Sicily - Food & Drink

Fill up at Palermo's food markets, go seafood crazy in Catania or head inland for country cooking. From seafood delights like spaghetti with sea urchins to tempting desserts, the island is no place for a dieter.

Snack your way around Palermo's La Vucciria food market and feast on arancini (fried rice balls) and sfincione (Sicilian pizza). Wander around Ballarò food market for puddings including creamy cassata siciliana (cake made with candied peel and ricotta). For chic dining, book a table at the top-notch Osteria dei Vespri in romantic Piazza Croce dei Vespri.

In Catania, restaurants serve local dishes such as insalata di mare (seafood salad) and pasta alla Norma, spicy pasta with tomatoes, fried aubergines and salted ricotta. Sweeten your tastebuds with almond cakes, pasta di mandorle and olivette di Sant'Agata, olive-shaped marzipan celebrating Catania's patron saint.

Food is hearty in the mountaintop town of Enna in Sicily's only land-locked province, which, at 1000m above sea level, can get chilly. Try a warming rabbit stew, stracciatella (egg-drop soup) and piacentinu, sheep's milk cheese flavoured with saffron. Dine in the region's agriturismo (farmhouse) establishments, usually signposted from main roads.

The west coast town of Trapani is a gastronomic treat with its unique cuisine. Oranges and almonds feature in countless recipes from sardines to pesto sauce. Trapani's trademark dish is fish couscous, harking back to the days of Arab rule. Try bottarga (salted, dried tuna eggs) too.

Lunch is rarely served before 1pm and dinner from 8pm – at the earliest. Trattorie are informal alternatives to restaurants. Expect a small cover charge and the usual 5-10% tip. Note that some eateries may not accept credit cards so make sure you have sufficient cash.

Sicily is justly famous for dessert wines like Marsala and almond wine from Castelmola near Taormina. Otherwise, try wines from Etna and robust Nero d'Avola red. In the summer, nothing beats an ice-cold slushy granita - choose from almond, coffee and countless fruit flavours.