Best Food in Sicily Italy

What to eat in Sicily

Sicily is more than just a stunning island in the Mediterranean — it’s a paradise for food lovers. Every meal here tells a story, shaped by centuries of cultural influences: Greek, Arab, Spanish, and Norman. Sicily truly has it all — fish, meat, vegetables, and sweets — each prepared with a unique local twist. It’s crazy how well-rounded this cuisine is, managing to balance freshness, depth, and bold flavors all at once.

As an Italian and a true food enthusiast, I’ve always believed that food is one of the best ways to understand a place — and Sicilian food is among my absolute favorites. There’s something incredibly authentic and heartwarming about the way locals cook: simple ingredients, bold flavors, and a deep love for their land.

👉In this guide, I’ll share:

• 🍝What to eat in Sicily 
• 🍴My favorite restaurants

Heads up: this page may include affiliate links. By clicking and/or purchasing, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost for you. I only recommend tools I have personally vetted.

Best restaurants in Sicily

Street Food & Quick Bites

Arancini / Arancina

These iconic Sicilian rice balls are a must-try, but their name changes depending on where you are. In western Sicily, like Palermo, they’re called arancina, while in eastern Sicily, like Catania, they go by arancini. Either way, they’re golden, crispy, and stuffed with delicious fillings such as ragù, cheese, or peas.

✨ Their shape actually changes depending on where you are in Sicily: in the east, arancini are pointy, while in the west, arancine are rounded — and locals love debating which version is the real one!

👉 Discover the secrets of authentic Sicilian arancini! Join a cooking class in Taormina and learn to make them like a true local chef — click here🔗 to enjoy this delicious hands-on experience!

🍴 Where to Go: Arancini are everywhere in Sicily, but a few spots truly stand out. In Palermo, the best ones I tried were at Ke Palle🔗: gourmet, playful twists on the classic, a bit pricey yet absolutely worth the extra coins. In Catania, I suggest Pasticceria Spinella🔗 for a straightforward, traditional arancino. The staff can be a little brusque, yet the flavor more than earns your patience. Right next door you’ll find Pasticceria Savia🔗, which serves excellent arancini along with a whole parade of other irresistible treats.

Panelle

Chickpea fritters that are crispy on the outside and soft inside. A Palermo classic, often served in a sandwich with a squeeze of lemon.

👉Taste Palermo like a local! Join a street food tour🔗 and savor the city’s most iconic bites — from crispy panelle to other Sicilian delights.

Rosticceria

If you step into any Sicilian town, you’ll quickly notice a rosticceria — a local bakery or snack bar filled with irresistible savory treats. It’s the place where Sicilians grab something quick for breakfast, lunch, or a late-night bite. Inside the glass display, you’ll usually find arancini, cipolline (puff pastry pockets stuffed with tomato, ham, mozzarella, and onions), pizzette, rollò (sausage rolls), and calzoni filled with cheese and ham. Every rosticceria has its own specialties and recipes, often passed down through generations, so it’s worth trying them in different towns. Whether you’re in Catania, Palermo, or Ragusa, you’ll always find something delicious and freshly baked to enjoy on the go.

🍴 Where to Go: Rosticcerie are everywhere in Sicily, sprinkled across even the smallest towns. They’re perfect for a quick, satisfying lunch and ideal when you want something tasty without slowing down your day.

Panini

Panini are everywhere in Sicily — from small village bars to lively coastal promenades. Sicilians truly love a good sandwich, and grabbing one is part of the island’s vibrant street food culture. You’ll often find camioncini, small food trucks parked by the roadside or near beaches, especially in the evenings. Most of them specialize in meat panini, filled with juicy sausages, pork, or even horse meat, grilled right in front of you and topped with simple but tasty ingredients like cheese, onions, or spicy sauces. 

🍴 Where to Go: Camioncini are everywhere in Sicily, especially around the Catania area. One of my favorites is Il Piacere Street-food🔗 in Caltagirone, where you can grab excellent sandwiches with horse meat (along with plenty of other options and burgers). I also loved a camioncino called Non solo Formaggi Panini Favignana🔗 in Favignana that served island-driven ingredients, including wild tuna that tasted like the sea had whispered its secrets into the bread. Another spot for fantastic panini is Caseificio Borderi🔗 in Ortigia. The sandwiches are huge and absolutely amazing, and the experience is just as memorable thanks to the eccentric owner who adds a fun, unique touch to the visit.

