The Best Restaurants in Sicily

This is one of the most fun blogs I've ever done, and that's because I'm a real foodie. Today I'm going to be talking about the best restaurants in Sicily. I've eaten at most of these because I've travelled around Sicily twice now. Getting recommendations from friends, family, and the locals. I love Italian food with a passion, but not everything. Not all the top restaurants in Sicily are Italian, and I'll go into this in more detail below.

Best restaurants in Sicily for Michelin dining

So I guess when I was searching for restaurants in Sicily, I first checked out the Michelin restaurant guide. Michelin is usually the best. It has the best service, and every place has been reviewed by Michelin. There were quite a few in Sicily.

There were ones ranging from a Bib Gourmand, which is very good cooking at a fair price, nominated restaurants, and then they went all the way up to three stars, which are the best of the best.

1. Sapio - Catania

I'll start off in Catania, which was one of my first and last stops on one of my trips. I found out about Sapio. Sapio has a one Michelin star. It's actually run by two young chefs, Roberto Cosetto and Alessandra Ijulla.

What I love about Sapio is the backstory. His family is Italian, and his grandma used to cook up traditional Sicilian recipes. Chef Alessandro uses his grandmother's recipes but adds his own modern twist. Because of this, it's become a Michelin-star restaurant in Catania. It's very well located, and inside, it has a very contemporary, minimalistic feel with great service.

See the Sapio Menu.

Address: Via Messina 235, Catania, 95129, Italy

2. MEC Restaurant - Palermo

Now, to the north of Sicily, to Palermo. I went here on my way out of Sicily to the mainland, and that was MEC. Mec Restaurant has a one Michelin star, which means it's one of the best restaurants in Sicily. It's led by Chef Carmelo Trentacosti, who has represented Italy in many cooking competitions and is part of the national cooking team.

MEC is in the Steve Jobs Museum in the renovated Palazzo Castrone, so it's a very historic building. Initially, I struggled to find it, but you'll eventually see the signs. The food just kept coming out and out. We tried to alter the set menu and were advised no by the chef, which I thought was pretty funny, but we had an amazing experience.

The decor is really nice inside. Out of all the top restaurants in Sicily, MEC had the best service, from the waiters putting down your food at the same time to everything in between. I'll definitely be back.

The restaurant is open six days a week for dinner until late. It is closed on Sundays.

See the Mec Restaurant Menu

Address: Via Vittorio Emanuele 452, Palermo, 90134, Italy

3. St. George by Heinz Beck - Taormina

Next stop, going to the east of Sicily and Taormina is St. George by Heinz Beck. This is one of the best restaurants in Sicily because it actually has two Michelin stars. It's also located in one of the best hotels in Taormina, the Ashbee Hotel.

It has an indoor dining area, but it also has an outdoor dining area. I would recommend, if you can, especially during summer, going to the outdoor area on the terrace which overlooks Taormina. I had the five-course menu with pairings, but there are also seven courses as well. The restaurant is led by Chef Salvatore Iuliano, and the dishes were just phenomenal. A really great place to spend an anniversary.

See the St George Restaurant Menu.

Address: Viale S. Pancrazio, 46, 98039 Taormina ME, Italy

4. Otto Geleng - Taormina

Also in Taormina is Otto Geleng. This is a one-star Michelin restaurant in Taormina, and it's in the Belmond Hotel. This one is actually pretty hard to get into because it only has eight tables on the terrace.

The atmosphere is amazing because you can actually see Mount Etna and the rest of Taormina. The service was fantastic. They were preparing meals in front of you, and I love the artistry when the food came out.

They also have a really good wine list and a sommelier. There are over 400 wines from all around the world, like Italy and France, that can help pair with your dinner.

