trattoria in neighbouring Diano Marina (7km east) that locals swear by. The kind of place where the menu changes daily based on what's fresh, portions are generous, and the house wine is perfectly decent. Farinata, mixed fried fish, and whatever pasta the kitchen decides to make that day. Cash only, arrive early.
Pizzeria Da Marco — Imperia
When you want a break from Ligurian tradition, Da Marco delivers solid Neapolitan-style pizza in a casual, friendly setting. Thin crust, good ingredients, and a local crowd — the kind of neighbourhood pizza place every Italian town needs. Also serves focaccia and basic pasta dishes.
🛒 Markets & Food Shopping
Mercato Coperto Oneglia
Oneglia's covered market is the culinary heart of Imperia. Open every morning (Monday–Saturday), it sells fresh fish straight from the harbour, seasonal vegetables from the hillside gardens, local cheeses, cured meats, and of course, olive oil by the bottle or the can. The fishmongers are worth a visit even if you're not buying — the display of Mediterranean species is remarkable.
Porto Maurizio Morning Market
Smaller than Oneglia's but equally charming. The Porto Maurizio market focuses on produce, flowers, and local specialities. Wednesday and Saturday mornings see a larger open-air market in Oneglia with clothing and household goods alongside food stalls.
What to Buy
The obvious souvenir from Imperia is olive oil — buy it from a frantoio or the market, not from a tourist shop. Also worth taking home: Taggiasca olives in brine, dried porcini mushrooms (in autumn), local honey, Ligurian pesto (in jars, for the journey), and a bottle of Pigato wine.
🍷 Local Wines
The province of Imperia produces three distinctive wines that pair perfectly with local cuisine:
Pigato
A full-bodied white with herbal, slightly honeyed notes. Grown almost exclusively in western Liguria, it's the ideal partner for Ligurian seafood, pesto, and vegetable dishes. The best producers are in the hills around Albenga and Ranzo, a short drive from Imperia.
Vermentino
Lighter and more aromatic than Pigato, with citrus and mineral notes. Widely grown across Liguria (and Sardinia), it's a crisp, refreshing white for aperitivo or lighter fish dishes. Look for Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC versions.
Rossese di Dolceacqua
An elegant, medium-bodied red from the Nervia valley, centred on the medieval village of Dolceacqua (20km from Imperia). Light enough for fish stews and robust enough for rabbit with olives, it's one of Liguria's most interesting reds — and still relatively unknown outside the region. A day trip to Dolceacqua for wine and its famous Doria castle is highly recommended.
📅 Eating Through the Seasons
Spring: Artichokes, fava beans, fresh peas, wild herbs (preboggion) for pansotti, the first basil for pesto.
Summer: Tomatoes at their peak, grilled fish, cold focaccia, gelato on the harbour front, outdoor dining until late.
Autumn: Mushroom season (porcini from the mountains), chestnut harvest, new-season olive oil (olio nuovo), grape harvest for Pigato and Rossese.
Winter: Hearty stews (buridda, stockfish), fresh ravioli, chestnuts roasting, truffles from the Piedmont border just over the mountains.
For food lovers, a few days in Imperia is a revelation. This isn't a town that performs for tourists — the food culture is genuine, rooted in centuries of Ligurian tradition, and powered by what might be Italy's finest olive oil. Book a sustainable stay in Imperia through IMPT — with 8M+ hotels at the same price as Booking.com, 1 tonnellata di CO₂ rimossa per prenotazione, and 5% cashback in IMPT tokens. New members receive €5 di credito gratuito on their first booking.
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