The best restaurants Sicily

Timetable

Sicily being a very touristic country, the traditional trattorias are usually open every day for lunch and dinner in the middle and high season. In winter, the opening hours change and some places close.

Budget & Tips

Small budget. From 10 to 20 € per person. You can always buy small Sicilian snacks on the go, quite hearty and cheap: arancini in particular, but also panini ... In case of hunger, a dish of lasagna, pasta or a good pizza is never very expensive. You can finish with an ice cream, you don't need to be rich to eat well in Sicily!

Average budget. From 25 to 40 € per person. The trattorias and traditional Sicilian restaurants are marvels of affordable gastronomy, similar to France. You can enjoy very hearty dishes washed down with good local wines. You can also share an antipasto or a dessert if you take a primi piatto and a segundo piatto.

Big budget. From 50 € per person. Gastronomic restaurants spread their beautiful white tablecloths in all the towns of Sicily. It's a real pleasure to enjoy the 6-course discovery menus to take advantage of the local flavours served in a refined kitchen. The wines can also be upmarket if you are looking for rare vintages or great Italian wines.

What costs extra

In Italy, "bread and board" costs from 1.50 to 3 € per person, and it is impossible not to pay them. But for two decades now, the issue has been controversial, because it is an old practice that is no longer relevant. It is therefore now mandatory for restaurants to display this cost - and all extra costs - on the menu, in a clear manner. Similarly, the service charge of 20% must be mentioned as an additional cost on the menu. The French have the reputation of not leaving tips because, at the checkout, they usually discover these additional costs in the pain, normally included in France in the "TTC" prices. But in reality, it is recommended to leave 1 or 2 € tip for the service, the same for cab drivers or tour guides.
Mineral water is standard in restaurants, it is automatically brought to the table. You will be asked if you want still or sparkling water, but not if you want tap water.

The local way

The menu is divided into antipasti: appetizers, followed by primi piatti, fresh, homemade pasta dishes, or rice dishes (risottos). Then the secondi piatti menu: meat and fish, with contorni, the side dishes. And finally the dolci, the desserts. Eating everything is a challenge. You can also do as the Italians do in large tables: order several dishes and share everything!

Kids

Sicilians are very "family". Its place is so important that children are always welcome in all restaurants, sites to visit, etc. Sicilians love children! They will often engage you in conversation about your children. Many hotels are "family friendly", offering family rooms, connecting rooms, and adapted independent apartments. But, on the contrary, some luxury boutique-hotels refuse children under the age of 16 to avoid having children making bombs in the swimming pool by watering Madam in the middle of her rest.

Smokers

Restaurant terrace tables are generally in smoking areas. It is rare that a restaurant is completely non-smoking.

Tourist traps

In general, avoid restaurants that are too close to the main tourist attractions. Also avoid those that shoo customers down the street by accosting you with the menu. Good restaurants don't need such pushy techniques. Always check the restaurant's reputation on the Internet, it's easy: with one click today you can see right away if the restaurant has bad reviews. Finally, follow the advice of the Petit Futé to not be disappointed by your dishes!