Sicily Restaurants

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Sicily - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.

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  • 1. A Cucchiara

    $$

    A light nautical theme permeates this stone-walled restaurant, where the open kitchen provides theater and owner Peppe Giamboi takes the stage as a gustatory storyteller, roaming from table to table. The menu is constantly changing, but you'll find excellent work with vegetables (a rarity in Sicily) and really lovely preparations of local cod. In addition to a sublime rendition of stocco in ghiotto (cod in a Messinese sauce of tomatoes, olives, capers, and celery), it also might show up prepared under tender sheets of lardo in a light orange-lemon sauce with fried leeks. 

    Strada San Giacomo 19, Messina, Sicily, 98122, Italy
    090-711023

    Known For

    • Elegant food in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere
    • Locally, sustainably sourced seafood
    • Robust wine program

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 2. Forno Biancuccia

    $

    Lawyer-turned-baker Valeria Messina has singlehandedly revived the use of heirloom grains in Catania. At her welcoming little corner bakery, she uses tumminia, perciasacchi, maiorca, and timilia flours to create crusty sourdough loaves, focaccia, buttery biscotti, and traditional pizza marinara. Don't miss her schiacciata (a sort of filled pizza) stuffed with the ingredients of the season, from broccoli or chicory to roasted peppers with mint or anchovies and capers.

    Via Mario Sangiorgi 12, Catania, Sicily, 95129, Italy
    095-6681018

    Known For

    • From-the-oven tastes of ancient Sicily
    • Schiacciata stuffed with seasonal ingredients
    • Rye from the slopes of Etna

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 3. Francesco Arena

    $

    You'll smell this panificio and focacceria before you arrive, as the scent of baking bread wafts down the street. The 45-year-old Francesco Arena works with ancient grains (like tumminia, perciasacchi, and rusello) and a hearty mother yeast to produce tender focaccia topped with everything from sun-sweetened tomatoes to escarole, crusty loaves, ham-and-cheese filled pidone, and the flakiest croissants. Arena has bread baking in his bones; his nonna opened the first family bakery in 1939, and his father followed suit with his own in 1970.

    Via T. Cannizzaro 137, Messina, Sicily, 98122, Italy
    090-9218792

    Known For

    • Official master baker
    • Detour-worthy focaccia
    • Barchette, a pizza "boat" loaded with toppings

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 4. Frumento

    $

    Pizza is something Sicilians eat at least weekly, and Frumento has been the area standard-bearer of excellence since it opened in 2015. Choose from five different dough options (from a classic Neapolitan-style to rye to ancient Sicilian grains) as your base, and then pick one of the 65 different topping combos. Ingredients range from the classics (tomato, buffalo mozzarella, salami) to things like capers from Salina, bottarga, 'nduja, and wild fennel pesto. The young owner is especially passionate about natural wine, and the list reflects that. They also have a second location in Catania (Via Raffineria; 095/8037564).

    Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini, Acireale, Sicily, 95024, Italy
    095-601496

    Known For

    • Excellent antipasti such as arancini and fried stuffed squash blossoms
    • Locally made products for sale in the restaurant
    • Good natural wine selection
  • 5. Gran Cafè Solaire

    $

    Even on rainy days (which admittedly there aren't many of), the sun seems to shine bright here. They serve arguably the best granita in the Catania area; the pistachio is so creamy you'll swear they added dairy. The blood orange highlights the robust flavor of the local citrus while the lemon is refreshingly bright, sweet, and tart and the chocolate is dark and rich. Area residents pop in to have granita with warm brioche for breakfast, lunch, or as an afternoon snack (yes, granita counts as lunch).

    Via Provinciale 81, Aci Trezza, Sicily, 95021, Italy
    345-1656822

    Known For

    • Shaded location off the port
    • Sublime granita
    • Relatively fast service
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  • 6. Gran Caffè Urna dal 1885

    $

    What Americans know as Sicilian pizza quite frankly doesn't exist in Sicily, but at this historic café and pizzeria that's been around since the 1800s, you'll find the real pizza siciliana. Though you can find the dish throughout the area, especially in Viagrande and Zaefferana, Urna is said to be its inventor: they stuff tender calzone pastry with Tuma cheese, anchovies, and black peppercorns, and then deep fry the half-moon delicacy. The result is a gooey, savory, flaky delight. Eat it in the outside garden or get it to go.

    Piazza Urna 36, Sicily, 95029, Italy
    095-7894579

    Known For

    • Authentic pizza siciliana
    • Casual, historic ambience
    • Spacious outside courtyard
  • 7. In Cucina Dai Pennisi

    $$

    In the back of a butcher shop that's been operating since 1968, the Pennisi family opened this meat-focused 30-seat restaurant in December 2017. In the front, you'll find cases full of dry-aged beef; house-made sausages, guanciale, lardo, pancetta, and headcheese; whole chickens; beef liver and veal tongue; and skewers of hand-rolled involtini. You choose your meat from the cases, and they prepare it over a live-fire grill in the back, which you can watch through the plate-glass wall.    

