221 Best Restaurants in Sicily, Italy

Housed on the upper story of a classic old palazzo a 10-minute walk from Villa Palagonia in the center of town, this relaxed but elegant trattoria makes the perfect refueling stop in the middle of a day of sightseeing. The moderately priced menu leans heavily towards seafood, best sampled in such starters as calamarata dello chef (king prawns, squid, and creamed zucchini) and spaghetti allo scoglio (with mussels, clams, shrimps, swordfish, and squid). Among the mains, stand-outs include swordfish involtini (roulades) and the catch of the day, while you can't do better than rounding off your meal with a canolo. As well as the teal-blue dining room, a roof terrace is open for dining al fresco in summer.

This small, unassuming restaurant run by ever-smiling Angelo is Santo Stefano's finest, and its long, elegant dining room and terrace are popular with locals. The menu includes beautifully crafted dishes featuring Sicilian produce such as beef, veal, swordfish, squid, and porcini mushrooms.

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. It's best accessed by the tunnel at the lower entrance to the funivia.

This wonderful restaurant is housed in a part of the Palazzo Bongiorno, making it a beautiful spot to sit and savor the tastes and sights of Gangi and the Madonie. You will spoiled for choice from a menu of antipasti of local salumi and cheeses, hearty primi of mountain soups and pastas, slow-cooked, meaty main seconds, and roasted vegetable sides. 

This refreshingly atypical spot raises simple Sicilian street food to new gastronomic heights. The exuberant owner, Rosario Umbriaco, has won national prizes for his arancini; try the version with two strata of rice and melted saffron Piacentino Ennese cheese to find out why. He also makes what may be the most divine cannoli in Sicily, frying the tubular wafer in olive oil, rather than lard, and filling to order with cool, fresh, just-sweetened ricotta and candied orange from Noto’s famous Caffè Sicilia. In summer there are tables outside.

Though this Michelin-starred restaurant is part of a 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 for nigh on a hundred years, 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.  

This restaurant in Favignana's main square is a must for seafood lovers. The short, daily changing menu is constructed around the catch of the day, from the grand portions of antipasti to the main courses, and all ingredients are strictly seasonal. The choices may vary, but the kitchen's approach to such dishes as polpette alla ricciola (roulades of amberjack) and calamaro ripieno (stuffed squid) is always creative and original. You might finish off your meal with a dessert of almond semifreddo and/or a glass of alloro (laurel) liqueur. Choose between dining within the wood-covered interior space or in the terrace garden, which backs onto the town's church. The restaurant's name recalls the chant of fishermen during the annual Mattanza tuna catch.

With its sober interior, reasonable prices, and local clientele, this place on a quiet square rises above the majority of San Vito's tourist-oriented eateries. Seafood, of course, predominates on the menu, best sampled in such dishes as fish couscous, risotto allo scoglio, and cassatelle in brodo di pesce (fresh pasta in a fish broth, stuffed with ricotta, almonds, parsley, and garlic). Service is polite and professional, there are tables outside, and (unusually for this resort destination) the restaurant stays open all winter.

This popular restaurant on the pedestrianized Corso Vittorio Emanuele occupies some former stables, though the modern art on the walls and its candlelit tables evoke far more romantic associations. Dishes are predominantly local and traditional, including such starters as a delicious fish couscous and busiate pasta with Trapani-style pesto (which is made with ground almonds instead of pine nuts and tomatoes) and eggplant, while among the mains you'll be tempted by ghiotta di pesce misto (mixed seafood in a rich sauce of tomatoes, olives, and capers), and grilled swordfish. In summer, you can dine at outdoor tables.

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.

Nicola Mendolia's seaside restaurant is comfortable, casual, and faithfully focused on food—primarily pizza, but with an extensive selection of seafood, pasta, and meat, too. Dark, heavy wooden tables create a comfortable environment filled with a mix of jovial locals and businesspeople, though the most memorable option is to dine on the spacious terrace.

This little gem of a seafood restaurant right on the coast serves wonderfully fresh seafood. It is a very informal dining experience, with friendly staff and excellent prices.

Just inside the arched Porta Garibaldi gateway to the old town, this bar and restaurant offers a handy place to pause for a snack or drink. Food choices include a fine seafood salad as well as a full menu of hot dishes. There are tables inside and out on the street, but best of all are those in the broad tree-filled courtyard across the street, providing a secluded and shady retreat from the hot Sicilian sun.

Housed within a landmark Belle Epoque building—originally a lido—right on the beach, this semiformal restaurant offers a memorable dining experience, not least for its broad terrace with unrivaled views of sea and mountains. The menu is strong on seafood, including such dishes as couscous with seared whitefish simmered in a sauce of fresh tomato pesto and almonds, while among the meat choices is a fillet of beef cooked in red wine with a saffron potato mousse. A good selection of antipasti and salads is also available.

For a quick lunch, stop by this eatery right off the port. It specializes in sandwiches, fish burgers, and five different options for fritto misto. 

