Best Restaurants in Messina
When it comes to the best restaurants in Messina, it was a very hard choice to make. Messina sits on the northeast of Sicily and is known for a lot of seafood, but also fresh pastas and traditional restaurants. It comes up quite a lot because it is a quieter town, despite being a big city. It is also very close to mainland Italy, so you get a lot of choice and unique flavours. I am looking forward to talking about the best restaurants in Messina.
How we select the best restaurants in Messina
Well, first of all, we have actually been to Messina. It was our first stop on one of our trips when we did a tour of Sicily. We speak the language and get a lot of recommendations, either from the hotels in Messina but also from our family.
We tend to seek out Messina restaurants that embrace the culture of Sicily. We look at reviews, and we look for those with really good service, good flavours, and that warmth. We also favour those that are within historic buildings or have al fresco dining, which is fantastic in the summer, or restaurants that have views of the Messina Duomo or are in piazzas in Messina. We love that.
Those that have locally sourced seafood, or those that might have a spin on those traditional regional dishes. If you are still planning your trip, have a look at our guide on things to do in Messina too.
Michelin awarded restaurants in Messina
Last time I checked, there were 2. I will be taking you through some that start at zero. Zero means it has been reviewed. One is a good restaurant, or a very good restaurant, because it has been reviewed by Michelin. You have got two, which are worth a detour, and then you have got three, which are usually some of the best restaurants in Messina, Sicily, worth a special journey.
Ristorante Marina del Nettuno
So I will start off with the first one, and that is Ristorante Marina del Nettuno. You will find this one on the yachting club Messina jetty. The chef is Pasquale Caliri, and what I love is that they buy their fish from the local fishing boats, and they are in contact with local farmers and producers.
The menu itself does change with the seasons, so it will always be changing, but everything is homemade. Some of the dishes that I liked were from the seafood option, however they also have non-seafood for those who do not eat fish. The atmosphere is really nice and if you go in the evening you get a really nice view of the ocean at night, which is lit up.
Closed on Mondays.
See the Ristorante Marina del Nettuno Menu.
Address: Viale della Libertà-Batteria Masotto, Messina, 98121, Italy
Modi
Then you have Modì. Modi is a contemporary Sicilian restaurant run by Chef Giuseppe Geraci & Alessandra Quattrocchi. In terms of getting there, you will have to take a car or a taxi if you are staying right in the centre of Messina. Where to stay in Messina has some great options if you are still deciding.
What I like is Giuseppe was an assistant cook until he took the plunge with his partner Alessandra. The dishes themselves are traditional Sicilian but with a modern twist. They have a really nice panoramic terrace in the summer and you will be able to see views of all the hills. It is actually really nice to go to at lunch or in the evening, but it is only open for lunch on Sunday.
See the Modi Menu.
Address: Via Bucceri incrocio via Mezzasalma, Torregrotta, 98050, Italy
The best restaurants in Messina for fine dining
Now moving on to fine dining restaurants in Messina, so not Michelin-rated, but still really, really premium restaurants in Messina. Hopefully, you might be able to save a bit of money and have a fantastic meal.
Casa & Putia Ristorante
So I will start off with Casa & Putia Ristorante. This is a really small and cosy restaurant in Messina. The menu is always changing with the seasons. What I love is Casa e Putia is run by a group of friends that just love quality food, and the chefs learn a lot of the recipes from their mothers. So you will get something a little bit different that you might not have tried before.
Some of the really nice dishes that you can get is the polpo pasta with pistachio. So hopefully that comes into season when you next go to Messina.
Open 6 days a week (closed on Monday).
See the Casa & Putia Ristorante Menu.
Address: Via San Camillo 14, 98122 Messina (ME)
Kajika
Next, if you are looking for something a little bit different, one of the best restaurants in Messina for Japanese is Kajiki. They have been around since 2010 and they have a lot of rooms where you can choose to book so you can get privacy.
They have a lot of fish dishes like sashimi, uramaki, tiger rolls, and they have an amazing list of wines. There are over 500 different wines that you can choose from.
See the Kajiki Menu.
Address: Via XXVII Luglio, 112, 98123 Messina ME, Italy
Bellavista Ristorante
Next on my restaurants in messina italy list for fine dining is Bellavista Ristorante. This is a restaurant that has incredible views of the ocean. The chef is Chef Giovanni, and he has traditional Sicilian dishes with modern innovation.