    Via Umberto I 11, Linguaglossa, Sicily, 95015, Italy
    095-643160

    Known For

    • Salsiccia a ceppo, a hand-chopped pork sausage
    • Robust Etna wine selection
    • Excellent beef tartare

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 8. In Un Angolo Di Mondo

    $$

    Walking through the gate of this little spot feels like entering a pizza speakeasy—it's located at the end of a cul-de-sac in the garden and ground floor of the owners' home (the name means "in a corner of the world"), and you'd be forgiven for thinking you've gotten the directions wrong. They use a slow, cold fermentation process to create crusts with deep flavors that they ply to turn out calzones and about 15 different pizzas each night. The menu is scrawled on a chalkboard (take a photo when you arrive for easy reference) and features beautiful combos, such as chicory with toasted breadcrumbs and black olives or pear and walnut with gorgonzola. 

    Via Nazionale per Catania 180, Acireale, Sicily, 95024, Italy
    095-877724

    Known For

    • Vegetarian and vegan pizza topping options
    • Natural wines
    • Excellent calzones

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed.
  • 9. Km.0

    $$

    For the best of what's locally in season, look to chef Marco Cannizzaro and his 25-seat fine-dining restaurant. Harvested from Etna to the Ionian Sea, the primary ingredients of the area simply shine in his hands: Nerello mascelese grapes show up as rich sauces, wild greens harvested from the slopes of Etna make their way into risottos or stuffed into tender calamari meatballs, and donkey, an economical protein staple of the area, is transformed into flavorful and refined tartare. The commitment here to the area's materia prima informs the soul of the restaurant.

    Via Antonino Longo 26, Catania, Sicily, 95125, Italy
    347-7327788-mobile

    Known For

    • Robiola-stuffed smoked onion with strawberry
    • Fine dining with a neighborhood feel
    • Four-, five-, or seven-course tasting menus

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Wed. yr-round and Sun. in summer
  • 10. La Grotta

    $$$

    With its dining room set in a cave above the harbor of Santa Maria La Scala, this rustic trattoria specializes in seafood. Try the insalata di mare (a selection of delicately boiled fish served with lemon and olive oil), pasta with clams or cuttlefish ink, or fish grilled over charcoal. The menu is small and simple, but expertly prepared.

    Via Scalo Grande 46, Acireale, Sicily, 95024, Italy
    095-7648153

    Known For

    • The catch of the day
    • Superfresh seafood
    • Unique cave setting

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and late Oct.
  • 11. Oasi Frutti di Mare da Nitto

    $

    Located in the Ognina port, the little Nitto empire has exploded: what began as a mobile market in the 1960s (from the back of a Piaggio Ape) is now a standing fresh fish market and series of restaurants. Locals line up outside the little market to get their daily catch, while next door the fast-casual restaurant serves some of the best-prepared seafood in the area, including squid ink pastas, skewers of grilled fish, and raw seafood platters.

    Piazza Mancini Battaglia 6, Catania, Sicily, 95126, Italy
    095-491165

    Known For

    • Vivacious atmosphere
    • Tuna agrodolce, a sweet-and-sour tuna dish studded with pine nuts and raisins
    • Fresh-off-the-boat seafood
  • 12. Pasticceria Santo Musumeci

    $

    In the picture-perfect medieval town of Randazzo, high on the northern side of Etna, this generations-old bakery sits at the foot of the basilica in Piazza Santa Maria. Now run by Giovanna, the daughter of Santo, the pasticceria is especially known for its exceptional gelato and granita, which are made with all natural products, with no artificial bases, colors, or flavorings. Look for an upgrade to the tastes you already know and love, such as rich and creamy pistachio gelato studded with orange zest and candied pistachios. Or try a seasonal granita with flavors informed by the wares of local farmers, such as wild mulberry, yellow raspberry, apricot, or prickly pear.

    Piazza Santa Maria 5, Randazzo, Sicily, 95036, Italy
    095-921196

    Known For

    • Torrone
    • Fried rice crispelle
    • Seasonally driven granitas

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
  • 13. Pasticceria-Gelateria Giuseppe Arena

    $

    In the Sicilian food world, the name Giuseppe Arena is synonymous with sweets. He's a maestro gelatiere (master gelato maker) who specializes in artisanal gelato, sorbet, and granita, working with fresh fruits of the season and products from the region, such as hazelnuts from the nearby Nebrodi mountains. He made his first granita at age seven with his grandfather, and through a series of competitions has been called one of the best gelato makers in Italy.