See the Otto Geleng Menu

Address: Viale S. Pancrazio, 46, 98039 Taormina ME, Italy

5. Principe Cerami - Taormina

Another Taormina Michelin restaurant is Principe Cerami. Taormina has many of the best restaurants in Sicily. This restaurant is in the San Domenico palace, so you would expect it to be good. It is a 1 Michelin star awarded only recently in 2023, and what I really liked was the inside of the area. The walls are really nice, and if you can get a seat by the window for lunch, that's gold.

The menu is very interesting with a lot of modern Sicilian influence. It is run by Chef Mantarro that trained in Italy as well as in Venice and Paris. The menu changes, but I tried the red prawn appetiser and the sea bass. They have a lot of fresh fish on the menu.

Check out the Principe Cerami menu.

Address: Piazza S. Domenico de Guzman, 5, 98039 Taormina ME, Italy

6. Cortile Spirito Santo - Syracuse

Next stop, just further south of Catania, is Cortile Spirito Santo. This is on the island of Ortigia in Syracuse and has a one-star rating by Michelin. The venue is in a 17th-century palace and is run by Chef Giuseppe Torrisi, who has had a lot of experience in Michelin style restaurants.

I liked sitting outside. For lunch, sometimes they put the shades on, and during the afternoon, it's all open, which is really nice. If you prefer to sit inside or it's winter, they have really nice decor inside. They have a really good seafood tasting menu. So if you're out that way, I'd definitely recommend going there.

The food is just super fresh. You also get truffles and mushrooms and other items that are handpicked from Mount Etna, so you're really getting that local food from Sicily. Cortile Spirito Santo is open six days a week

See the Cortile Spirito Santo Menu

Address: Via Salomone, 21, 96100 Siracusa SR, Italy

7. Gna' Sara - San Vito Lo Capo

Now, to the northwest of Sicily, in the town of San Vito Lo Capo. This is a hidden town, and I'd definitely recommend going there for the beach, one of the best beaches in Sicily. What I found there was Gna' Sara, which was nominated by Michelin. It's locally run by Giuseppe and Katia.

What's unique about it is that you actually can't book, so you have to go first-come, first-served. I'd probably recommend getting there a little bit earlier. In this region, you tend to get a lot of couscous. I'd definitely recommend getting a couscous dish, but they also have other dishes, including meats and fish. The decor is really nice, and they also have live music. It's definitely one of the best restaurants in Sicily.

See the Gna' Sara Menu.

Address: Via Duca degli Abruzzi, 8, 91010 San Vito Lo Capo TP, Italy.

Best restaurants in Sicily for fine dining

So those are some of my favourite Michelin restaurants in Sicily. Now I'm going to get on to fine dining. These are usually restaurants that are trying to become Michelin and have some of the best restaurants in Sicily to offer. I really enjoyed going to some of these and you also save a little bit of money sometimes.

8. Osteria Expanificio - Agrigento

First up, in the town of Agrigento down in the south, is Osteria Expanificio. This is actually a traditional Sicilian restaurant set in an old post-war bakery. It has also recently been recognised as a Bib Gourmand from Michelin.

The decor is nice and traditional, and it's light. You can either sit inside or outside. There isn't much of a difference, however, during summer I like to get the cool air at night in the evening. They have three-course meals, but they also have à la carte options as well. You're going to get a really good dish such as busiate al pesto siciliana. I'd definitely recommend that.

The restaurant is open seven days a week for both lunch and dinner.

See the Osteria Expanificio Menu.

Address: Piazza Giuseppe Sinatra, 92100 Agrigento AG, Italy

9. Osteria Bavetta - Catania

Now back to Catania on the east and Osteria Bavetta. This is run by Chef Marco Cannizzaro. What you'll find here is traditional Catanian dishes, but also Sicilian dishes. He was inspired by his aunties and grandmothers, so there are a lot of secret recipes in there.

It's quite a small restaurant and quite modern inside, but you still have the exposed brick, which is quite nice. Some interesting items I would try are the busiati with shrimp and also the swordfish rolls. I tried both, and they were really good as well.

The restaurant is open every day except Monday. On Sundays, it is only open for lunch.

