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Okay, what do you REALLY need to eat in Trapani? Put couscous alla trapanese on your list, as well as a Pinsa Siciliana. And definitely a cornetto with pistachio filling. And, and, and… I could go on, but which restaurants and bars can you experience all these delicious things at? I’d love to give you tips for food and drink in Trapani.
Best restaurants in Trapani
After a two-day visit to Trapani, I obviously can’t claim to know all the restaurants and bars. But I’m happy to share the places I enjoyed with you. And there’s so much more. Choice overload! Sometimes, it’s better not to plan and spend hours searching for THE best restaurant but just to sit down somewhere. Italians are known for their cuisine, so there’s a good chance you’ll be just fine.
Local specialties
What I always do is research the local specialties. When in Italy, you should at least have breakfast like the Italians do once: with a coffee and a cornetto. A cornetto is a croissant, and it’s often filled, for example, with pistachio cream. You can also choose a filled cannoli. Here in Sicily, the pistachio tree grows extremely well, so you’ll encounter many more dishes with pistachio during your Sicily trip.
Of course, you should also have an Aperol Spritz once – that doesn’t need further explanation, right?
But in Trapani, also pay attention to the couscous dishes. Because Sicily is relatively close to Tunisia, couscous has been fully integrated into the cuisine. There’s even an annual couscous festival. Couscous alla trapanese is couscous with fish broth, fish, and seafood. You can order the dish for yourself or share it. In my experience, the portion is quite generous, so sharing works fine – and otherwise, you’ll have room for an Italian dessert afterward. That’s no punishment, either.
Then there’s also pesto alla trapanese. Sounds familiar, right? In our Dutch supermarkets, you buy jars of pesto alla genovese. But in Trapani, they replace the pine nuts with almonds and add tomato.
Of course, pesto alla trapanese is served with pasta, preferably with busiate. Busiate is a long, spiral-shaped pasta that is mainly served in this region.
Also try the pinsa siciliana and pane cunzato. A pinsa is a hand-kneaded pizza dough that is oval in shape, a kind of flatbread. And Siciliana means it’s topped with typical Sicilian ingredients, which are actually different everywhere. A pane cunzato is a sandwich that was born out of poverty. Old bread was fixed up into something flavorful with herbs. It’s often more exciting these days when you top it with anchovies and cheese.
There’s a lot more delicious food, but I’ll let you discover that for yourself. Tip: if you look at the reviews on Google Maps, you’ll always see a few keywords under ‘People often mention’. That’s where you’ll often see the specialties and recommendations of the restaurant.
Tip! Curious about even more typical dishes of the island? Then check out more tips on Sicilian cuisine here.
Angelino (all day)
When the taxi driver drops me off at my apartment in Trapani from the airport, I ask him where to go for good coffee. He refers me to Angelino. It is a neat, spacious place where you can go throughout the day. The interior is modern, but the Sicilian bartenders still give the place an authentic feel: talking loudly and in a hurry. Here I order my first cappuccino (it’s still allowed, it’s not 11 AM yet) and cornetto with pistachio from this trip. Many more will follow.
Caffè Piccadilly (coffee all day)
Caffè Piccadilly is a coffee house where you can sit outside on a small terrace, just on the edge of the center and among the Italians. I’m still impressed by the fact that they fill the cornettos themselves upon order – later it turns out they do that in more places in Sicily, but oh well. They’re well-filled anyway, that’s the most important thing.
Brig Bar (all day)
The Brig Bar (actually Brigantes Bar) is highly rated for its good coffee, but you can also eat something simple there. The terrace is on a beautiful square with a nice breeze—great for any time of day. I have lunch there with an iced coffee and share a pinsa siciliana and pane cunzato with my best friend. Simple but delicious.
Tip! Wondering what else you can do besides eating a ton? I’ve collected the best things to do in Trapani for you.
Ristoranti Antichi Sapori (lunch and dinner)
Antichi Sapori is a very popular restaurant among both tourists and Italians. We haven’t made a reservation and join the waiting line. We do get a very generous glass of wine on the street, so waiting isn’t that bad. The restaurant has a large terrace that’s packed. Despite the huge crowds, the dining experience is quite relaxed. The staff works in a hurry but doesn’t rush us. Here I also eat the couscous alla trapanese, the dish I told you about above. The verdict: fine, nice to have tried it once, but don’t need to have it again – which, by the way, says nothing about this restaurant but about this specific dish!
MOAI Sunset Restaurant (aperitivo)
MOAI Sunset Restaurant has its location going for it. It’s on the defensive wall at the beach, and from there, you have a perfect view of the sunset. So they’ve cleverly put stools against the edge of the wall, and suddenly, the wall is a bar table. You can eat there too, but around sunset, I mainly see a lot of fried stuff coming out of the kitchen. And honestly, it doesn’t look super atmospheric either, so I’ll stick with the Aperol Spritz.
BADIA NUOVA Apart Hotel rooftop bar (aperitivo)
It’s a shame that you don’t have a nice view of the sunset on the rooftop of BADIA NUOVA. Around that time, you see the sky’s colors changing above the rooftops, but you don’t have as clear a view as at MOAI, for example. And yet I think you should still stop by. The rooftop bar belongs to a hotel, and it’s located a bit behind the main shopping streets. The aperitivo is extensive, and the first wine of the evening is free for hotel guests. So if you want to stay here, check out the hotel.
Quella della Vineria (drinks)
There are tons of terraces on Corso Vittorio Emanuele street, which REALLY comes alive in the evening. And I pick one with a makeshift terrace with wooden stools. Why? Because I hear a lot of Italian there. That’s a good sign in my book. Quella della Vineria is a small wine bar where the local wine is poured into your glass directly from the barrel. €3 ($3.30) for a glass. Love it. You won’t get the best wine ever, but hey, it’s an experience.
Winehouse (drinks)
From the outside, I think Winehouse looks quite shabby, but after a day in Favignana, I’m actually tired and don’t feel like spending a long time looking for a place for a cheese platter and a wine. Inside, I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s nice! We order a small cheese board that turns out quite large and local red wine from the Nero d’Avola grape. Perfect.
More Sicily travel inspiration
Useful links for your Sicily trip
- Accommodation. Always handy is Booking.com. Rather stay in a hostel? Try HostelWorld.
- Activities. Book the best tours and activities at GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator. Book “free” walking tours at Freetour or GuruWalk , and for bike tours, Baja Bikes.
- Attractions and museums. For 5% off museums and attractions, use discount code KIMOPREIS22 at Tiqets.
- Car rental. Compare prices and insurance coverage at DiscoverCars and Rentalcars.com.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Definitely Skyscanner, and Kiwi.
- Guide books. I love the practical guides by Lonely Planet, for sale at Bol.com and Amazon.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? Start your search at Expedia or CheapOair.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high phone and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Yoga retreat. Or join a yoga retreat in Sicily.
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