Best of Catania Food: Things to Do in Catania Sicily for Foodies
Looking to explore the food of Catania? It’s one of Sicily’s most delectable food cities and definitely one for your Italy food bucket list!
Hidden in the shadows of Mt. Etna, and overlooking the azure Ionian Sea, is the second largest city of Sicily — Catania.
After the 1693 earthquake, Catania was rebuilt with wide market streets, towering buildings, and sweeping piazzas — a model which allows the locals to set up an intricate market to supply ingredients to eateries across this ancient port city.
Today in Catania, food is diverse, distinctive and delicious, wonderfully blending the rich heritage and modern touches of Italia.
Read on to learn more about the culinary habits of a local Sicilian so you too can feast on some of the finest food in Italy — produce grown in volcanic soil, succulent seafood fresh from the sea, and the other unique sweets and foods unique to Sicily!
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Best Things to Do in Catania Sicily for Foodies
If you think you know Italian food, you may be surprised at the food in Sicily, with unique flavor profiles and combinations that at times taste more Middle Eastern than what you consider Italian. Once you dive in, your food palate for Italian food will be expanded forever.
Sicily Food Tours and Wine Tours in Catania
Street Food Tours in Catania
Experience the spirit of Sicily like a local on this Catania street food walking tour. You'll taste many of the regional Italian street food specialties in Sicily, and discover how the city's food is connected to its history as you learn about the culture and traditions of the locals.
Your guide will also be your culinary mentor, teaching you all about the best places to eat in town. Taste treats at market stalls and bakeries, and then leave armed with tips for the best places to eat in Catania.
A food 'passport' is included so you can keep track of your favorite bites along the way.
Private Cheese Dairy Tour with Cheese Tasting
Picture yourself lounging under orange, olive and almond trees on the slopes of Mt. Etna as you feast on organic locally produced cheeses like caciocavallo (an Italian cheese unique to southern Italy), provolone, mozzarella and gorgonzola, and sip on Etna wines that are all produced right there on the farm. Need we say more?
This 4-hour tour with Prestelli's is one of the highest rated tours in Catania!
Catania Wine Tours
Food and Wine Tasting Tour of Etna
If you want to kickstart your bucket list with a "bang", why not take a trip to a real volcano? Trek to Mt. Etna, tour a winery along the slopes and then enjoy a lovely lunch accompanied by honey and wine on this all-day guided tour.
This one is for the thrill-seekers who love their food.
Unique Catania Food Experiences
Carne di Cavallo
For those who wish to expand their culinary palate, trying carne di cavallo is the one unique food Catania has that you cannot miss.
While many Catania restaurants offer horse meat in the form of meatballs, sausages, and more, it is only at Trattoria del Cavaliere (Via Paternò, 11, 95131 Catania) that you can try larger mouth watering servings of authentically prepared carne di cavallo in a true Sicilian atmosphere. And best of all, the prices are very affordable too!
NOTE: If the idea of eating horse meat hits a hard nerve, we completely understand. Many travelers don’t like the idea of even discussing this — Americans especially.
But we’re also respectful of the communities we visit that consume foods we may not understand or find objectionable. If you want, you can read more about our experience trying it in the Cinque Terre.)
Best Restaurants in Catania
A Putia Dell’Ostello
Piazza Currò, 1, 95121 Catania
This is definitely one of the more unique restaurants in Sicily once you discover there’s a subterranean river that runs through this Catania restaurant.
While not Michelin-star rated, the restaurant's relaxed vibe, good food, and soft music make for a romantic setting to rekindle the romance with your partner, or enjoy a lovely meal with your family.
By all means, ask for a table in the subterranean lava cave!
Sapio
Via Messina, 235, 95129 Catania
For those seeking a decadent night out, Sapio is the place to be. The restaurant has a private and intimate atmosphere that draws in diners with its excellent wines and Sicilian cuisine.
It's run by a young couple; Michelin star chef Alessandro and expert sommelier Roberta, who take it upon themselves to make guests feel special at every step.
Local Food Markets in Catania
La Pescheria
Via Bottino, 95121 Catania
Located in the heart of the city, adjacent to the Piazza del Duomo, is Catania iconic fish market — or la pescherie — one of the most vibrant markets in Italy.
It’s a colorful and loud amalgamation of fish, fishmongers, Italian chefs, and nonnas buying their daily fresh catch.
Brush up on your Italian and bring your best bargain game as you pick from the catch of the day that is guaranteed to meet the needs of even the most hardcore seafood lover.
When you need a breather, simply stroll about and fuel up at the local food stalls.
The market is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30am until around noon when it begins to shut down for the day.
Cooking Classes in Catania
Cucina del Sole
If you’re looking for the best cooking class for anyone who wants to go beyond simply following a recipe, then a class at Cucina del Sole may be perfect for you!
