221 Best Restaurants in Sicily, Italy

Housed in the former church of Sant'Alberto, with some of its old stone walls left exposed, this restaurant (a cut above what you might expect from an "osteria") flaunts its authentically traditional character. The menu shows the same respect for local cuisine, but dishes are enlivened by a fresh, modern approach, including old favorites like caponata, antipasto rustico, creamy risottos, and seafood pastas—all highly rated by locals as well as tourists. Among the desserts, the almond and mandarin semifreddos and the wine-poached pears coated in chocolate deserve a special mention.

One of Agrigento’s most popular restaurants, Osteria Ex Panificio is housed in a former bakery on the main street of the old town. Typical Sicilian fish and seafood dishes dominate, and there is a terrace for outside dining in summer, and a cozy interior decorated with bakery equipment and hand-written bread recipes.

Just a few steps down the cobbled hill from the cathedral, this small and colorful osteria offers simple but enthusiastically prepared meals from a menu that reads like a list of your Sicilian nonna's favorite dishes. Sure, it's somewhat touristy, but for once that doesn't equate with either brisk service or formulaic fare. Whether it's swordfish caponata or pasta with pistachio pesto, the food is usually lip-smackingly delicious—and it's reasonably priced. The rock and roll posters and the guitar suspended over the bar lend a slightly eccentric flavor to the decor, but that only adds to the relaxed and amiable atmosphere. In good weather you can soak up great views from the outdoor terrace.

Run by two sisters, this intimate restaurant in a cobblestone courtyard just before the old city gate is one of the friendliest in town, with creative daily menus highlighting house-made pastas, seasonal produce from the market, and freshly caught fish; seating is primarily outdoors on the patio. As the name suggests, wine is a specialty, so let them recommend a glass or bottle. A sister restaurant, La Tavernetta, is on Via Timoleone.

A cozy place tucked up a narrow alley behind the Duomo, Osteria Scopari is relaxed and buzzy, with good, scorched, wood-fired pizza, often with inventive and original toppings, and delicious fish and seafood pasta and risotto. Mains, as ever, are grilled fish and seafood.

At this slow-food tavern, conveniently located right behind the Castello Maniace, you can sit back and enjoy both surf and turf dishes in the vaulted interior or—even better—on the outdoor terrace. One major plus is that you can order half portions of several pasta dishes or opt for a secondo, like the unusual pesce in crosta di patate (grilled fish in a potato crust)—all served on hand-painted ceramic ware.

Ida Brenna leads a largely female team at this ravishing Palazzo Nicolaci restaurant, which delivers sophisticated plates singing with her trademark detail-driven passion for quality ingredients and presentation. Expect a seasonal menu full of inventive, fresh creations, such as busiate pasta twists with octopus ragù, fermented lemon, and parsley.   

The bright, elegant dining room with exposed stone is the perfect venue for the culinary approach of chef Sandro Cicero, who creates beautifully simple yet sophisticated dishes. Castelbuono's seasonal produce includes porcini mushrooms and local caciocavallo and ricotta cheeses as well as pork, beef, and lamb, which dominate the list of mains.   

An acronym for "Pane, Mortadella, and Champagne," Pamocha indeed specializes in bubbles, masterful salumi plates, all the bruschetta, and raw seafood towers of oysters, sweet red shrimp, tuna, and caviar. Typically the portions at this glam-meets-rustic café are small, making it perfect for aperitivo or a late-night snack (it's open until 2 am).

If you're stocking up for a day by the sea, stop in this bakery to fill your picnic basket. In addition to the freshly baked bread (whose scent wafts into the town's narrow alleyways), look for overstuffed sandwiches, arancini, and tender focaccia. And if you haven't already gotten your cannoli fix during your time in Sicily, their pistachio-dusted version is excellent.

One of the very few places to eat in Aidone, this is a simple bar just down the hill from the museum. The welcoming owner makes great coffee and fills cornetti to order with chocolate, custard cream, jam, or ricotta.

One of the most famous pastry shops in Sicily, this modern and capacious place is one of Palermo's best spots to find sweet favorites like cannoli and cassata siciliana. It's also a meeting place for all ages, where you can relax with a drink or an excellent gelato. Pizzas and other snack foods are also available.

