Travel Notes blog
The best Sicily restaurants
by Bianca Neal-Shaw
9 min read

The best Sicily restaurants

The best Sicily restaurants
Sicilian cuisine is perhaps the most varied and fascinating of any Italian region. Follow our traveller's guide to the best restaurants by region.
Table of contents

Whether you’re looking for Michelin-starred restaurants in Sicily for a special occasion or simple mountain trattorie offering delicious, freshly prepared food, you’re not going to be disappointed with the region’s cuisine. Our Sicily restaurant guide includes the best restaurants in each area, all of which we have tried ourselves or heard about from trusted family and friends.

Restaurants are listed by area and in alphabetical order.

Our Sicily restaurant guide

We have given each restaurant a score based on the approximate price per person for a two-course meal (starter or first course and the main course), excluding wine:

  • € under 20 Euros

  • €€ 20-40 Euros

  • €€€ 40 Euros and above

Discover our exclusive villas in Sicily

The best restaurants in Cefalù and the Madonie Mountains

Cefalù

  • La Gallizza (€) – La Gallizza offers the best of takeaway Sicilian street food (although there are a couple of tables outside), including freshly made arancini e sfincione pizza. It’s perfect if you don’t feel like cooking or want to take some lunch down to the beach.

  • Locanda del Marinaio (€€) – Located in the historical city centre, this small restaurant and local favourite run by two brothers serves fresh pasta, meat and fish.

Castelbuono

  • Nangalarruni (€€€) – A highly recommended trattoria that is representative of Madonie cuisine. Expect wonderful mushroom and vegetable dishes and locally-sourced meats.

Download our inspiring Cefalù itinerary

The best restaurants in the Ionian Riviera and Mount Etna

Acireale

  • Frumento (€-€€) - The best pizzeria in the area and one of the best in Sicily. During the summer you can dine outside in the pretty square and enjoy fantastic pizza, great local beers and tasty aperitifs.

Castiglione di Sicilia

  • La Porta del Re all’ Al-Qantarah (€€) - Expect traditional Sicilian fare served in an old palazzo in the centre of town. There’s a friendly atmosphere and a good selection of wines made on Mount Etna.

Catania

  • Me Cumpari Turiddu (€€-€€€) - A popular restaurant in the historic centre of Catania. This modern trattoria serves classic dishes made using high-quality local ingredients.

Download our inspiring Ionian Riviera itinerary

The best restaurants in Palermo and the Conca d’Oro

Palermo

  • Pizzo & Pizzo (€-€€) - Located just off Via Libertà near the Politeama Theatre, Pizzo & Pizzo is famous for its great selection of charcuterie and cheeses. It also serves great meat dishes. A popular location for an evening aperitivo.

  • Ristorante Quattro Mani (€€-€€€) – A beautiful restaurant that feels both modern and traditional, with a very appealing menu and a great wine selection. Highly recommended.

Sferracavallo

  • Il Brigantino (€€) - Il Brigantino sits on the waterfront and serves a set menu that includes starters, various pastas and risottos, generous main courses and excellent wines. It’s busy on weekends so make sure you book in advance.

The best restaurants in west and southwest Sicily

Scopello

  • Lido Torre di Guidaloca (€-€€) - This local favourite at the far west end of Guidaloca Beach serves fresh seafood in an informal atmosphere next to the sea.

Erice

  • Gli Archi di San Carlo (€€) - Set in an old convent, this restaurant and wine bar serves traditional local dishes including busiate pasta, Trapanese pesto, couscous and fresh fish. It also boasts a well-stocked wine cellar and a wide choice of cold cuts and cheeses that have been matured in the convent's ancient cellars.

Trapani

  • Baglio Soria Resort (€€-€€€) - A refined restaurant in the lovely countryside setting of a well-known wine resort. Typical Trapanese cuisine is the main feature of the menu, accompanied by wonderful local wines.

The best restaurants on the Nebrodi Coast and Aeolian Islands

Lingua

  • A Cannata (€) - A Cannata services traditional Aeolian cuisine at very reasonable prices.

Capo d’Orlando

  • La Tartaruga (€€) - If you’re going to try one restaurant in Capo d’Orlando, this is the one to go for. This historic Sicily restaurant is renowned for its excellent food, service and position overlooking the sea.

Vulcano

  • Trattoria da Pina di Maniaci (€€-€€€) – One of the best restaurants in all the Aeolian Islands and located right by the sea in Gelso. Fresh food and amazing staff! It’s best to book in advance.

The best restaurants in Syracuse and its surrounding area

  • Era Ora Ortigia (€€) - The pizza chef Concetto Fiorentino was mentioned in the 2021 Gambero Rosso guide as one of the best up-and-coming pizza chefs in Italy. Expect excellent pizza with high-quality local ingredients and special flours.

