9 Best Restaurants in Siracusa and the Southeast, Sicily

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.

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).

If you are visiting the local historic market nearby, this is a singular spot to queue and refuel, although online plaudits have made it überpopular. The owner Andrea and squadra can usually be found outside tempting people with their bulging panini stuffed with cheese, ham, grilled vegetables, jam, and piquant pickle. 

With a scorching urban music soundtrack, Saretta and his young squadra work 8 am till late over the flames to prepare well-priced, simple, and tasty plates of seafood. Grab a seat by the open kitchen or on the cooler street-side dining tables, and order one of their heaped plates, like the fab mixed seafood (squid, shrimp, and catch of the day) and a cold DOC Messina beer.

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.

Gabriella Cicero's one-stop restaurant and gourmet food shop delvers a plethora of Sicilian slow-foodie delights, from scrumptious street-food scaccia and panelle staples to an exquisite, superb-value tasting menu foregrounding Sicilian produce and culinary history. Under the stylishly adorned stone vaults of the centuries-old Palazzo Diquattro, diners dive into classic seafood spaghetto taratatatà (with tuna roe, almonds, and lemon), then the unmissable chocolate-glazed pork collar with artichoke and potato purée. The wonderful staff expertly match wines from the extensively-stocked cantina.  

For the tastiest snacks head to this neighborhood bakery for a selection of traditional savory bites and focaccia. Pack a picnic, and embrace your carb cravings with their fresh bread and dolci delights such as ricotta-filled nfigghiulate, nutty 'n' fruity tortini, and raisin- or chocolate-dotted paninetti buns.

Pick a pew and sip an aperitivo beside the now-drained river in Scicli, then enjoy small plates that encompass the best Scicli produce. Popular from morning to late at night, the restaurant's seasonal menus feature such classics as busiata pasta twirls with sardines, as well as novel creations like barbecued bacalà lacquered with mustard and honey. Choose a wine from the exceptional list to accompany your meal, and listen to the owner or his staff tell you with pride how everything is produced locally or organically. If you want a reminder of your meal, you can buy some ingredients from the small display at the back of the restaurant.

Palazzolo Acreide has become a bit of a food town in recent years, and this blink-and-you-miss-it spot, housed in an ancient grotto off the main street, is a big part of that. The family-run restaurant offers house antipasti big enough to share, a short menu of high-quality entrées, and great-value tasting menus.