32 Best Restaurants in Sicily, Italy

This wholesaler specializes in oysters, mollusks, and crustaceans, and offers a tasting room that has become an obligatory stop for seafood aficionados in town. This may look like nothing but a fish market, but diners are dazzled by the quality of the seafood. There are 24 kinds of oysters, all manner of clams (including Galician percebes), local red prawns in several sizes, and a tank of lobsters and crabs as well as fresh seasonal tuna. Choose between having your fish raw, steamed, grilled, or a la gratin, and dine in the simple blue and white conservatory while enjoying a glass or two of local white wine. You can also get a fine fish couscous (one portion is ample for two people). 

This restaurant is located within a local vineyard between Patti and Tindari near the stunning Gulf of Patti, the lakes of Marinello, and Santuario di Tindari. With its extensive terrace views over the vines and olive groves, it's a beautiful place to stop and savor good food, great wine, and local hospitality.

This charming and renowned pizzeria offers a fantastic array of toppings, from the classic Margherita to a changing selection of "gourmet" pizzas. Personalize your pizza toppings and pair your meal with a selection of great antipasti for a filling and satisfying meal.

To enhance a postprandial passeggiata along one of Palermo's main strolling thoroughfares, make a stop at this modern gelateria to pick up one of its exceptional gourmet ice creams. The flavors change with the seasons, but you should find the tangerine sorbet that bursts with sweet citrus tang and the classic cannolo siciliano available year-round.

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. There's a second location in Catania.

Agrigento's finest ice-cream parlor creates memorable versions of key Sicilian favorites such as pistachio, almond, and cassata, along with a superb "pecorino" made with fresh sheep's milk ricotta. Besides the famous gelato, there's a great selection of pastries, the most popular being the cannoli. Those looking to cool down can order a cocktail and take in the view of the city from the terrace. 

There's a regular trickle of locals to this gelateria conveniently located opposite the hydrofoil port. Most opt for the local favorite: ice cream in a brioche with a couple of wafer biscuits poking out. But it's not just the creamy and tangy ice creams that pull in the crowds; there are also delicious granitas, cakes, and desserts on offer, including a delicious semifreddo cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries or blueberries. There's limited seating outside, and it stays open late.

This Castelbuono institution has been preparing dishes with the finest local ingredients for over 30 years. Chefs Giuseppe and Francesca Carollo are dedicated to the products found in and around Castelbuono, including wild mushrooms, vegetables, "black" pork, and sweet manna made from the sap of local ash trees, which he fashions into beautiful, inventive dishes.  

People from all walks of life, from winemakers and hotel owners to local families, all speak with affection about this comfortable trattoria and its delicious Sicilian dishes. The menu is filled with wonderful pasta dishes with generous use of local ingredients like ricotta, pistachios, and fresh vegetables. It is also known for its lamb dishes and small outside terrace for summertime dining.

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.

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. 

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. 

This little rustic and welcoming family-run restaurant offers a selection of Sicilian antipasti, couscous, and salads as well as classic Italian dishes like eggplant Parmesan, cannelloni, and lasagna. It is a relaxed spot to taste the local cuisine and wine and soak up the atmosphere and hospitality.

One of Palermo's best modern pizzerias serves delicious Neapolitan-style pies from a big oven in the open kitchen—the genius is in the crust, which is seared in a matter of seconds. The toppings, too, are delicious, and the place attracts big crowds on weekends and in summer (when it often stays open until midnight—later than almost any other restaurant in the neighborhood). Pastas, steaks, and some other dishes are also available, and there is pavement seating, as well as a robust take-out operation.

There's usually a bit of a bustle in and around this ice-cream parlor near Piazza della Repubblica, popular with children and gelato fans of all ages. The ice creams are free of hydrogenated fats and come in an enticing range of flavors; popular choices include ricotta, pistachio, and, naturally, Marsala. The granitas, too, are highly rated, and cannoli, crepes, and waffles are also available. There are a few brightly colored tables and chairs in the air-conditioned interior.

This beach bar and restaurant comes with a chef who trained with Rick Stein and Giorgio Locatelli and spends his winters in Thailand and Indonesia, usually adding Southeast Asian flair to the fresh fish, seafood, and vegetables of his native Sicily. Guests rave about the fresh catch of the day, such as red snapper and tuna. Il Canaima is far more in touch with contemporary eating trends than many Sicilians, so you'll be happy to find dedicated gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian menus.

This casual restaurant and B&B is located in an impressive converted Norman castle. Dine in rustic yet elegant surroundings on hearty pasta dishes, meaty mains like slow-cooked pork shank, or wood-fired pizzas, all featuring seasonal Madonie mountain produce. 

This family-run place cooks very rustic yet satisfying meals, including hearty pasta, filling antipasti, and wood-fire pizzas. It isn't a fancy place, but the service is amicable, prices are reasonable, and servings are generous.

To complement its stone-clad dining room walls and lovely outside terrace, this intimate, family-run spot has a fab menu of selected pizzas, pasta dishes, and mains featuring the freshest Sicilian seasonal ingredients from land and sea. Service is warm, friendly, and very accommodating of children.

The village of Siculiana is unassuming, but its idyllic location above a golden beach backed by glinting white cliffs is best appreciated from a table at this inexpensive restaurant-bar right on the seafront. Along with the usual seafood pasta and grilled and deep-fried fish mains, there are several more inventive dishes, including some tempting vegetarian pastas and a daily fish soup.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.   

This rustic eatery within a stone building has a varied menu that shows off the best products and ingredients from Polizzi. Some dishes feature grilled and roasted meats including local pork, wild asparagus, and mushrooms. You can also order various antipasti and side dishes, including freshly foraged vegetables and greens.

This rustic mountain lodge is situated right near the popular winter skiing resort area of Piano Battaglia. Open throughout the year, it offers a cozy country panorama, good hearty local fare, and friendly service at very reasonable prices.

This café, bar, restaurant, and pizzeria has a daily menu of specials to choose from, including starters, pasta dishes, meat-based mains, sides, and desserts. Your charming and helpful hosts will guide you through the selection of reasonably priced dishes.

The word "trattoria" usually suggests somewhere casual and even slapdash and while this place has an informal feel, there is nothing at all lacking in the level of service or the quality of the food. Dating back to 1963, the place has a classic feel, as reflected on an extensive menu that focuses on fish (there's a display of what's on offer as you come in), but also includes very acceptable versions of old favorites such as lasagna, couscous, escalopes in Marsala sauce, and, for dessert, cassata siciliana. Also noteworthy are the tasty busiate garibaldine, local pasta prepared with pistachio paste, red prawns from Mazara del Vallo, and burrata. Tables are distributed In a series of well-lit rooms with wooden beams, arched doorways, and white walls adorned with portraits of the hero of Italian independence to whom the place is dedicated. Locals come here in droves, often with families in tow.