46 Best Restaurants in Mount Etna and Eastern Sicily, Sicily

A local favorite for over a century, Irrera is known for its cassata, pignolata (little balls of sweet fried dough held together by honey or chocolate), and filled-to-order cannoli. Grab a spot on the outside terrace to sate your sweet tooth and do a little people-watching. 

The lively Pasticceria Savia makes superlative arancini with ragù. Or you could choose cannoli, granita, or other snacks to munch on while you people-watch from one of the streetside tables.

For a casual night out with a tremendous backdrop, stop by for a pizza at Blanca, which sits on the terrace directly under the Norman castle with views of Aci Trezza in the distance. You'll see neighborhood kids kicking soccer balls in the piazza and couples out for their evening passeggiata as you dine on excellent pizza under the stars.  

Dine right on the water's edge at this local seafood favorite on the Isola Bella beach. Seafood reigns supreme, and in early mornings you might even see fishermen pulling their boats directly up to the restaurant to make fresh deliveries. It's a perfect addition to a beach day as you can dine on the terrace in your cover-up, no questions asked. 

In Sicily, tavola calda is its own food group. From arancini to filled savory pastries, this "fast food" option is the heart and soul of the Sicilian aperitivo experience (or lunch on the fly), and in Milo, your go-to is Putìa Lab. They also offer excellent pastries, sandwiches, and hot plates (like lasagna or roast chicken). But their sweet spot is the robust selection of excellent tavola calda.

Ask for an outside table under the canopy at this charming—and always bustling—bistro, located down a pedestrian-only path in the heart of the historic district. Here, you'll find a mix of the Catanese standards (eggplant parmigiana, meatballs cooked in lemon leaves, caponata) as well as a rotation of riffs on typical Italian dishes (such as lasagna, sometimes served with radicchio, gorgonzola, and walnuts). The daily menu is hand-scrawled on a chalkboard and the wine list champions female producers. Though they accept walk-ups, during peak hours you might have to wait a bit if you haven't booked a table. Just order a spritz and enjoy the people watching until your table is ready. 

Family-owned for generations, Cutì Lu Dissi (which means "who told you" in Sicilian) specializes in excellent renditions of Sicilian food. From their lofty open-air terrace just beyond the Porta Catania, you can see the sea below and Etna in the distance. And with a staff that's instantly familiar with guests but always professional, it's the sort of place where you will want to linger until closing time.

This restaurant claims to be located between heaven and earth, and its hillside perch with sweeping vistas certainly helps make its case. Go for classic Sicilian dishes, such as spaghetti with pistachio pesto or a many-layered slice of eggplant parmigiana. 

Linger on the sunny seaside deck as you get your fill of fresh seafood along the scogliera outside Aci Castello. While the pasta and secondi are all very well done, you could easily make a meal by ordering a shared selection of antipasti as the portions are quite ample. Favorites include sautéed mussels and clams, fried baby calamari, and a raw seafood platter full of oysters, sea urchin, and scampi. They also do a good burger and serve pizzas at night.

Here it's all about the views. Though Etna keeps the eastern side of Sicily from having truly excellent sunsets, this southern point of Aci Trezza manages to have a pretty remarkable vista for the sun's farewell, with the Norman castle of Aci Castello visible across the Ionian inlet. Order a spritz and take in the show. 

Located just off the fish market, in an alleyway covered by brightly colored parasols, Tantìkkia (which means "a little" in Sicilian dialect) serves little tastes of modern Sicily. Drawing on tradition, the updated twists show inspiration, yet steer far from precious. The lemon tagliolini is bright and fresh and the grilled octopus is softened with a potato mousse, peas, and leeks while the saffron-scented arancini are stuffed with red mullet. This cozy little restaurant offers a great example of an updated Sicilian kitchen.

You come upon this rustic little restaurant by navigating the small country roads between vineyards, and don't be surprised if you whip past it and have to turn around. The restaurant is divided into an interior dining room and an outside covered patio, and they're known for taking inspiration from the seasonal bounty of Etna. Look for dishes such as wild fennel pesto over pasta with toasted almonds, mushroom cotolette (cutlets), fresh ricotta with tomatoes, and grilled local pork. And, of course, the wine list is no joke. 

Chef Luca Casablanca is like a character out of a Sicilian storybook. Full of personality and endlessly dedicated to the showcasing the food of his native land, he adheres to the Slow Food philosophy more than anyone else in Taormina. There are very few tables at this intimate little trattoria down a narrow staircase off Corso Umberto, so it's highly recommended to reserve ahead of time.

Specializing in regional Sicilian cooking, this intimate little trattoria focuses on meat with a wide selection of certified Angus, Sicilian beef, donkey steaks, sausages, and rolls of involtini. You can shop the meat locker to choose your cut. Start the meal with the nduppa puttusu appetizer, which includes 10 different typical dishes, including parmigiana, caponata, arancini, chickpea salad, and sweet-and-sour yellow pumpkin.

This unassuming little spot tucked on a side street between Via Umberto and Piazza Verga consistently underpromises and overdelivers. It portends to be a little neighborhood eatery, but it's a destination in its own right with chef/owner Ivan Siringo serving classics like pasta with squid ink, roulades of stuffed chicken, and red shrimp carpaccio. Every dish has a subtle elegance and ingenuity to it that transcends the plate as pure joy in your mouth.

Admittedly most visitors to Sicily aren't seeking Asian food, but when you've had your fill of caponata, Yoi is the perfect place for a palate refresher. They're known for their dim sum--style offerings (dumplings are charmingly called ravioli here), bao buns, stir-fried noodles, and classics like Peking duck or their take on Nobu's miso-marinated cod. The wine program, run by Leandro Gullino, is one of the best in the area.