The team states the kitchen should be an expression of culture, history, and the beauty of a place. Therefore, with great attention and respect for tradition, they revisit typical recipes in a contemporary way to give you a unique food experience. They have really nice background music that creates a lovely atmosphere, and the sunset, if you manage to go at sunset, it is a fantastic restaurant in Messina to go to.
Best of all they are open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.
Address: Via Circuito SN - Torre Faro - 98164 Messina (ME) Italy
The best restaurants in Messina for traditional food
Next, I am going to talk about the best restaurants in Messina that are traditional. And I love traditional restaurants. You get a lot of family cooking, secret recipes, and the prices are also very good. So despite prices going up, Messina restaurants tend to be a little bit lower cost than some other areas, such as restaurants in Taormina or restaurants in Syracuse.
Gustosa Messina piazza Duomo
Before I get into some of the best restaurants in Messina for traditional dining, I will start off with this little hidden gem, which is Gustosa Messina Piazza Duomo. This is a great place to go for an aperitivo or for lunch.
They are a salumeria in Messina, so you get some fantastic sandwiches for lunch, but in the evening they have antipasti and you can order a limoncello or a spritz. So it is a really good place to start your evening before you go for dinner in Messina.
This was probably one of the best lunches I had, and it is a family run business. The owner also gave me sparkling wine with my lunch, which I do not usually have, but I was on holiday and it was a fantastic experience.
Address: P.za Duomo, 30, 98122 Messina ME, Italy
Past'ovo
Moving on to the best restaurant in Messina, and this really is the best restaurant in Messina, and that is Past'ovo. I remember this one so clearly, despite driving two hours from Catania Airport to Messina, because that was our first stop on this Sicily trip. It started off with the best antipasto I have ever had in my life.
Best of all, it was 10 euros, and prices may have gone up since then, but I have searched and searched in all the other towns on my Sicily tour and I could not find anything with that much food and for that price. You can see in the picture below, all of that was 10 euros. So that was just starters, and I was so full by then.
But from there, in Sicily, you have to order something with pistachio. And just look below at those pictures. That was a gnocchi with pistachio, not only with pistachio sauce, but with pistachio powder all over it. Again, I cannot remember the price of this one, but it was very reasonably priced. All the pasta is handmade. Unfortunately, I did not have room for dessert, but this tops the list as one of the best restaurants in Messina.
Address: Via Lepanto, 1, 98122 Messina ME, Italy
'A Cucchiara
Next, I will go on to 'A Cucchiara, and this is a classic restaurant in Messina town. It is run by the owner Pepe and it has fantastic service. They have traditional dishes but it is slightly modern, and Pepe makes sure the ingredients are local.
In terms of the dishes, it is very well known for a lot of fish dishes. So I would recommend the spaghetti gamberi, or the rigatoni gamberi rossi, or the black taglioni with polpo. It also has a really nice ambiance with the brick walls and the classic white Italian chairs and tables.
Open 6 days a week and closed on Sunday.
Address: Strada S. Giacomo, 19, 98122 Messina ME, Italy
I Ruggeri
Next, I will talk about I Ruggeri. This is a lovely traditional restaurant in Messina. It is run by Chef Ambra Gigante and here you will get traditional dishes with a bit of experimentation. It has been around since 2009 and it is quite a small place, so it makes you feel at home.
Some of the dishes that Chef Ambra makes that are great are the parmigiano, the tuna fish, or if you are up for something a little bit different, the bergamot tagliatelle with pistachio. So hopefully that is also still on the menu.
Open 7 days a week. See the I Ruggeri Menu.
Address: Via Pozzo Leone, 23, 98122 Messina ME, Italy
Il Siciliano
Now, if you are looking for something in Messina that is traditionally Italian and not quite Sicilian, then this is where I went looking for the best pizza in Messina, and I stumbled across this one by chance. It was a Sunday and not many restaurants were open, and I was walking past and found Il Siciliano.
Now, it does not look like all that, however, there were so many people there and you could tell they were local, everyone was speaking Italian. So we decided to sit down and we ordered a couple of pizzas and oh my god.
The pistachio pizza was one of the best pizzas I have ever had in my life, and I again went searching all over Italy for a pizza that was on par and could not find one. So I would say Il Siciliano is the best restaurant in Messina for pizza. Best of all, open seven days a week until 12:30 in the morning, last time I checked.
