ristorazione — Santa Margherita Ligure · Liguria
On the seafront of the Gulf of Tigullio, Santa Margherita Ligure holds among its Genoese palazzi an artisan pastry shop that turns out traditional Ligurian sweets every day. Arte Dolce is open from dawn: the time of a breakfast, and the day already has a precise flavour.
On Via Cairoli 1/B, among the pastel-coloured façades that define the centre of Santa Margherita Ligure, the threshold of Arte Dolce is recognisable by the scent that precedes the sign. Open every day from seven in the morning, it has for decades been a point of reference for residents and visitors to the Gulf of Tigullio in search of a quality break in the heart of the town.
The counter tells the identity of the place better than any description: the window displays fresh pastries, cavolini, bigné and fruit tarts prepared every day, while the Margheritine sit in plain view — a dry, flower-shaped biscuit born in the 1970s with Nocciole Gentile (fine Piedmont hazelnuts). The coffee bar, tended with the same care, accompanies every stop with fine blends.
Behind the counter, the work is strictly artisan and daily. The cornetti come out of the oven every morning, cakes personalised for weddings and ceremonies are built in every detail, and the raw materials — Piedmont hazelnuts, essential oils, ingredients of Genoese tradition — are chosen to bring out authentic flavours. No shortcuts: every creation starts from scratch.
Cakes made to order, fresh pastries and the house's own Margheritine: the page tells everything the window display cannot hold.
