Carta Paglia In Albenga

25/03/2025: Good but expensive for such small portions

16/03/2025: Give me a minute because this time it's really worth it. If you're looking for traditional Ligurian cuisine, ok, I understand, I really like it too. Alassio is full of restaurants that make you trenette with pesto and Ligurian rabbit, you don't need my advice. BUT If, like me, you are looking for sophisticated and creative cuisine, made not to amaze but to find unexpected flavors and surprising combinations, then book a table here and I guarantee you won't regret it. Starting from the linguine with clams, excellent but quite classic, up to the more creative and original dishes, everything here is worth trying. So much so that as far as the kitchen is concerned (the dining room, although directly on the sea, suffers a bit from the limitations of the lack of space typical of Liguria) in my opinion the Banchina 51 could be very close to deserving a star. This is to say that as long as you can have dinner there for €50-70, in my opinion you should rush out and try it, and then go back too. In fact, I regret not having spent more and tried more than 4 dishes (two of which shared between two - including an *incredible* chocolate cake with olive pâté and gelled lemon spheres - with two glasses, less than €100 in total). At these prices I guarantee you that it is truly a cuisine not to be missed. It has perhaps been years since I have been so surprised by dishes that are also very well looked after on an aesthetic level. A little gem, and one of the rare cases in which I give the fifth star without hesitation, moreover to a place that I think has still had the recognition it deserves.