This is a great spot for breakfast and popular with locals. Stand at the bar for your caffè fix, or pay extra to sit outside and savor a traditional Sicilian breakfast of granita and sweet brioche. 

In Aci Castello, your granita go-to is Caffè & Dolcezza. Their pistachio flavor is exceptionally good, creamy and studded with bits of ground pistachio. They also serve a wide variety of local pasticceria specialties, both sweet and savory. Don't miss the crispelle di riso, the local version of zeppole, made with rice. They're fried to order and then drizzled with orange blossom honey.

Wood lined and unadorned, this family-run pastry shop is one of the best places to try Modica’s signature crescent-shape cookies, the ‘mpanatigghi. These soft cookies are filled with a mixture of chocolate, almonds, and veal, a combination that works surprisingly well. The meat was added to the cookies as a way of making the snacks more nutritious on long voyages. The shop is also known for its delicious chocolate squares that are modeled to look like the city’s cobblestones.

Fans of marzipan will delight at the range of almond sweets on offer here in the shape of the ubiquitous fico d'India (prickly pear) and other fruit. A block of almond paste makes a good souvenir—you can bring it home to make an almond latte or granita.

Fans of Sicilian sweets and pastries make a beeline for this place run by Maria Grammatico, who gained international fame with Bitter Almonds, her life story of growing up in a convent orphanage, cowritten with Mary Taylor Simeti. Her almond-paste creations are works of art, molded into striking shapes, including dolls and animals. There are a few tables and a tiny balcony with wonderful views.

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 just opposite Villa Bellini.

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. 

For those needing a break from rich Sicilian offerings or just from meat, this neat little place, tucked away off Via Emmanuele, fits the bill. It offers very fresh vegetarian and vegan food which comes in panini, burger, or box form, either to eat in or take away.

A civic institution facing Palermo's old fishing port, this venerable (but modernized) snack stop has been serving pani cà meusa (calf's spleen sandwich) for more than 70 years. This local specialty comes sprinkled with a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon and served with or without cheese to a buzzing crowd of Palermo's elders and youngsters alike. The signature dish may very well beat Antica Focacceria San Francesco's own version for the title of best pani cà meusa in town, though not everyone will acquire the taste for it. Take a look anyway—other specialties are available, and there's outdoor seating.

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.

Chef Davide and brother Luca (front of house) deliver gorgeous, imaginative dishes in an elegant, coved-ceiling salone with stylish mid-century chairs and Anglepoise lighting. Their compact, seasonal menu showcases wonderful Sicilian produce such as octopus, tuna, black pork, pumpkin, and porcini mushrooms.

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 colorfully 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. 

Run by the charming, multilingual Caterina, Retalbo's a relaxed place in a lane that delivers pleasing plates marrying Sicilian produce with novel sauces and flavor combinations. Book a table on the atmospheric terrace or amid the stone-arched interior, and savor thoughtfully prepared plates like twirly busiate pasta with shrimp in a pistachio pesto sauce, and caponata with dark chocolate antipasto.    

For simple, homemade cucina povera (simple "peasant" food) head to Concetta and Eliseo's popular place with a rustic dining room and buzzy terrace on Modica's melodious main drag, offering continuous service from 9 to 5. Among their hearty traditional plates, start with their signature hot ricotta, followed by lolli pasta with cottoia broad beans and slow-cooked pork in tomato sauce.   

The stylish restaurant ("broccia" means fork in the ancient Sicilian dialect) offers local and regional cuisine in a refined setting. Chef Daniela Cappelli (sister of hotel owner Maria) uses elements of the surrounding Aeolian Islands in dishes that are both traditional and inventive. With an open, airy dining room, elegant decor, and views of the sea in the distance, the restaurant is the perfect setting for a lunch or dinner in Panarea for hotel guests and nonguests alike. It's part of Ie Soste di Ulisse, an association that hand-selects restaurants that represent the Sicilian standard of excellence.

One of the Baroque town's fanciest restaurants reframes traditional Sicilian dishes in a contemporary style in an understated modern dining room. With a wonderful wine list that includes many Sicilian natural wines, a meal here is pricey but one to remember. Getting to Crocifisso is a bit of a hike as it's in the upper town. Most walking routes involve long flights of steps, although you could also take a car or taxi up around the edge of town. Either way, reservations are essential.