64 Best Restaurants in Sicily, Italy

This local pizza and barbecue grill offers the usual selection of local cuisine, but with an atmospheric, rustic setting and folkloric ephemera in the old grain stores of the Castello di Caccamo. The extensive menu includes antipasti, pasta, mains, and desserts, all with a focus on the preparation of local meats and grills.

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 culinary beacon in Sicily's interior features ambitious—and successful—dishes with the creative flair of chef Angelo Treno, whose unforgettable pastas topped with truffles or caviar, for example, offer a decidedly different expression of traditional regional ingredients. The unassuming and elegant dining room is inside an old railway house and is the perfect place to enjoy a bottle from the 500-label wine list; in cold weather, you can cozy up to a fireplace, but the terrace is the place to be in summer.

Under the atmospheric arches of Chiesa di San Carlo's 1700s-era crypt, renowned chef Salvatore Vicari's food ethos is all about deceptively simple yet sophisticated combinations of the finest Sicilian ingredients. Let the wonderful waitstaff guide you through the changing seasonal menu of high-end takes on local pasta, meat, and seafood dishes.

With views of the sea and Calabria in the distance, this bright dining room framed by plate-glass windows serves picture-perfect plates of composed antipasti, fresh pastas dressed with every sea creature possible, and showstopping secondi, such as lobster from the Messina Strait and fish cooked to perfection. During the summer season, there are alfresco tables directly along the water.

The restaurant in the graceful winter garden of Relais Briuccia's is simply one of the finest restaurants in Sicily and offers an utterly unique dining experience. Chef-owner Damiano Ferraro is endlessly creative, spinning his magic daily with the freshest of local Sicilian produce. Ferraro is a local who dreamed big and has worked all over the world (including at the Dorchester in London and with the Roux Brothers at La Gavroche); he then returned home and created this small-town gastronomic paradise. There are both tasting and à la carte menus. Although more expensive than those at other restaurants in the area, the tasting menus here offer a much more elevated and special dining experience that is well worth the additional cash.

Amiable Antonio's beguiling bistro is all about quality Sicilian seasonal ingredients combined in creative dishes that excite the senses. Book a table in the stylish coved-ceiling contemporary dining room or plant-fringed terrace, and dive into one of the exquisite antipasti medleys, focusing on either "mare nostrum" (sea) or "terra nostrum" (land).

Light and elegance permeate 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 (salt-cured pork fat) in a light orange-lemon sauce with fried leeks. 

A gracious series of delicately arched stone rooms at Giovanni Guarneri's famed eatery, which opened in 1985, are lined with wine bottles and sepia-toned images of old Ortigia. It's all about the freshest seafood and inspired creativity here: from the historic Radici tasting menu sample for instance, a 1986-classic spaghetti delle serene (with sea urchin and shrimp in butter), or partake in a special from 1999, seared tuna with red and green bell pepper dipping sauces. The wine list and pairings, guided by long-serving Neapolitan sommelier Vincenzo, are extensive and extraordinary.

You might not expect to find an ultramodern place to dine within a few minutes' drive of Agrigento's ancient temples. Yet, this restaurant offers pleasing versions of Sicilian classics in a trendy, country-chic atmosphere (think moody lighting and funky geometric tile floors mixed with walls lined with old-fashioned crockery and cookware) and is popular with young locals. The thoughtful wine list offers reasonable prices on local wines and those from throughout Sicily. Weather permitting, dine on the terrace for outstanding temple views. You can make reservations online.

Kokalos pairs Sicilian cuisine with a picturesque view of the Valley of the Temples, especially at night. Fresh ingredients highlight traditional dishes like the outstanding tuna tartare or pistachio pesto pizza with fresh burrata. A terrace offers prime seating, but the glass-walled dining room is perfect for hot days or colder months. Although away from the city center, the restaurant offers ample parking. It's popular so make reservations.

La Bottega Ristorante may seem like a classic hotel restaurant on the surface, but it's a hidden gem inside the Relais Villa Giuliana. The menu, focusing on handmade pastas and local seafood, is excellent, made with refined ingredients and served in surprisingly generous portions. While the price is slightly above average for the area, you'll find the quality of the ingredients and service up to par. Don't miss the home-baked bread served with a selection of local olive oils; the wine list focuses on regional selections. 

