Catania is a city of intensity: the air is filled with the pungent scent of fish from La Pescheria; the sound of passionate, lyrical opera wafts through piazzas; the Mediterranean sun beats down on the ash-colored buildings; and the city sits uneasily in the shadow of Mount Etna. Catanians are welcoming, distinctive, and resilient, constantly reinventing their expression of Sicilian culture in the wake of destruction and change. The food is equally as bold, and Catania is the proud birthplace of many of Sicily’s most famous dishes. 

Pasta alla norma, cartocciata (a savory, calzone-like street food), cipollate (pancetta wrapped around scallions and grilled), arancini (not to be confused with Palermo’s arancine), pasta al pistacchio, Seltz Limone e Sale, involtini, granita with brioche, polpette di cavallo, spremuta, spaghetti alla carrettiera… Here are the best places to enjoy the vibrant, unapologetic flavors that Catania offers.

Osteria Antica Marina – Osteria Antica Marina is located in La Pescheria, Catania’s largest fish market, and the menu, unsurprisingly, highlights the best of the city’s seafood. The tables out front are practically part of the market, and the inner dining room is colorfully decorated with Sicilian tiles. Prix-fixe and a la carte options are available, and reservations are suggested as the few, cozy tables fill up at lunch and dinner. 

Must Order: Spaghetti with sea urchin, grilled fish, and prawns

La Siciliana – This is the place for simple, classic, Sicilian, seafood-forward dishes. La Siciliana was founded by the La Rosa family in 1968 and, today, is managed by the La Rosa brothers: Vito in the kitchen and Salvo in the dining room. The interiors are classic too with decorative plates hanging on warm-toned wood walls. 

Must Order: Ripiddu nivicatu (Sicilian dish of squid-ink risotto with cuttlefish and cheese, shaped to resemble Mount Etna), rigatoni con mollica, linguine con uova di pescespada 

Mé Cumpari Turiddu – An icon of Catania’s food scene, this restaurant in the city center, opened by lawyer-turned-restaurateur Roberta Capizzi, serves traditional Sicilian cuisine with a contemporary mindset. Nearly all of their ingredients are sourced from Slow Food Presidia or from Roberta’s garden, namely the vegetables and the citrus for their jams. Their impressive cellar has over 200 Sicilian wines and 60 spirits; ask the incredibly knowledgeable sommelier Giovanni for help selecting a wine to pair with your dinner. 

Must Order: Macco soup with fava larga di Leonforte beans, palermitana di asino Ragusano, spaghetti alla Turiddu with anchovies and toasted breadcrumbs, maccheroncini alla Norma, Messina-style meat chops, albacore tuna with onion 

Vermut – Vermut is the go-to for aperitivo in Catania. Near Piazza Carlo Alberto di Savoia, the popular bar offers wine, beer, cocktails, and over 60 types of vermouth from across Italy, as well as an extensive menu of crostoni, meats, cheeses, and other small bites. The prices are fantastic, and it’s always a great choice to turn aperitivo into dinner here; order a large selection and share. You can sit inside–the aesthetic is chic industrial–but the tables outside are the way to go as the street is quite fun and lively. 

Must Order: Vermouth-based cocktail and a selection of crostini

Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab – There’s a good chance there will be a line outside this old butcher shop (hints to its past can be found in the white tiles, meat hooks, and bright red awning) on the edge of La Pescheria, but it’s worth the wait. Here, you can order various types of fried seafood, served in a traditional paper cone. There are a few tables, but it’s really meant to be street food: order from the takeout window and eat while exploring the rest of the iconic market. 

Must Order: Their hot octopus, prepared on sight; the “Sea Cone” with mullet, anchovies, and the fish of the day; and the “Land Sea Cone” with fried veggies, fava beans, and pistachios for vegetarians

Razmataz – Right off via Etnea in Catania’s historic center, this hip wine bar con cucina is where the coolest demographic of Catanese hang out. It’s casual and cozy, and the tight menu, which changes often, offers a selection of dishes from Catania as well as the rest of Italy and the world. The wine list is, of course, excellent, featuring local and emerging Sicilian wineries. Reservations recommended.

Must Order: Local wines, the gazpacho with avocado and croutons, and the vegetable tart with onion cream and tuma (a typical Sicilian cheese) when available

Trattoria del Cavaliere – Trattoria del Cavaliere is an absolute Catanese classic, frequented by the large student population of Catania and by families on account of the large (sometimes huge) portions and cheap prices. You’ll find any Catanese dish you’re looking for on the long menu, and you can’t really go wrong with any of them. Their selection of grilled meats, which you can order by the piece, is particularly noteworthy. 

