A Foodie’s Guide to Ortigia Island, Sicily, Syracuse, Italy

After nomad-ing around Italy for three consecutive years - starting in Lucca (Tuscany), then Sardinia, and now Sicily - I’ve come to expect three things from Italian life: excellent food, plentiful opportunities for aperitivo, and a warm welcome for my diminutive dog. Ortigia, a tiny island dangling off the southeastern tip of Sicily, delivered on all of the above.

I’ve come to expect three things from Italian life: excellent food, plentiful opportunities for aperitivo, and a warm welcome for my diminutive dog. Ortigia, a tiny island dangling off the southeastern tip of Sicily, delivered on all of the above.

Technically part of the city of Siracusa, Ortigia is barely a kilometre in length (I jogged around the whole island in half an hour), and yet it has a distinct character of its own. Crumbling Baroque balconies, ancient Greek ruins and - of course - lots and lots of restaurants. The menus tend to be variations on a theme: traditional Sicilian pasta dishes, plenty of seafood and the ever-present cannolo for dessert. So choosing where to eat often comes down to the atmosphere more than the food: sea view or city street, linen tablecloths or plastic chairs, a glass of Etna wine or a Negroni Sbagliato. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).