My top 5 memorable food places in Sicily
It took me a while to pick my favourite meals or experiences I had when in Sicily while devouring Sicilian food. Often I don’t really pay attention to the restaurant names and food stores unless it is a formally arranged dinner or a gourmet experience at one of the famous chefs in the island. I love to venture into an unknown place because what guides me is the adventure in the discovery of food traditions, my appetite, smell and the quirkiness of where to eat. Or just when it is unexpected and voila you have a mouthwatering experience!
In the main the typical Sicilian food spots are perfectly fine for tourists but often only a genuine Sicilian, or people who have travelled a lot around Italy and within the island itself, can best spot the difference as well as understand when it is not an average place. And I also have to say that I often struggle to eat out if the food it’s not excellent and tastes better than what I or my food-loving family can make.
So here you can find just 5 of my memorable places which I discovered while travelling and touring around with family or friends visiting Sicily during my summertimes. All of these places have a story to tell and that’s why I would like to share them with you.
Favignana - best fillet tuna steak coated in pistachio at Il Pakkaro Restaurant
It took me 33 years to discover this gorgeous wild island. Don’t tell me how it was possible?! But it was during a beautiful trip I took in a vintage campervan. Me and my partner at that time did not look at where to go to eat, or what to visit before heading to the small island because in my view reading reviews written by non-locals don’t generally help and meet my expectations. I would rather tend to ask locals and get suggestions from them only.
Il Pakkaro Restaurant is one of the most informal restaurant types of places. It is placed at the heart of Favignana city center, but also a place you would not necessarily pick because it is “alla mano” (down to earth) and not so elegant for a romantic dinner which you would probably like to experience with your lover. BUT the experience we had was outstanding, and I have to say that this place is totally magical! Quirky, familiar, not glitzy and the food is genuinely delicious and made with so much love. I will never forget that fillet tuna steak (I don’t even usually eat tuna for sustainable reasons) coated in grated pistacchio with plenty of lemon and olive oil. Just thinking about that, if I could, I would pay a ticket and fly there to experience it now and ask them to teach me how to make it so tasty!
Seasonal lasagna with pesto, crunchy zucchini and mint
Filo pastry with zucchini, thyme and a selection of Italian cheeses
2. Agrigento - Ginger People and Food
One day I was bored in Licata, so I asked one of my friends to get into a car and head to Agrigento to visit friends which they kindly invited us to attend an event - local craft Sicilian beer pairing with cous-cous. I must say that I was not such a fan of cous-cous before tasting that one. I believe that the reason behind that was probably because, after spending long years in London, tasting the cheapest and lowest quality of grains mixed in a salad box at supermarkets during your lunch fix, I considered it not so tasty! BUT Ginger People and Food completely changed my view on that and now I can’t wait to go back and have more.
I sat down and the food started to arrive from the kitchen. The first cous-cous was a sort of tartar shaped cous-cous plate topped with a mixture of mashed avocado and a raw red prawn freshly fished from Marsala, Trapani area. What an explosion of flavours! Then the second plate of cous-cous was a meat option, with lamb. When I looked at the menu I was a bit sceptical as again I don’t normally do meat if it is not sustainable sourced (though it turned out that it was!) even more so lamb meat as it is usually very strong in flavour which I avoid. BUT, once again, that lamb marinated in ginger and it’s own sauce was something out of this world. Delicious! I can’t easily forget about that food experience, the restaurant concept (please check it out) and the fusion between the African cuisine and the Sicilian one is definitely something to look forward to when heading to the Agrigento area, and this food spot.
Also, if you are interested about this experience and you are not heading to Sicily right now or not specifically visiting that area, I would highly recommend that you don't miss the delicious episode about the cous-cous pasta online class during my A Taste Of Sicily - summer pasta virtual tour. The only thing I can say it’s that the people attending are definitely lucky…
Couscous with avocado and Marsala prawns
Couscous with lamb marinated in ginger
3. Marzamemi - Pasta con le sarde
It was Easter 2014 when I convinced my parents to head to the east of Sicily and visit for a couple of days the Sicilia Orientale - places like Noto, Riserva di Vendicari and Cava Grande. BUT when I arrived in Marzamemi - this ancient fishermen village which at first sight I thought I was coming out of a fairytale, on the shores of the Ionian Sea coast of the island of Sicily, I definitely felt transported somewhere else. I said to my Dad “that's the place we need to eat!” pointing to the cute little blue restaurant chairs and tables in the middle of the main square, a place which you can’t definitely miss if you go and visit (although I don’t remember the name!). But it was when I ordered a rivisited version of freshly made pasta con le sarde (sardines), with red mullet little fish, I felt I was going to faint how good it was.
When you pay a visit to Marzamemi and that special restaurant, make sure you don’t miss the chance of exploring the back of that restaurant for a magical view on the Ionian sea coast. Perfect for romantic evenings with your love or loved ones! AND the tonnara di Marzamemi.
4. Portopalo di Capo Passero - Il Ristorante La Scala
In 2016 I started to organise yoga retreats both in Italy and London as well as being the cook and the guide for small tours around the retreat area. That time we had decided with my yogini’s friends to head to Sicily at the end of May for a full week of yoga, delicious food, chocolate tour, pasta making class (led by me of course!), wine tastings and wild experiences during sunset time at the beach. Truly amazing!
For the last evening we had decided to take the whole group of participants to Portopalo for a quick visit around the town, grab an ice-cream, but mainly to experience and eat at La Scala restaurant - a food spot which was suggested by the retreat location owner. Every single dish was delicious! From the antipasti to the salads, from the pasta to the second dishes and the desserts - we definitely had an incredible feast! We all were so chuffed and stuffed and didn’t want to leave that table fueled with so much love, laughter and stories shared.
For a full menu, you just pay €30 - 35, such great value!
4. Ragusa Ibla - La Terrazza dell’Orologio
Ragusa Ibla is a place which I love to visit often when I am in Sicily also because some of my family live there and so it’s a must when I go back to see them. As you might know, there is a lot written about this beautiful baroque little village because just on its own it has got 14 World Heritage monuments and Giardino Ibleo is a must if you get there!
During one of the summer trips with my friends, we ended up in the village probably a bit too late as we got lost and many restaurant places were shut already, and we were starving. We were knackered walking up and down the hills while getting entranced by the magical beauty which this place holds but were also getting a bit frustrated due to hunger. Finally, as we were moaning about it, we arrived at a tiny road lit up with candles all along the curb which, in sequence, were leading to an unknown restaurant spot. Taken by surprise, my friends followed the lit path until we ended up in a sort of cave: it was a restaurant and it was open! We immediately asked if we could be served while we were mesmerised by the place itself which we discovered just by chance - La Terrazza dell’Orologio.
The dishes they brought to us, one after the other (trusting to let the chef decide what to serve us with) paired with a local wine and the attention to details was just perfect plus not crazy expensive by our surprise.
The owner took us to explore the rest of the place explaining to us about the renovation they had recently carried out and taking us up to the terrace to view the magical Ragusa Ibla lit up at night - just stunning! The story he told us about that place, the clock and the terrace were the right ingredients to help me remember today its name, the name of that unforgettable food place which if you go around the Ragusa area is a must.
“What guides me? My palate!”