Savory Dishes

Pasta alla Norma

A Catania classic made with fried eggplant, tomato sauce, basil, and ricotta salata. Simple but full of flavor.

👉 Roll up your sleeves and make fresh pasta just like a Sicilian nonna! Join a pasta cooking class in Palermo and learn the art of homemade pasta in a fun, hands-on experience — click here🔗 to join the class!

🍴 Where to Go: For a truly memorable pasta alla Norma, head to Trattoria da Peppino🔗 in Catania. That said, pasta alla Norma is a classic dish you’ll find on the menu of most Sicilian restaurants, so you’ll have plenty of options to try it.

Caponata

A delicious sweet-and-sour eggplant dish cooked with tomato, olives, capers, and vinegar. It’s usually served as an appetizer or side dish.

Meat

In Sicily, meat holds a central place in the island’s food culture, with griglierie (grill houses) found on nearly every corner, filling the air with the irresistible aroma of sizzling cuts. These lively spots serve everything from succulent sausages and skewered lamb to arrosticini and grilled pork ribs, often enjoyed al fresco with a glass of local red wine. While seafood dominates much of Sicilian cuisine, especially along the coast, meat grilling is a true passion inland—and nowhere more so than in Catania, where horse meat is considered a local delicacy.

✨ A must-try is the polpette di cavallo (horse meatballs), available in many different flavors. My personal favorite? The ones stuffed with pistachio and Philadelphia cheese—a perfect mix of creamy, nutty, and smoky goodness that captures the bold spirit of Catania’s street food scene.

🍴 Where to Go: Polpetta di cavallo is a Catania specialty and a must-try if you’re in the area—it’s incredibly flavorful! In Catania, I highly recommend Re Carlo V🔗 or Achille🔗, which are both located on the famous "Horse Meat Road" (Via Plebiscito). For another excellent option, Trattoria da Peppino🔗 also serves outstanding polpette.

Fish

In Sicily, fish is the soul of the island’s cuisine, celebrated daily in bustling fish markets and seaside trattorias. Thanks to the crystal-clear Mediterranean waters, locals enjoy an incredible variety of freshly caught seafood—swordfish, sardines, tuna, anchovies, and octopus are just the beginning. Grilled, marinated, or tossed into rich pasta dishes, fish is prepared with simple, bold flavors that let the freshness shine. Along the coast, you’ll find countless friggitorie (fried fish shops) and restaurants serving catch-of-the-day specialties. In Catania, pasta with swordfish and eggplant or sarde a beccafico (stuffed sardines) are unmissable, combining land and sea in true Sicilian style. 

🍴 Where to Go: I can’t recommend La Tavernetta Uno da Simone🔗 seafood restaurant in Ortigia enough. While it is a bit touristy, the menu offers a fantastic selection of fresh seafood that’s well worth a visit. I also had some fantastic seafood in Trapani! I highly recommend Al Vicoletto Ristorantino Tipico🔗 and Cantina Siciliana🔗—both offer fresh, authentic dishes that make you fall in love with Sicilian flavors.

✨ If you stop by Favignana, food-wise it’s a great surprise — tuna is king there, and the island’s long tuna fishing tradition has deeply influenced local cuisine.

🍴 Where to Go: Stop by Non solo Formaggi Panini Favignana🔗 food truck, you’ll find affettati of tuna and caponata with tuna, offering truly unique flavors that perfectly capture the island’s character. 

Pizza

Pizza in Sicily may not enjoy the worldwide fame of Naples’ iconic pies, but that doesn’t mean it falls short in flavor. During my travels, I had the chance to try some truly great pizzas here—crispy on the outside, soft inside, and often topped with rich local ingredients like fresh ricotta, anchovies, or sun-sweetened tomatoes. Sicily’s pizza scene offers a delicious surprise for anyone willing to explore beyond the classics.

👉 Become a pizzaiolo for a day in Palermo! Join a pizza cooking class🔗 and learn how to craft the perfect dough, add authentic Sicilian toppings, and bake your own masterpiece

Sweets and Desserts

Cannoli

Crispy pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta cream, often topped with pistachios, chocolate chips, or candied fruit.