Address: Via G. Garibaldi, 112, 98100 Messina ME, Italy
Amici Miei
Next, I will get on to Amici Miei... Ristoria. This is a restaurant very close to the Messina Central Station, so if you are waiting to get on a train or you are getting off, this is a really local restaurant in Messina and you will see that as soon as you are outside.
They have tables inside and they also have tables outside. It is a bit small, but it is a very nice environment. Here you will hopefully be served by the owner Toro. You are going to find lots of traditional Sicilian dishes here. As soon as you sit down, you are welcomed with a glass of prosecco. Hopefully that is still the same, it was a very nice touch.
Open 6 days a week (closed on Monday).
Address: Via Cesare Battisti, 124, 98123 Messina ME, Italy
Dessert Places in Messina
So now I am going to go on to some of the dessert places. And I am sure there are lots of other good restaurants in Messina, however sometimes you do not want to eat everything at the dinner restaurant in Messina. It is a lovely town to go out at night, especially during the summer.
So I loved strolling through after dinner, just looking for somewhere else to go for dessert. Here are some of the best spots in Messina for dessert.
Pasticceria Sacca
I will start off with Pasticceria Saccà. This is a traditional Sicilian pastry shop. As soon as you walk in, you will usually be greeted by Consuelo, who has a big smile. Here you will find a lot of tradition, but also some experimentation. Some of the favourites are ricotta cannoli, but also the croissants, and you can enjoy it with a hot coffee.
Something I also noticed, and you will see it below, is the tissues. And the tissues are not really for wiping your face, they are not even one ply, they are so thin. But what they are actually there to do is to pick up the desserts so you do not get your hands messy in the first place. Just a quick tip on that one.
Open 7 days a week.
Address: cpl Arco Antico, Viale Giostra, 98152 Messina ME, Italy
Bar De Luca
Next, I will go on to Bar De Luca . This is a special place. It has been around since 1940 and it is a gelateria and cafeteria that is family-run. Luca is the owner, as well as his son Pietro, and here you are going to get a lot of homemade ice cream and even ice cream cakes.
I would probably recommend the Sette Veli cake and Sicilian granitas, which are a must when you go to Sicily. Open 6 days a week early until late (closed on Monday).
Address: Via Nazionale, 208, 98051 Briga Marina ME, Italy
La Dolceria
I try to find a good cannoli everywhere in Sicily, and I stumbled across La Dolceria Pasticceria - I migliori cannoli. And this actually means the best cannoli. This place is in the centre of Messina with a really nice window display.
You also get other traditional Sicilian treats and biscuits, but if you have time, make sure to either get a ricotta cannoli or a pistachio cannoli. At La Dolceria, there is not much room inside, but they do have a couple of tables outside. Open Tuesday to Sunday last time I checked.
Address: Via Cesare Battisti, 55, 98122 Messina ME, Italy
Best restaurants in Messina FAQ's
What is the best pizza in Messina?
Il Siciliano is hands down the best pizza in Messina. I stumbled across it on a Sunday when not much else was open, and the pistachio pizza was honestly one of the best I have ever had anywhere in Italy. It is open seven days a week and was packed with locals.
Where can I find the best pasta in Messina?
Past'ovo is the one I always come back to when people ask about the best pasta in Messina. The handmade gnocchi with pistachio sauce was something else entirely. Everything is handmade, and it was the standout meal of our entire Sicily trip.
What are the best restaurants in Messina with a view?
For the best restaurants in messina with a view, Bellavista Ristorante is the obvious choice as it overlooks the ocean. Modì also has a fantastic panoramic terrace in the summer with views over the hills, great for a long Sunday lunch. And Ristorante Marina del Nettuno on the jetty gives you a beautiful lit up ocean view with boats in the evening.
What are the best restaurants in Messina?
The top restaurants in Messina are Ristorante Marina del Nettuno, Past'ovo and Casa & Putia Ristorante. Past'ovo is the number one best restaurant in Messina in my opinion due to the price and traditional flavours of Sicily.
Tips for entertaining children when dining at a restaurant in Messina?
Consider bringing a printable coloring in page when bringing children to dinner with you. Some popular ones are dinosaur coloring pages.