Organized by local chef Monica Consoli in the "Sun's Kitchen", her expertise about local Sicilian cuisine is what makes this cooking class so special.
You’ll fall in love with cooking again as you prepare Sicilian dishes which are brought together with fresh ingredients, traditional practices, cooking techniques, and secrets passed down through generations.
The three hour class ends with a luncheon that celebrates the Sicilian heart and soul.
Food Festivals In and Around Catania
Italy has more than its fair share of unique food festivals. In fact, you could build your travel itinerary around food-related events and Sagra celebrations no matter which month you travel!
Here are four not to miss in Catania:
Sagra del Carciofo di Ramacca (Artichoke Festival)
Every year for two weekends in April, visitors get to taste artichoke-based dishes, listen to live music, and take part in workshops at the Sagra del Carciofo in the small village of Ramacca.
The artichoke festival features the “Violetto Ramacchese,” or purple artichoke, that has been cultivated in the area for centuries.
Sagra del Pistachio (Pistachio Festival)
An annual Pistachio Festival is held every October to celebrate the rich, aromatic pistachios grown in the volcanic soil of Bronte. Live cooking, ‘Pistart’ exhibits, seminars and workshops, are just some of the things to look forward to, with the highlight being the “green gold”-themed foodstuff.
You'll find everything from pesto to pistachio-flavored Modica chocolate and of course pistachio-flavored gelato too!
Sagra della Ricotta e del Formaggio (Ricotta Cheese Festival)
Vizzini is a beautiful town that holds the annual Ricotta Cheese Festival every April. It’s a great place to visit if you want to enjoy ricotta products, like cannoli and cassata, and watch live performers while you shop from local artisans.
Festa del Fico D’India e della Mostarda (Prickly Pear Festival)
Sicily’s number one fruit, the prickly pear, is commemorated every year in October with its very own festival.
Held in the town of Militello in the Val di Catania since 1987, the popular festival features an abundance of food, a marching band and a parade of Sicilian carts decorated with flowers and food!
Best Regional Foods of Catania
Minne di Sant'Agata
Sant’Agata is the patron saint of Catania who was tortured by having her breasts cut off, but then saved from being burnt at the stake by an earthquake.
It is believed that Saint Peter then appeared in her prison cell to restore her breasts, but alas she did not survive the ordeal.
While it’s a horrific story, the sweet legend that later emerged is just as classically Sicilian and makes for a much nicer ending — the birth of one of Minne di Sant'Agata (Sicilian ricotta and chocolate cakes).
While traditionally eaten on her feast days in February, the sweetened ricotta cakes are made to resemble her breasts, with chocolate chips encased in a dome of marzipan, and coated in icing sugar with a bright red cherry on top.
For the best sweet treats Catania can offer, you'll want to head to Pasticceria Savia (Via Etnea, 300/302/304, Via Umberto I, 2/4/6, 95131 Catania). They also have great cannolis, arancini, and granitas as well.
Zeppole di Riso
Zeppole is one of Italy’s most beloved desserts, but the Zeppole di Riso you’ll find in Sicily is a bit different. Believed to have been invented by the nuns of Catania’s Benedictine Monastery, these sweet rice pancakes are made from rice, milk, and orange zest.
While they are typically prepared for the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19th, you’ll find these crispy honeyed sweets at any pasticceria between the feasts of Sant’Agata and San Giuseppe.
Top Regional Wines of Catania
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
The southern Sicilian regional wine Cerasuola di Vittoria blends the dense weight of Nero d’Avola with the lighter aromas of Frappato. While predominantly fruity, with notes of cherries, plums and pomegranate, the aged variations show deeper tones of tobacco, chocolate or leather. It pairs especially well with meat, pasta and fish.
Regional Dishes of Catania
Pasta Alla Norma
Of all the Italian pasta dishes you’ll find, perhaps none is as beloved as the signature dish of Catania — Pasta alla Norma.
Perhaps it’s because it contains so many “comfort food” ingredients in one dish — pasta, eggplant, tomatoes, fresh grated cheese — it’s a perfectly well-balanced pasta.
Made with fried eggplants slathered in a tangy tomato sauce, and then flavored with ricotta cheese and fresh basil, it’s worth your own self-guided tour to find your favorite.
For a taste of Sicilian home cooking and a well-rounded dining experience, head to La Pentolaccia (Via P. A. Coppola 28/30, 95131 Catania), one of the best Catania restaurants.
There, you will enjoy an exquisite Pasta alla Norma perfectly paired with a local Etna wine.
Catania Street Food
Arancini
The perfect Catania street food is the deep-fried rice ball, known as the arancino. When filled with ragu, it’s delicious, but when you add in pistachios, it becomes an unbeatable treat. Visit Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab to taste their version that incorporates fish.
Between the amazing wines, sweets and food Catania offers around every corner, your inner gastronome will definitely meet their match.
Cin-cin!