This post is also available in:
Latest update: 15 June 2025
When we think of Italian food, we quickly think of pizza, pasta, and tiramisu. But Sicily? That’s a culinary adventure in itself. Discover the flavors and practical tips: what time do you sit down for dinner? And do you go to a trattoria or an osteria? I’m here to help!
Meal times in Sicily
If you want to eat out, it’s handy to know what time you’re welcome. Sicily’s meal times are a bit different from what I’m used to in the Netherlands. You can always check the opening hours of cafés and restaurants on Google Maps, but they’re not always accurate. Sometimes, I still stood in front of a closed door, and sometimes, something turned out to be open after all.
For meal times in Sicily, you can roughly count on:
- Breakfast: between 6 and 10 AM
- Lunch: between 1 and 3 PM
- Aperitivo: between 6 and 8 PM
- Dinner: from 7 PM, but Sicilians usually don’t come until after 9 PM
Types of restaurants
Just like I have bistros, snack bars, and wine bars at home, Sicily has those too. So it’s handy to know what to expect at a trattoria or osteria for example.
- Enoteca: a wine bar that usually also serves simple meals and cheese boards.
- Pizzeria: I don’t need to explain that one, right?
- Trattoria: usually a family restaurant with local specialties.
- Ristorante: a bit more formal than a trattoria and often a more extensive menu.
- Osteria: simple menu, often nicely lively and social.
- Friggitoria: street food, usually fried food.
Sicilian cuisine
We all know pizza, pasta, limoncello, and tiramisu. And if you’ve ever been to Italy, you’re probably also familiar with a cornetto (croissant) for breakfast. In Sicily, you can absolutely enjoy all these delicious things, but there’s more! Sicily has its own cuisine with typical dishes, sweets and of course drinks too. So, if you’re going on vacation to Sicily, keep your eyes open (and leave some room in your stomach) for these Sicilian specialties.
Sicilian cannolo
It’s one cannolo and two cannoli. You can get them all over Sicily. It’s a cookie shaped like a tube with filling, like ricotta or pistachio. Cannoli is made in Sicily with sheep’s milk ricotta. In many other places, cow’s milk ricotta is used instead, but the one made with sheep’s milk is the authentic Sicilian cannoli. Preferably order it somewhere where they fill the cookie to order, then it stays nice and crispy.
Couscous alla trapanese
In Trapani and surrounding areas, you can eat couscous in many places. The specialty is couscous alla trapanese, which is made with fish broth, fish, and seafood. If you’re not such a fan of fish, there are still plenty of other flavor combinations. Still, couscous alla trapanese is the most typical for the region.
Pesto alla trapanese
In the same region, you’ll also find many pasta dishes with pesto alla trapanese. If you’ve ever made pesto yourself, you know that pine nuts go in there. Not with pesto alla trapanese – that’s made with almonds and tomatoes. If you order pasta with this pesto, try the busiate. That’s a long, spiral-shaped pasta, also typical of Trapani and the surrounding areas.
Almonds and pistachios
I’ve been in Sicily for a few days, and I know by now that Sicilians are crazy about almonds and pistachios. They grow well on the island. And the nuts are incredibly versatile. You can find them in both sweet and savory dishes. Start your day, for example, with a cornetto filled with pistachio or a granita with almond flavor.
Granita
Granita is an ice dessert that you get served in a coupe. It consists of half-frozen water and sugar with a flavor like fruit, almond, or coffee. It’s thirst-quenching and cooling and you can order it basically any time of day. Sicilians also eat it for breakfast and often order a brioche with it.
Brioche con gelato
I probably don’t need to tell you that Italian ice cream is always a good idea. But did you know you can also put your gelato on a bun? You order a brioche con gelato: a sweet, soft, white bun with a scoop of ice cream in it. You can order a brioche con gelato at any time of day, and it’s also a beloved breakfast for Sicilians. Making a mess is guaranteed/required, by the way.
Pomegranate juice
Pomegranates grow abundantly in Sicily, and you can make juice from them. In shopping streets, you’ll often find a shop or stall where pomegranates are nicely stacked, waiting to be pressed. Usually, you can order a juice to go. It’s sweetish and fresh, but, for me, it has a slightly too bitter aftertaste.
Arancini
Depending on where you are in Sicily, this fried risotto ball is called an arancini, arancino or arancine. They’re usually homemade, and most of the time, they’re round in shape. However, near Mount Etna, they’re more often made with a point, so they resemble the shape of Etna. You eat an arancini as a snack. The filling consists of risotto for sure, but the rest can be anything. Mozzarella, ragout, ricotta: you can go in all directions with it.
Pasta alla Norma
If you’re in Catania, order a pasta alla Norma. This pasta with eggplant, basil, tomato sauce, and ricotta is Catania’s signature dish – although I’ve seen it on menus in more places. It’s a simple pasta but super flavorful. And who or what is Norma then? That’s the opera Norma by composer Vincenzo Bellini: he was born in Catania, and the opera was performed at Teatro Bellini in Catania. Mystery solved!
Cassata Siciliana
I have to honestly say that I ignore this dessert for a long time. The chemical green color doesn’t appeal to me at all. But as soon as I discover that this is really very typical for Sicily, I have to try it. It’s a type of cake with syrup and ricotta filling, and it’s topped with candied fruit. The green is usually marzipan. As expected, it’s really super sweet. Too sweet. I’ll stick with a cannolo.
(and sorry for the bad quality of the photo)
Cucchiteddi
In Sciacca, the local specialty is cucchiteddi. It’s a sweet treat that sits somewhere between a small cake and a cookie. It’s made from almonds and has a sugar glaze layer. One bite, and it’s gone, so order a few right away!
Sicilian wines and marsala
On the wine list in Sicily, you won’t find Chardonnays and Merlots, but rather options like Nero d’Avola or Grillo. Those are typical grapes that grow in Sicily, even on the slopes of Mount Etna!
For dessert wine you order a marsala, a sweet wine that’s reminiscent of sherry. Personally I don’t think it’s that tasty, but I’ve at least tried it. And it’s fun to see how it’s made. So, if you’re near Marsala, consider visiting a local winemaker. Even if it’s just for the experience and not the taste.
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.
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, I might receive a small commission.