Marble-top tables, cast-iron ovens, and walls adorned with turn-of-the-20th-century black-and-white photographs characterize this neighborhood bakery, celebrated for the Sicilian snacks and inexpensive meals it has been doling out since 1834. The big pot on the counter holds the delicious regional specialty pani cà meusa (boiled calf's spleen with caciocavallo cheese and salt), but the squeamish can opt for chickpea fritters or enormous arancini. There are tables in the piazza in front of the lovely facade of the church of San Francesco d'Assisi, as well as in the two capacious rooms upstairs.

This food van, parked at the start of the main boulevard Viale della Vittoria, has been selling pane e panelle (soft bread rolls stuffed with deep-fried chickpea flour fritters) since 1954. If you are interested in other traditional street food, look out for the Grattatella van (ice shaved to order and served in cups with fruit syrups) and U Panuzzu Ca Meusa (soft rolls with spleen, lemon, and ricotta), both of which have no fixed place, but the Grattatella is often in the resort of San Leone in the summer, while U Panuzzo can be found at lots of local summer events.

For a cornucopia of baked goods, the Lamonica-Ricciardello family operates the best-value bet in Capo d'Orlando. There's no seating, so it's takeaway only, but you can feast your eyes and salivary glands on a bountiful choice of sweet treats like brioche and various biscotti, both soft and hard, as well as savory bites—including arancini and pizzette. 

This pastry shop, set on a pretty little piazza, is run by the sister of the town's most famous baker-nun, Maria Grammatico, and sells similar delectable treats.

Located above the boat yard at the far end of the lungomare, this eatery's second-floor dining room offers a unique perspective on Aci Trezza. Light permeates the room thanks to the open balcony at the front of the building, which gives an alfresco feel even though you're indoors (a nice compromise in the heat of August). Go for the pasta and grilled seafood; the grilled calamari is particularly good. 

On the southern tip of the island, the Asino Beach lido (beach club) is surrounded by palm trees and vegetation along a particularly beautiful stretch of volcanic sand. They offer everything from great pizzas (plus salads) and refreshing cocktails to beach chair and umbrella service.

While vegetarian and vegan restaurants are few and far between in Palermo, this airy spot in the modern town not only fits the bill but also will entice the most die-hard of carnivores. Spacious and contemporary in style, with a profusion of plants set against green walls and a gentle soundtrack of 1970s rock in the background, it offers dishes as diverse as vegetable lasagna, involtini alla Palermitana (seitan rolls stuffed with raisins and pine nuts), and curries, as well as a range of plant-based burgers. It makes the perfect stop for a light lunch or dinner.

This tiny café is located right in the square just below Castello di Sperlinga, and is an excellent place to grab a quick drink, panino, or light meal. The bar owner is also very helpful with visitors and acts as the unofficial tourist information office.

For a relaxing aperitivo at the port overlooking the sea, Bar da Carola has a generous and delicious little spread with your drink of choice, not to mention a supersweet staff. 

Throughout Sicily there are fierce arguments about who makes the best granita, and everyone has an opinion. But for many Messinese, the end of the discussion is Bar del Sud, a neighborhood favorite since 1968; their dairy-free granita is spectacularly creamy and resembles gelato in its consistency. Sit at one of the tables on the narrow sidewalk or order directly from the counter.

Stop here to sample every Sicilian sweet imaginable, from freshly made cannoli and biscotti to marzipan confections and gelato. The bar-pasticceria is a local favorite breakfast spot, as evidenced by the crowds who fill the outside terrace, consuming great coffee with their cornetti or brioche with granita. 

With tables on one of Ortigia’s most picturesque piazzas—right below the rose-window of the roofless church of San Giovannino—the pizza chef here creates magnificent light crisp, blistered pizzas made of a tasty dough slow-risen for 48 hours. There’s a dazzling and inspired choice, but the best pizzas are those with gourmet toppings—San Daniele prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, burrata, chopped cherry tomatoes, homemade pesto, and even raw prawns, smoked tuna and thyme-infused octopus—added as soon as the pizza base leaves the oven.

Just steps away from Quattro Canti and the cathedral, this smart snack stop has everything you could want to accompany a break from sightseeing: panini, house-made pastries and biscuits, ice cream, and good coffee. There are tables in the picture-hung interior and out on the pavement, and pastas, pizzas, and salads are also served if you want something more substantial.

Dive right into the hustle and bustle of Catania at Caffè del Duomo, which has handmade cookies and cakes and a great local atmosphere. The piazza-front location is the main draw, but the fantastic cannoli are another reason to stop for coffee and watch the world go by. Avoid their restaurant food, though. 

It's worth a visit for the sheer wow factor when you walk in and see the long pastry cases filled with every Sicilian delicacy you can imagine. Since 1962, they've been supplying the Catanesi with their daily raviola fritta (a fried pastry stuffed with sweetened ricotta) and short pulls of espresso. At aperitivo, order a drink and your table is instantly filled with a cornucopia of arancini, pizzette, potato croquettes, nuts, and chips.