Check out the Osteria Bavetta Menu

Address: Via Antonino Longo 26/28, Catania, 95125, Italy

10. Cortile Pepe - Cefalu

Next up, I'm going to go to Cefalu. I also visited this area because of the beach. Cortile Pepe is run by Chef Gioacchino Gaglio, and he's actually been in Michelin-starred restaurants before with Cortile Pepe. He has been reviewed by Michelin, which is good. The decor is really nice. You can either sit outside or inside and the service is really good here.

You can get some really nice dishes. I'd say the food is very creative but still has that Sicilian touch to it. Something I also love about this restaurant in Sicily is that he has his own organic farm that he actually tends to every single day, and he also gets ingredients from local farms and breeders. So, one of the freshest restaurants in Sicily.

See the Cortile Pepe Menu.

Address: Via Nicola Botta, 15, 90015 Cefalù PA, Italy

11. Don Camillo - Syracuse

So I'm going to go back down to Syracuse and one of the best restaurants in Sicily down this way is Don Camillo. This is actually a family run restaurant led by Chef Guarneri. What I like about this is the history. There are 15th century walls, antique wood furnishings, and iron chandeliers. I just love the vibe inside.

Some of the dishes I tried there with some friends were the spaghetti delle sirene and also the tuna, it was so fresh. I actually heard about it from some locals when I was in Syracuse. Don Camillo has also been reviewed by Michelin. Open every day except for Sunday.

Check out the Don Camillo Menu

Address: Via della Maestranza, 96, 96100 Siracusa SR, Italy

So I hope you enjoyed my guide about the best restaurants in Sicily. I've eaten at all of them. But if you've been to another restaurant in Sicily and really rated it, please leave a comment below. I'd love to add more value for my readers.

Map of the Top Restaurants in Sicily

Best Restaurants in Sicily FAQ's

What town in Sicily has the best restaurants?

The best restaurants in Sicily tend to be located in Taormina. Taormina is more the luxury part of Sicily, so you do get a lot of Michelin rated restaurants in this area.

What are the best food cities in Sicily?

To be honest, I've travelled to most of the towns around Sicily and they all have something a little bit different. The Trapani area and San Vito Lo Capo are really known for their couscous dishes. You've also got Syracuse and Catania, which have a lot of their own regional dishes, especially Catania. Then you've got areas like Agrigento, which has a lot of home cooking.

Are there any famous restaurants in Sicily?

Yes, you do have Principi di Cerami, which is also in Taormina, and it's in the San Domenico Palace. This is where the White Lotus was filmed. This place has a one Michelin star. You also have St George by Heinz Beck that I spoke about earlier, and Chef Heinz Beck is actually famous for having a three star Rome.

Then you've got MEC Restaurant that I talked about a little bit earlier, and that's in the Steve Jobs Museum, and that's why it's famous.

I also wanted to quickly mention the Secreteria Del Chiostro. Although it's not a restaurant, it's actually a famous bakery run by the cloisters of the Santa Caterina Church. You can get some really fresh cannoli there.

What must you eat in Sicily?

So there's actually quite a lot. A lot of it comes from Catania. You've got pasta alla Norma, which is pasta with deep fried eggplant slices and is one of Catania's signature dishes. You've also got pasta con le sarde, and this one is a little bit sharp. It's actually pasta with fresh sardines, pine nuts, and saffron. Something really different, but if you think about Sicily, this is a very traditional dish.

You've also got cannoli. Sicily has some of the best authentic cannoli in the world. A quick tip, never buy a cannoli that's already piped. I actually did that today when I visited a shop. I actually walked out because it was already piped and went to another cannoli shop so I could get it freshly piped.

There's also granita with brioche, which is a traditional Sicilian breakfast dish. It's a brioche bun with a little top knot on the side of it. Then you've got the icy granita, like pistachio, lemon, or coffee, which is really good. You traditionally tear off the warm brioche and dip it into the granita. It's absolutely delicious, and you should try it at least once when you're in Sicily.