Must-see restaurants in Southern Italy

  • Bisso Bistrot

    Palermo

    Frescoed walls, exposed ceiling beams and reasonably priced appetisers, primi (first courses) and secondi (main courses) greet diners at this swinging,…

  • Eyem Zemen

    Western Sicily

    For a taste of Tunisia, try this delightful hole-in-the-wall in the heart of La Casbah, marked by a bilingual Italian-Arabic sign. Tunisian owner Fatiha…

  • Ristorante Il Cantuccio

    Noto

    Tucked into the courtyard of a former noble's palace, this inviting restaurant combines familiar Sicilian ingredients in inspired ways. Perennial…

  • FUD Bottega Sicula

    Catania

    With sharp service and pavement seating on trendy Via Santa Filomena, this hip, back-alley eatery epitomises youthful Catania's embrace of 'Sicilian fast…

  • Da Cicciotto

    Naples

    Perched on a cliff in the fishing village of Marechiaro, low-key yet elegant Da Cicciotto is a seasoned charmer. Edible highlights include a sublime…

  • Melius

    Pompeii

    Stop by this luscious gourmet deli to revel in the taste of Campania. There's a vibrant in-house restaurant where you can sit down to local delicacies…

  • À Putia

    Giardini-Naxos

    Tiny enoteca À Putia draws picky locals with its quality regional dishes. Tuck into a standout caponata (sweet-and-sour vegetable salad), pasta options…

  • La Cialoma

    Southeastern Sicily

    Food-lovers flock here from across the southeast for long, lazy seafood feasts on the piazza or seaside terrace (book ahead). The latter is especially…

  • Delicatessen in Drogheria

    Ragusa

    DID is a hip deli-cafe-bistro in one, with communal tables, bar seating and playful '70s-style wallpaper running up the wall and ceiling. The open kitchen…

  • Micro

    Cisternino

    This charismatic little juice bar/lunch spot is the necessary counterbalance to the meaty excesses Cisternino is famous for. Market-fresh vegetables and…

  • La Rondinella

    Capri

    Graham Greene's favourite hang-out when he lived in these parts, La Rondinella sits in the heart of whitewashed Anacapri. Who knows what literary nuggets…

  • Lo Scoglio

    Sorrento Peninsula

    The only marina restaurant directly accessible from the sea, Lo Scoglio is a favourite of visiting celebs and has been around since the 1950s, when the…

  • La Conchiglia

    Procida

    The 'seashell' is secluded on a narrow dark-sand beach with a warped jetty and the pastel jumble of Marina Corricella in the distance (take the steep…

  • Divino

    Cilento Coast

    Follow the signs to La Piazzetta from the castle, via a short tunnel, and blink hard when you emerge at this movie-set marvel of a piazza, with its…

  • Pasticceria Poppella

    Naples

    Neapolitans from across the city revere this light, upbeat pastry shop for its fiocco di neve (snowflake), a soft, small brioche, dusted in icing sugar…

  • L’Approdo

    Capri

    If you've arrived on the ferry with an appetite, head here, a two-minute walk to the left from where you disembark. You can easily fill up on the superb…

  • FUD

    Palermo

    Slick, youthful and buzzing, FUD gives fast food a Slow Food makeover. Offerings include cheese and charcuterie platters, salads and panini, all playing…

  • Ristorante & Pizzeria da Gigino

    Vico Equense

    Run by the five sons of pizza king Gigino Dell’Amura, who introduced pizza by the metre to the world, this giant cafeteria-like pizzeria – the self…

  • Osteria Bacchus

    Cefalù

    Far from the madding crowd that descends on Cefalù each summer, this family-run restaurant in nearby Sant'Ambrogio boasts a relaxed and breezy terrace…

  • 100 Grammi

    Sorrento

    The Slow Food movement might have originated in Italy, but there isn't always time to wait 45 minutes for your hand-pinched ravioli. In which case, decamp…

  • Lo Smeraldino

    Amalfi

    Situated west of the centre, on the waterfront overlooking the fishing boats, this inviting blue-and-white beachside restaurant was founded in 1949. As…

  • Funiculi Funiculá

    Massa Lubrense

    FF is a jack of all trades overlooking Marina della Lobra’s dinky harbor where the parked cars are usually Fiat 500s and the moored boats are equally…

  • Pasticceria Cappello

    Palermo

    One of Palermo's finest bakeries, Cappello is famous for its setteveli (seven-layer chocolate-hazelnut cake), invented here and long since copied all over…

  • Al Grottino

    Capri

    Expect a queue here. Dating from 1937, Al Grottino was a VIP spot in the '50s and '60s (check out the photos in the window), and it continues to lure…

  • Ostello

    Catania

    Pub-like Ostello personifies Catania: grungy, youthful and arty. Hunker down among students, professors and backpackers for decent bulgur-and-vegetable…

  • Attanasio

    Naples

    So you thought a sfogliatella from Pintauro was crispy perfection? Bite into the piping-hot ricotta filling at this retro pastry peddler and prepare to…

  • Cutilisci

    Catania

    When the weather's fine, the tables are out on the pavement terrace at Cutilisci, a much-loved waterfront restaurant in the harbour of San Giovanni li…

  • Antico Orto Dei Limoni

    Mount Etna

    There can be few better ways of rounding off a day in the mountains than with a meal at this Nicolosi stalwart. Occupying a converted wine and oil press,…

  • Ristorante Centro Storico

    Central Sicily

    Owned and run by a warm, hospitable couple, Centro Storico is all about gorgeous produce cooked with love and pride. Trust the staff's suggestions, which…

  • Tarallificio Esposito

    Naples

    Made with pepper, almonds and pork fat, oven-baked taralli mandorlati (savoury almond biscuits) are dangerously addictive and readily available at this…

  • Osteria dei Sapori Perduti

    Modica

    Nostalgia rules the roost at bustling, affable 'Osteria of the Forgotten Flavours', right on Modica's main drag. Decked out in a jumble of traditional…

  • La Taverna del Duca

    Amalfi

    Grab a chair on the square at this popular fish restaurant. Specials vary according to the catch of the day but might include carpaccio di baccalà (thin…

  • Trattoria Il Rifugio della Buona Stella

    Lecce

    A third-generation family restaurant in a gorgeous Leccese building with sandy stone walls and medieval decor, this wonderful trattoria serves utterly…

  • Pintauro

    Naples

    Of Neapolitan dolci (sweets), the cream of the crop is the sfogliatella, a flaky-pastry shell filled with sweat, cinnamon-spiced ricotta. This local…

  • Il Locandiere

    Central Sicily

    Those in the know head to this smart little restaurant for top-quality seafood and impeccable service. What exactly you'll eat depends on the day's catch,…

  • Montecorvo

    Ischia

    Part of the dining room at hillside Montecorvo is tunnelled into a cave, while the verdant terrace offers spectacular sunset views. Owner Giovanni prides…

  • Trattoria Al Faro

    Mediterranean Coast

    If the idea of budget seafood usually sets alarm bells ringing, think again. This welcoming portside trattoria is one of the few places you can feast on…

  • Osteria Il Moro

    Trapani

    The upmarket dining choice, Il Moro ('The Dark') is actually a light and soothing, all-cream space with elegant white tablecloths, vases of fresh flowers…

  • Piano B

    Syracuse

    Brisk, friendly service complements the trendy, casual atmosphere at this eatery just west of Ortygia. While it serves grilled meats and salads,…

  • Osteria Ballarò

    Palermo

    Bare stone columns, exposed brick walls and vaulted ceilings set an atmospheric, evocative scene at this buzzing restaurant-wine bar. Approved by the Slow…

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