👉 Learn how to make Sicily’s sweetest icon — the cannolo! Join a cannoli cooking class in Taormina🔗 and master the art of crispy shells and creamy ricotta filling — click here to experience this delicious tradition!

🍴 Where to Go: The best cannoli I’ve ever tried are hands down at Euro Bar Cannoli Siciliani🔗. This spot is in Dattilo, a tiny town in the province of Trapani—there’s honestly not much else to see or do there, but trust me, it’s worth the trip. The cannoli are absolutely insane!

Cassata Siciliana

A beautiful layered cake made with sponge cake, ricotta, marzipan, and colorful candied fruit.

Granita with Brioche

The perfect summer breakfast in Sicily! Try lemon, almond, or coffee granita served with a soft brioche bun. The perfect summer breakfast in Sicily! Try lemon, almond, or coffee granita served with a soft brioche bun. In southern Sicily, the brioche often comes “col tuppo” — a small rounded top resembling a hair bun — while in the north it’s usually served without it.

Gelato and Brioche

Another Sicilian favorite, especially in summer. Locals love eating creamy gelato inside a freshly baked brioche — a sweet, soft, and utterly indulgent treat.

✨ Breakfast in Sicily is extra special — there are so many delicious sweet specialties to try. Just pick your nearest bar and enjoy a slow, relaxing start to the day.

Panzerotti Catanesi

Typical of Catania, these soft, golden pastries are filled with rich custard cream and dusted with sugar — a true indulgence to start your day. They’re similar in shape to small calzoni, but sweet instead of savory. Best enjoyed warm with a cappuccino, they’re a local favorite for a quick bar breakfast.

Raviola alla Ricotta

A beloved Sicilian classic! These are deep-fried pastries filled with sweetened ricotta — creamy inside, crispy outside, and usually sprinkled with sugar. In some areas, especially around Catania, you’ll find them baked instead of fried, but always irresistibly good. Perfect for those who can’t resist ricotta desserts.

Erice’s La Genovese

A signature treat from the medieval hilltop town of Erice, La Genovese is a buttery shortcrust pastry filled with warm custard cream and dusted with powdered sugar. It’s best enjoyed fresh from one of Erice’s historic pastry shops while admiring the breathtaking views over the sea — a real taste of Sicilian tradition. 

🍴 Where to Go: In Erice, pasticcerie are everywhere, each serving up this delicious specialty. Don’t miss Antica Pasticceria del Convento🔗 or Antica Pasticceria da Michele🔗—both are perfect stops to indulge your sweet tooth while wandering the charming streets of this hilltop town.

Iris Catanese

The Iris is one of Catania’s most iconic breakfast pastries — a golden, round bun filled with luscious custard or chocolate cream, then breaded and fried to perfection. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, it’s pure comfort food in pastry form.

Originally created in Palermo, the Catanese version is even more indulgent — often larger and richer, sometimes filled with ricotta or pistachio cream. You’ll find it in almost every bar in Catania, usually enjoyed with an espresso or cappuccino.

✨ It’s not the lightest start to the day, but definitely one of the most delicious — a true must-try for anyone exploring Sicilian breakfasts!

🍴 Where to Go: Head to Pasticceria Savia🔗 to try the iris catanese — it’s a must.

Panettone of Castelbuono

Hidden in the Madonie Mountains of northern Sicily, the charming village of Castelbuono has become famous for producing one of Italy’s most extraordinary panettoni. Unlike the traditional Milanese version, the Panettone of Castelbuono is made with local ingredients and a unique Sicilian twist.

The town’s renowned pastry makers — especially Fiasconaro🔗, a family-run bakery that gained international fame — use natural sourdough, Sicilian citrus, local honey, and sometimes even Marsala wine or Modica chocolate to create beautifully aromatic and soft panettoni. The result is a fragrant, moist, and rich holiday bread that reflects the flavors of Sicily in every bite.

✨ And here’s the real surprise: in Castelbuono, you can even taste panettone with gelato — yes, a slice of artisan panettone topped with creamy Sicilian ice cream! It’s an unexpectedly perfect match and an absolutely unforgettable experience — pure dessert heaven.

🍴 Where to Go: You can taste this specialty at Fiasconaro Bar Gelateria🔗, where each bite is a perfect blend of flavor and tradition—definitely a must-try when in town. 