    Via Consolare Pompea 1773, Punta del Faro, Sicily, 98165, Italy
    090-9214738

    Known For

    • Fantastic experimental flavors, such as clam gelato
    • Citrus sorbets
    • Granita made with fruits the owner harvests himself

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 14. Quattro Archi di Grasso Rosario

    $$

    Inside this rustic osteria, where there's not an inch of wall space spared from decor, the larger-than-life Grasso Rosario holds court as he bounces from table to table offering opinions and insight on his Slow Food--focused menu. Drawing upon the abundance of the region, the menu highlights the black hog from the Nebrodi mountains, a local cultivar of kohlrabi (in arancini and as a pasta), porcini mushrooms, and perfectly grilled and roasted meats (think pork knuckle, ribs, veal, and lamb). The Sicily-heavy wine list is a sommelier's dream.

    Via Francesco Crispi 9, Milo, Sicily, 95010, Italy
    095-955566

    Known For

    • Bustling atmosphere
    • Kohlrabi arancini with Ragusano cheese
    • Wood-oven pizzas at dinner

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Wed. No lunch weekdays
  • 15. Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab

    $

    In the heart of the fish market, you'll find the best fritto misto in the area. Walk up to the little counter on the stone balcony overlooking the action and place your order for a paper cone of fried seafood made with the lightest and crispiest batter. They even offer the choice of an all-vegetable option or "no spines" (senza spine) if you prefer your order not to have the small whole fried fish. Give them your name and find a spot at one of the nearby standing tables while you wait.

    Piazza Alonzo di Benedetto 7, Catania, Sicily, 95121, Italy
    095-8361194

    Known For

    • Unique seafood sandwiches called tramezzini
    • Superfresh seafood
    • Fast service
  • 16. Trattoria Il Barcaiolo

    $$

    Just behind the public beach in Mazzarò Bay, this intimate little terrace restaurant is shrouded by an enormous old grapevine and looks out onto postcard-perfect views of paradise. Since 1981, the family-owned trattoria has been serving pristine seafood to discerning locals and in-the-know tourists.   

    Via Castelluccio 43, Taormina, Sicily, 98039, Italy
    379-2089564-mobile

    Known For

    • Extensive wine list
    • Swordfish carpaccio with citrus and capers
    • Cassata and cannoli for dessert
  • 17. Trattoria La Bettola

    $$

    In a town where life still has a small town village feel, locals fill the outside tables of this trattoria in the central piazza at the base of the castle. The menu is full of seafood specialties—all excellent—but your best best is to ask the server what the chef is suggesting that day. They'll guide you to the best fish brought in that morning. 

    Piazza Castello 20, Aci Castello, Sicily, 95021, Italy
    095-274516

    Known For

    • Frittura di paranza (a mix of fried seafood)
    • Plump raw gamberi rossi, dressed in olive oil and lemon
    • Mussels pepato

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
  • 18. Uzeta Bistrò Siciliano

    $$

    Street food meets small plates at this ode to the flavors of Sicily. Located on a foot traffic-only street below a rainbow of colored streamers, this compact bistro serves chef-style iterations of the island's greatest "fast food" hits. And they make arguably the best arancini in the region: full of meaty ragu and saffron rice, fried to-order, with a crunchy crust that crackles as you break into it. 

    Via Penninello 41, Catania, Sicily, 95124, Italy
    095-2503374

    Known For

    • Comprehensive Sicilian wine list
    • Great cocktails
    • Best arancini in the east

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 19. Zash Ristorante

    $$$$

    Though this Michelin-starred restaurant is part of the Zash Country Boutique Hotel, it's worth a visit all on its own. Chef Giuseppe Raciti highlights the traditions and flavors of the area with a repertoire of elegant riffs that delight and surprise without overwhelming you with gimmicks. Located in a restored wine palmento, the traditional winemaking structure of Etna, the stone dining room looks over the surrounding citrus orchards whose scent wafts through the open windows. The owners, the Maugeri family, are winemakers, and naturally, you'll find their bottles on the wine list. But they are also wine lovers, and the roughly 70-page tome reflects that.  

    Strada Provinciale 2/I-II 60, Sicily, 95018, Italy
    095-7828932

    Known For

    • Incredible wine list (including wines from the owner's vineyards)
    • Thoughtful tasting menus
    • "street food" antipasti, including a mortadella mousse canolo

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
  • 20. Al Castello Girarrosto-Gastronomia

    $

    Pick up lunch or dinner to go from Al Castello, perfect for a seaside picnic or a meal at your Airbnb. They roast whole chickens daily (rotisserie-style) and have an impressive line of baked pastas, roasted potatoes, sautéed or grilled vegetables, and involtini stuffed with cheese, bacon, or pistachios. The storefront is tiny (there's no on-site dining), and it's best reached by foot; Via Re Martino is the main artery of Aci Castello and has extremely limited parking.

    Via Re Martino 189, Aci Castello, Sicily, 95021, Italy
    347-0492860

    Known For

    • Roast chicken
    • Excellent take-away options (no on-site dining at all)
    • Grilled vegetables

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