Must Order: Pasta al pistacchio, involtini, horse meat

Forno Biancuccia – At the charming Forno Biancuccia, Valeria Messina aims to preserve Sicilian bread-making traditions and wheat varieties: five years ago, she opened the bakery to make bread with flour that is traceable from field to milling. Valeria works to preserve biodiversity in Sicilian wheat, including the biancuccia variety, from which the bakery gets its name. Their bread is made with 100% wholemeal flour (perciasacchi, russello, and tumminia) and sourdough starter. Great for breakfast or a light takeaway lunch of seasonal focaccia. 

Must Order: A loaf of crunchy bread, focaccia, biscotti

Comis Ice Cafè – A perfect sunny day in Catania is spent eating a superlative granita at Comis Ice Cafè in Piazza Vincenzo Bellini. Their soft, fluffy, warm brioche col tuppo, paired with the granita, is one of the best we’ve ever tried. The inside is sleek and modern, but the view from the outside tables, which face the grand Teatro Massimo Bellini, is unbeatable. Stop by all day for an espresso, spritz, or sweet Sicilian treat. 

Must Order: Pistachio granita and brioche, red orange granita, caffe con panna

Eat Pizzeria – In the center of the city, Eat Pizzeria serves over 50 different wood-fired pizzas and has perfected a light and fragrant pizza dough, long-leavened and made with durum and soft wheat flour and extra virgin olive oil. They also make the traditional Eastern Sicilian pizzoli–a round, stuffed pizza with closed edges and seasoned with parmesan and spices–and sfusatelli, Sicilian panini. Their menu also has gluten-free and vegan options.

Must Order: The star-shaped pizza with a ricotta-stuffed crust and the Etneo pizzoli

FUD – FUD’s food is as eclectic as their atmosphere and branding–the restaurant’s tagline is “You can’t live on horse meat alone,” and all of the dishes on their menu are spelled phonetically, like their name. They now have locations in Palermo and Milan as well, but their space on Via Santa Filomena in Catania was the first. 

Must Order: “Cicchen” and “EG” burgers

Via Plebiscito – In the old part of the city, the smokey Via Plebiscito is famously known for “arrusti e mangia” (“roast and eat”). Restaurants spill out onto the ancient street, setting up counters and grills like at a festival. Some, like our personal favorite Da Achille, also set up tables outside during the summer. Customers choose their cut of meat–often the typical horse or donkey–from refrigerated counters, and the proprietors grill it on the spot. Needless to say, the street’s smell is mouthwatering. Although you can choose to sit inside at any of the restaurants, you should walk the street and sample from a few different vendors–an incomparable, truly Catanese experience. 

Must Order: Polpette di cavallo, stigghiole, cipollate, horse meat

I Chioschi (The Kiosks) – I chioschi, refreshment kiosks, are scattered around the city; open since the 1800s, the small, octagonal or rectangular buildings offer quick drinks to ease the effects of the hot Mediterranean sun. Each chioscho is independently owned and operated by local Catanese; stop by whichever is most convenient for your itinerary. The most common drink you can find is seltzer with some sort of syrup–lemon, tamarind, black cherry, or mandarin–and, today, you can also get frappè (milkshakes) and granita. 

Must Order: Lemon and salt Seltz, Acqua e zammù (water and anise)

Il Covo Marino – In Aci Trezza, a bit outside of Catania, Il Covo Marino–meaning “the sea cave”–is an elegant beachfront restaurant managed by brothers Gaetano and Emanuele Pennisi. The dishes are upscale, fresh, local, and centered around seafood. The dining room and terrace have a stunning view of the sea and the “isole dei ciclopi” (islands of the cyclops): according to mythology, these large rocks were thrown into the sea at Odysseus by an angry cyclops who lived on Mount Etna. 

Must Order: Antipasto with octopus salad, sweet and sour sautéed cuttlefish, couscous with vegetables and mussels, prawns, bruschetta with anchovies, Sicilian blood oranges and citrus swordfish carpaccio

Trattoria I Rizzari – In Brucoli, 45 minutes south of Catania, this unassuming family restaurant is the place for incredible seafood. The dimly-lit interior opens onto a terrace that borders the sea and is covered with a veranda that offers shade from the midday sun. 

Must Order: Catch of the day options are always the ones to go for, but you also can’t miss the seafood spaghetti and the red shrimps, if you can get your hands on them