Where to Eat in Ortigia in Siracusa, Sicily
In April of 2023, smack dab in the middle of our 4 ½ month journey around the world with Maeve, we visited Siracusa, a historic city on the eastern coast of Sicily. Siracusa is coming into its own, a city embracing modernism while retaining the appeal of its ancient treasures. We were lucky to spend two weeks on the island of Ortigia, the historic center of Siracusa. While we have been to Sicily before, visiting Taormina, Cefalu and Palermo, this trip to Siracusa solidified my love for the island and just left me wanting more. Having spent a lengthy amount of time there, we got a good grasp of the food scene and ate at several wonderful restaurants, some even multiple times.
Sicily Family Travel
Spring in 2023 was unseasonably cold in Sicily, and we were just getting over a bout of the flu that we picked up in Tuscany. Due to the weather and being under-the-weather, we ate a lot of our meals inside, but I can only imagine how magical some of these restaurants would be, especially those near the water, on a hot summer night.
Daily fish market in Siracusa
Traditional Sicilian Restaurants in Siracusa
Trattoria Spizzuliamu
We arrived in Siracusa in the early evening and having had no time to do any research on where to eat yet, we stumbled around the crooked streets until we came to Spizzuliamu. It ended up being a great first meal filled with Sicilian staples like caponata and seafood pasta.
Siracusa Sicily Restaurants
Ristorante Sicilia in Tavola
Originally recommended by our Airbnb owner, this was outstanding but hard to get a table at (they weren’t open during the day and didn’t answer the phone when we called). However, we did end up lucking out and getting a seat outside one night. We bundled up our coats and split some prawns and a pasta with sardines, breadcrumbs and fennel.
Taverna Giudecca Wine Shop & Food
This small wine shop was around the corner from our Airbnb and had a few tables where they served dinner each night. The vibe looked fun every time we passed so we checked it out one night after visiting the famous puppet theater across the street. I’d recommend this place for a quick antipasti and drink, as the platter we were served was delicious and enormous - all three of us were full by the time our secondi arrived.
A Putia Siracusa Restaurant
A Putia
This uber tiny restaurant is right around the corner from Piazza Archimede and is always packed. They don’t accept reservations so you really have to be lucky to get a table, and we were for one lunch where we were squeezed into a two-top and shared some small plates and a heavenly swordfish.
Osteria Sveva Siracusa
Siracusa Sicily Cannoli
Osteria Sveva
I’m not sure exactly how we found this place, as it’s a bit off the beaten path. It’s right by the water, and has a nice patio, but it was unfortunately too cold for us to sit out there on the night we went. We had the server take the lead on ordering, and he started us off with a crudo platter that was out of this world. The pasta was just as impressive - busiata maniace, consisting of sundried tomatoes, pistacchio and sausage. We couldn’t end the meal without trying one of their enormous cannoli, which everyone at the restaurant was ordering and Maeve devoured quickly.
Apollonion Restaurant Siracusa
Best Seafood Restaurant Ortigia
Siracusa Restaurant Apollonion
Apollonion
Oh boy, this place. We had read about it on a few blogs and got a reservation there on our last night. Since we were leaving in the morning, we decided to really blow it out and got the tasting menu. Everything was incredible, from the antipasto plate of prawns and oysters (our favorite) to the fried calamari (Maeve’s fav).
Casual Restaurants in Siracusa
Sicily with Kids
U’Sicilianu Ortigia
Get here early for a takeaway lunch, as they are most likely to sell out of their food, since it’s equally popular among tourists and locals. They specialize in arancini, calzones and other sandwiches and pastries.
Best Pizza in Ortigia
Pizzeria Schiticchio
Since we were in Siracusa for two weeks, and we have a 3 year old, we ended up eating at this pizza place twice and I would highly recommend the pizza with yellow tomato sauce. They also have burgers, which Kevin tried on one of our visits and enjoyed, mostly because we had been in Italy for a month and he was craving some non-Italian food.
Ortigia Market Sandwiches
Caseificio Borderi Siracusa
Caseificio Borderi
Caseificio Borderi is an institution in Siracusa, located at the end of the famous street market. It was a beautiful day on our first visit to the market, so we got a table outside and ordered sandwiches here, not realizing at the time how famous and popular this place is. The sandwiches are packed to the brim with fresh prosciutto or salami, mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, arugula, you name it.
Fratelli Burgio
Also located right next to the market, Fratelli Burgio is a trendy spot for a quick bite. They specialize in curating the best that Sicily has to offer, from quality salumi at the deli counter to large platters filled with all types of yummy specialties, such as jams and preserves, cheese, caponata and crudo.
Your Airbnb
Speaking of the famous Ortigia Street Market, we definitely recommend visiting and picking up some fresh seafood and vegetables and making a meal at home (if you are staying at an Airbnb, that is). We did this with an appetizer of fresh baby clams and Alison Roman’s shallot pasta. On one of our trips there, I bought homemade wine from a 90 year old woman out of a plastic bottle for 4 euro. And it was decent!
Book a Sicilian Cooking Class in Ortigia
Other Treats to Eat in Siracusa
Granita in the Square
In the center of Ortigia, you will find the Piazza Duomo, the square that is home to the island’s gorgeous Baroque cathedral. You will find several touristy cafes here, and while I normally wouldn’t recommend something so touristy, we had a great time relaxing here and people watching. Maeve enjoyed a lovely granita and chased the pigeons.
Fresh Oysters at the Ortigia Street Market
There are several little stands set up at the market where you can get a fresh oyster shucked for you. The best part? For 1 euro, you also get a free cup of prosecco to drink with it!
Cannoli
It’s Sicily, so cannoli are everywhere. On the main drag that takes you to the Piazza Duomo, you will find several great cannoli spots. The best one we had was from Connolo on Via Cavour. We got one for Maeve, thinking she would eat it in a few minutes, but it was so big that we took it home and it lasted her several days.