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.

Le Stranizze, the city's restaurant outpost of De Gregorio winery, is a haven for lovers of Sicilian food and wine. The upscale menu offers modern takes on traditional arancini made with squid ink and filled with calamari, or a heaping plate of homemade pasta topped with grated bottarga, the cured roe pouch, which is a mainstay of Sicilian cuisine. Oenophiles will love the wine selections from their winery on the city's outskirts. There's a wine for every taste, from a sparkling Grillo to a Nero D'Avola. The dining room is cozy and modern, with outdoor seating during the warmer months. 

Adjacent to the unspoiled Spiaga di Bovo Marina beach, you'll find this upscale beachfront restaurant with a view of the sea and an ample, stylish terrace for alfresco dining. Although off the beaten path, it's a true fine-dining experience with classic Sicilian ingredients like mussels and tuna with a global touch of wasabi or a gazpacho. Guests will find a tasting menu that changes daily depending on the season and market availability. If you're looking for a simpler dining experience, they also feature à la carte dishes like pasta and fried fish. You can make an online reservation (recommended).

Highly recommended by locals, this classic restaurant can be found right in the center of Caltanissetta. Although the menu focuses on seafood dishes, including such classics as red shrimp and swordfish, there are several vegetarian options. The owner takes the time to explain the dishes, albeit in Italian, but she takes great pride in the offerings. Along with a full menu of antipasti, primi, and secondi, the restaurant also offers an ample list of regional wines.

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.  

With its covered terrace overlooking the port, Rosso di Sera combines great food with a laid-back atmosphere conducive to feelings of well-being and positivity. Expertly prepared dishes such as ravioli filled with amberjack and fennel and grilled swordfish are fresh and succulent, and you'll be tempted by desserts like cannoli and ricotta mousse. Unlike many other island eateries, service is fast and efficient. Booking head is essential, ideally a couple of days in advance to ensure a table on the terrace. The restaurant is located just off steps leading to Ustica's main square.

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 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.

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.

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.

Thanks to a recent revamp in the kitchen, this hotel restaurant is a great new dining destination. Their philosophy of “cucina terroir” (territory cooking) and “short kilometer” focuses first and foremost on using the vegetables grown on the estate’s own garden, the island's local seafood, other Mediterranean products (most of all capers), and applying the traditional techniques to bread making using ancient grains. Old recipes have been revitalized, and lighter dishes are available at lunch, but make sure you save room to sample the award-winning signature sweets for dessert afterwards!

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.

Dedicated to the Slow Food movement, Casa & Putia puts the emphasis on their raw materials, with the idea that excellent ingredients need little fuss. The emphasis is on letting those ingredients shine through, such as with a flan made of artichokes and caciocavallo cheese. The word putia means bodega, and throughout the restaurant, there are displays of Sicilian products you can buy, from local herbs and jams to boutique amari.

Housed in an old palazzo, this casual place has served meals since 1889 and famously keeps a medieval specialty, controfiletto all'Ennese (a veal fillet with onions, artichokes, guanciale, and white wine), on the menu, in addition to a range of slightly more modern seasonal dishes. Choose from a decent selection of Sicilian wines to accompany your meal while you take in the large mirrored wall and local pottery.

The energy of eclectic but endearing chef Francesco (aka Zurro) exudes from his open kitchen into each delectable dish served. Da Zurro is the last of its kind on Stromboli, a simple yet robust restaurant focused on fresh fish and the old island recipes, while also keeping alive the old-school art of Italian hospitality. The traditional and creative cuisine includes some plates with interesting twists. For those wanting a quiet dinner, this isn’t the restaurant for you. A natural host with a gregarious personality, Francesco creates a warm, familiar atmosphere and makes you feel like you're having a meal in a home. 

Duck into this intimate courtyard within earshot of Piazza del Duomo's buskers for unusual preparations and flavor combos like busiate pasta with shrimp in a pistachio cream sauce. Let engaging hostess Michela guide you through the menu and suggest a suitable wine accompaniment, such as the well-balanced white Vinera Etna Bianco.