3 Best Restaurants in Alghero, Sardinia

Slightly off the tourist track but well known to locals, this grotto-like former mill has two long rooms with low, vaulted ceilings and a brisk but cheerful atmosphere. There's a good balance between meat and seafood dishes, the menu taking in everything from malloreddus alla sarda (local pasta with sausage-meat sauce) and fritto misto di mare (fried squid, prawns, and fresh fish) to crusty pizzas. You may have to wait for a table without a booking.

For a delicious cannolo, fruit tart, or bignè (cream puff), local cognoscenti make a beeline for this classic bar and pastry shop near Piazza Sulis, where the sweet delights displayed are made with the lightest pastry and the freshest fillings. Good coffees, ice creams, and sandwiches are also available, and there are tables inside and out back.

In prime position with tables arrayed on Alghero's broad city walls and views down to the yachting marina and across to Capo Caccia, this makes a wonderful place to pause by day or night with a spritz or fruit juice. The menu has a number of food items, too. There's a second entrance, opposite the cathedral on Via Sant'Erasmo.