Must-see restaurants in Southern Italy

  • La Cantinaccia del Popolo

    Sorrento

    Festooned with garlic and with cured hams hanging from the ceiling, this down-to-earth favourite proves that top-notch produce and simplicity are the keys…

  • Trattoria La Grotta

    Ionian Coast

    Book ahead for a table at what is Santa Maria la Scala's best seafood restaurant. As you enter you'll find the fish counter, where your order is picked…

  • Don Tabaré

    Southeastern Sicily

    A playful, contemporary cafe, pasticceria and providore, Don Tabaré collaborates with high-profile Sicilian chefs and food artisans to offer high-quality,…

  • Da Vincenzo

    Positano

    Superbly prepared dishes are served here by the third generation of restaurateurs. The emphasis is on fish dishes, which range from the adventurous, like…

  • O’Murzill

    Sorrento

    With just six gingham-clothed tables in what resembles a homely front room with the kitchen beyond, this restaurant looks as though it belongs in a small…

  • Ristorante il Buco

    Sorrento

    Housed in a former monks’ wine cellar, this sophisticated restaurant offers far-from-monastic cuisine. The emphasis is on innovative regional cooking, so…

  • Cetara Punto e Pasta

    Cetara

    This tiny eating joint in salt-of-the-earth Cetara is barely larger than a studio flat, with six tables and an open kitchen from which the industrious…

  • Il Marzialino

    Sorrento

    With its striped blue-and-white walls and red-glass sconces, the Marzialino does a good impersonation of a Parisian bistro in the années folles. It calls…

  • Ristorante del Golfo

    Western Sicily

    Formally dressed waiters roll out the day's catch on a vintage wooden trolley for diners to inspect and select before cooking at this perennial seafood…

  • Il Pesce Azzurro

    Syracuse

    Seafood-loving locals swear by this easy-to-miss osteria (casual tavern), its white-and-blue interior somewhat reminiscent of a Greek-island taverna. The…

  • Il Principe e il Pirata

    Pantelleria

    Enjoying sublime sea views from its turquoise-tiled terrace, the Prince and the Pirate cranks out exquisite pantesco (Pantelleria-style) cuisine, from…

  • Acqu' e Sale

    Sorrento

    This so-called 'water and salt' restaurant with a dazzling blue-and-white interior is right next to the ferry terminal. Seafood here is worth getting…

  • Ristorante Max

    Positano

    Dining at Max's is like dining in the stately home of an aristocratic friend – a room stuffed with art, statuettes, rich carpets and literary tomes. Not…

  • Officina del Mare

    Naples

    While this place lacks the waterfront views of its neighbours, it also lacks the dated kitsch. Furthermore, both the chef and sommelier hail from Naples'…

  • Archestrato di Gela

    Palermo

    If you're serious about wood-fired pie, book at least two days ahead at what many consider to be the best pizzeria in town. The puffy, Neapolitan-style…

  • La Lampara

    Procida

    Enjoying a quaint harbour view that has adorned many a guidebook, La Lampara looks down on Procida's agreeably lived-in marina from its seagull's-eye…

  • Porta di Basso

    Peschici

    Superb views of the ocean drop away from the floor-to-ceiling windows beside intimate alcove tables at this adventurous and stylish clifftop restaurant…

  • Tramura

    Trapani

    Grandly set on the coastal walkway atop the old city walls, this casual eatery sports brilliant sea views with not a car in sight. Potted plants suspended…

  • Next2

    Positano

    Local produce and polished takes on tradition underscore sophisticated Next2. Standouts include the signature conchiglioni ripieni di ragù alla bolognese…

  • Al Vicolo

    Catania

    Clued-in Al Vicolo wears several hats well: bustling pizzeria, gourmet deli and designer bistro. The competent pizzas are huge, with a signature bordo…

  • Caupona Taverna di Sicilia

    Trapani

    Fresh fish rules the menu at this fabulous family-run spot two blocks from the port, which markets itself very much as 'la casa del cuscus trapanese' (the…

  • Lido Zabbara

    Western Sicily

    For tasty, reasonably priced food near the ruins, hit this low-key beach eatery, rocking it on the sand since 1969. Affable long-time owner Jòjò welcomes…

  • Ristorante Sotto Sale

    Western Sicily

    Favignana's favourite spot for a romantic dinner, Sotto Sale caters to a sophisticated crowd with beautifully presented nouvelle Sicilian cuisine. Savour…

  • Palazzo Petrucci

    Naples

    Fine-dining, beachside Petrucci excites palates with unexpected takes on Italian traditions. Here, 'lasagna' might mean mozzarella with raw prawn and…

  • Pizzeria Da Franco

    Sorrento

    Casual Da Franco's long wooden tables are rarely short of customers, many of them here for the superlative pizza. Served in tin trays, it's made the…

  • Serafino

    Naples

    A veritable porthole to Sicily, this takeaway stand peddles authentic island street food. Savoury bites include various types of arancini (deep-fried rice…

  • Arlecchino

    Cilento Coast

    Located across from the beach in the pretty southernmost part of Santa Maria, popular Arlecchino has picture windows overlooking the small sweep of sand…

  • Ristorante Ferro

    Palermo

    All clean lines, timber panels and tinted mirrors, intimate, family-run Ferro wouldn't look out of place in London or Sydney. Whether you're savouring a…

  • Trattoria Il Veliero

    Western Sicily

    Just north of the hydrofoil dock, this family-run waterfront eatery is a seafood-lover's fantasy. Chef-owner Peppe Bevilacqua goes to the market daily,…

  • La Medusa

    Syracuse

    This friendly, family-run spot made its name serving delicious couscous, but chef-owner Kamel also knows his way around a fish − the must-try fritto misto…

  • Umberto a Mare

    Ischia

    For 80 years lucky diners have been watching the sun set at this terraced restaurant by the Spanish mission–style Soccorso church in Forio. Pick between a…

  • Accursio Radici

    Modica

    In Italian, radici means roots, which is exactly where this polished osteria heads back to. The cheaper offspring of Michelin-starred restaurant Accursio,…

  • L'Officina del Cannolo

    Lipari

    On Lipari's main pedestrian thoroughfare, just down from the ferry port, L'Officina incorporates fresh-caught seafood into appetisers (mussel soup, squid…

  • Locanda Don Serafino

    Ragusa

    Powerhouse chef Vincenzo Candiano steers this softly lit, Michelin-starred darling, evocatively set in a series of rocky caves. Reserve a linen-draped…

  • Antica Osteria Da Tonino

    Naples

    Wood-panelled, family-run Da Tonino has been feeding locals since 1880. Now run by the fifth and sixth generations, its gingham-print tables lure everyone…

  • Pasticceria Fratelli Magrì

    Palermo

    This third-generation pastry shop remains one of Palermo's best. Defy your dentist with made-from-scratch staples like cassata or cannolo, or tuck into…

  • Trattoria al Gatto Rosso

    Taranto

    Unsurprisingly, seafood is the thing at the Red Cat. Relaxed and unpretentious, its heavy tablecloths, deep wine glasses and solid cutlery set the scene…

  • L’Antica Trattoria

    Sorrento

    Head to the upstairs terrace with its traditional tiles and trailing grape vines and you seem miles away from the alleyways outside. With a deserved…

  • Bar Nettuno

    Western Sicily

    Tucked into the cobbled courtyard at the heart of Scopello, this busy bar has a lovely terrace that really is ideal for savouring late-afternoon drinks or…

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