  • Sicilia in Tavola (€€) - This small restaurant serves grilled fish, rustic pastas and fantastic desserts in a cosy setting. Ask the friendly staff for their recommendations as the menu changes throughout the year. We recommend booking in advance.

  • Don Camillo (€€€) - Considered an institution, Dom Camillo is one of the best restaurants in Syracuse. It serves an interesting menu of fish dishes and excellent wines.

The best restaurants in the Val di Noto and the southeast of Sicily

Marina di Ragusa

  • MET (€-€€) - A charming pizzeria on the seafront with local art installations and a cocktail bar.

Enna

  • Ariston (€€) – Simple, home-cooked food done well. It’s mostly meat (as you’d probably expect in the middle of Sicily) but there are a few fish dishes too.

Noto

  • Ristorante Crocifisso (€€€) - One of the best restaurants in Noto, serving tasting menus of traditional southern Sicilian food with a twist.

Download our inspiring itinerary of southeast Sicily

Our favourite villas in Sicily for gastronomes

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Rocca delle Tre Contrade

This exquisite villa with extensive grounds, stunning views and one of the most spectacular infinity pools in Sicily is perfect for celebrations and holidays with groups of friends or extended family. Situated in the town of Santa Venerina on the east coast, it’s the perfect base for visiting Catania, Taormina and Mount Etna and discovering the fantastic Sicilian restaurants on offer.

Book Rocca delle Tre Contrade

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Don Arcangelo all’Olmo

Accommodating up to 24 guests, this exquisitely peaceful, sprawling villa is like your very own five-star hotel. It’s superbly finished, offers spectacular sea views and boasts expansive mature gardens, a Jacuzzi, gym and an 18-metre heatable pool. And for the days when you’d rather enjoy a meal at home, your private chef will prepare delicious home cooked Sicilian food for you.

Book Don Arcangelo all’Olmo

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Zu Nillu

Situated on the chic island of Favignana and with a pool set in a Roman stone quarry in front of the mythical Cala Rossa, this is a villa like no other. There are extraordinary sea views and you can easily access the crystalline waters via the garden gate. The main town of Favignana, just 10 minutes away, has two main piazzas that are flanked by restaurants, gelaterie and cafés. Delicious!

Book Zu Nillu

Michelin-starred restaurants in Sicily

Sicily caters for lovers of gourmet dining, with the 2021 edition of the Michelin Guide including 16 Sicilian restaurants from all across the island. Here are three of our favourites.

  • Duomo (€€€) - Duomo, in Ragusa, is one of only two restaurants in Sicily with two Michelin stars and is arguably the finest restaurant on the island.

  • Accursio (€€€) - Head to Modica to experience cutting-edge, Michelin-starred contemporary cuisine from the young Sicilian chef Accursio Craparo.

  • La Madia (€€€) - Pino Cuttaia is regarded by many as the most talented chef working in Sicily. True gourmets flock to this two Michelin-starred restaurant, which is located well off the tourist trail in Licata.

We would be happy to book a reservation for you at any of the Sicilian restaurants we’ve mentioned above, as well as share more mouth-watering recommendations should you still be hungry for more. Contact our team for more information.

A thriving food culture

“One of Sicily's many great attractions is its food culture. The complexity and range of the island's culinary traditions, the flavour-packed goodness of its ingredients and the pride and love with which Sicilian producers, cooks, chefs, bakers and pizzaioli go about their work make Sicily one of Italy's most prestigious gastronomic destinations.

Whether you're dining in a humble, family-run trattoria, snacking on rosticceria, filling up with street food, indulging in a full-on seafood feast or enjoying a pizza in a busy locals' favourite, you'll rarely, if ever, have a meal that’s not memorable.”

Find your perfect Sicilian villa

Experiences in Sicily

We offer a range of extraordinary culinary Experiences, which are exclusive to our clients. These unique additions will enrich your stay and help you immerse yourself in the gastronomic delights of Sicily.

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Cooking with love in Modica

Explore Sicily’s culinary traditions with a hands-on cookery class in the Baroque town of Modica. Learn the secret art of chocolate-making or join a cookery class with Katia Amore and shop for local ingredients.

Book a cookery class in Modica

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Street food tour and cookery class in Catania

Enjoy a guided visit to the street markets of Catania, followed by a cookery class and lunch at the beautiful Baroque Palazzo Asmundo di Gisira.

Book a cookery class in Catania

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Wine tours on Mount Etna

Discover how the natural magic of Mount Etna combines with the perseverance and passion of man to create outstanding wines. Let us arrange a chauffeured wine-tasting tour for you. A delicious lunch is included, so you’ll get the full experience of Etna’s gastronomic abundance.

Book a Mount Etna wine tour

Hungry for more? Discover all of our Sicilian Experiences or get in touch with our team of experts to begin planning your next holiday to the Mediterranean.

Learn more about Sicily and its food and wine culture