Paste di Mandarla

No trip to Sicily is complete without tasting Paste di Mandorla — the island’s famous almond cookies. Made from just a few simple ingredients — almond flour, sugar, and egg whites — these small pastries capture the very essence of Sicilian sweetness.

Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside, they’re often shaped into elegant little flowers or shells and decorated with a candied cherry, pistachio, or a dusting of powdered sugar. The best ones are made with Sicilian almonds from Avola or Noto, known for their intense aroma and flavor.

✨ You’ll find Paste di Mandorla in almost every bakery and pastry shop across the island — perfect with an espresso or a glass of sweet dessert wine. Simple yet sophisticated, they embody Sicily’s long love affair with almonds, a legacy of the island’s Arab past.

Cioccolato di Modica

Modica chocolate is unlike any other chocolate you’ve tasted. Hailing from the town of Modica in Sicily, it has a unique grainy texture and an intense, pure flavor thanks to an ancient cold-processing method. It’s a must-try for chocolate lovers looking for something truly special.

🍴 Where to Go: The most famous and historic spot for Modica chocolate is Antica Dolceria Bonajuto🔗. In my opinion, they serve the best chocolate in town—and it’s the perfect place to grab some to take home (if you can resist eating it all on the spot!).

Restaurant Recommendations in Sicily

Below are some excellent restaurants to try in Sicily. The "€" reflects the price range.

Catania

Catania may not have the postcard charm of Taormina or Marzamemi, but when it comes to food, it absolutely delivers. That’s reason enough to come!

• Trattoria Da Peppino di Tumia Giovanni🔗 €€: This low-key, traditional trattoria focuses on classic staples, especially its generous meat dishes, and it closes the meal on a high note with surprisingly great desserts.
• Re Carlo V🔗 € & Achille🔗 €: These restaurants are very affordable and focus mainly on meat dishes. Horse is the star of the menu, but you’ll also find several other meat options if you prefer to wander elsewhere on the grill.
• Trattoria del Cavaliere🔗 €€: A true Catania classic — this trattoria is well known across the city and remains a timeless local favorite.
• Trattoria Giglio Rosso🔗 €€: Another must-visit spot for tasting authentic Sicilian flavors.

Ragusa

Ragusa’s restaurant scene is fantastic! The town feels much more authentic and less touristy than Modica, where many places seem designed for visitors rather than locals.

• "Cucina & Vino" Osteria e Ristorante🔗 €€: This lovely restaurant is truly great — they serve Sicilian dishes made with excellent quality. I recommend the salumi and cheese tagliere, an Italian-style charcuterie board with local cured meats, cheeses, and accompaniments. The one I tried came with a unique marmalade that paired perfectly with the cheese — simply delicious.
• Cucina Sincera - Chiacchiere e Pancia Piena🔗 €€: Another great spot to try authentic Sicilian cuisine in Ragusa — perfectly located in the center of charming Ragusa Ibla.
• Agriturismo Magazzè🔗€: This is a remote farmhouse where you can taste their local products. They raise bufala — a type of water buffalo — and you’ll find both buffalo meat and buffalo mozzarella on the menu. If you have the time, definitely stop by for either lunch or dinner.

Ortigia

• Caseificio Borderi🔗 €: This place is a classic paninaro, so expect mainly sandwiches and hamburgers. It’s absolutely worth a stop if you’re in the mood for a bit of Sicilian madness: the owner is delightfully eccentric and spends the day shouting things in Italian, which some tourists might find… unexpected. That said, the sandwiches are fantastic — perfect for a quick and tasty lunch.
• La Tavernetta Uno da Simone🔗 €€: This seafood restaurant is genuinely amazing and quite a surprise. You might expect something low-key, but the dishes are unexpectedly refined and far from ordinary. I ordered a plate with clams and pumpkin — an incredible combination and a twist I definitely wasn’t expecting.

Trapani

• AL VICOLETTO Ristorantino Tipico🔗 €€ and CANTINA SICILIANA🔗 €€: These are two classic spots that specialize in fish dishes — and honestly, they’re both fantastic. If you’re into seafood, I can’t recommend them enough!

Castelbuono

• Giardino di Venere🔗€€: This is a lovely little restaurant where you can sit out on the balcony. The food quality is excellent — Castelbuono is a fantastic place for eating out — and the menu focuses mainly on meat dishes.

Related Articles