Ustica is a gorgeous island off of the coast of Sicily and offers many delicious restaurants that range from affordable sandwiches and salads to gourmet seafood dishes. In most restaurants on the island, the fish and seafood are caught daily by the local fisherman, which means the menu often changes depending on the day and season (and the luck of the fisherman). Read on for the best places to eat as well as the island’s specialties.
See Also: The Ultimate Travel Guide to the Island of Ustica in Italy
Il Faraglione
For a sophisticated dining experience, Il Faraglione is a must with its beautiful blue and white decor and amazing views right off the port. If swordfish, or pesce spada, is on the menu it’s incredibly delicious and I recommend ordering it.
Da Sabrina
Da Sabrina is another delicious place to dine in Ustica. I ordered the risotto del riccio, or risotto with sea urchin, and it was exquisite. Maybe it was the taste of sweet revenge from the beast that stung me, but I recommend it if it’s available on the menu.
If you really want to turn the party up, ask for a bomba. (It’s kind of like an adult root beer float and that is truly an insider scoop.)
Carpe Diem
Perhaps one of the most popular places on the island, Carpe Diem is a small restaurant and bar located at the bottom of the hill in the main square. This is one of the most affordable places to eat a panino while enjoying the large terrace — and is often where the party starts for the evening.
L’Isolotto
Venturing a bit outside of the main square is L’Isolotto, a moderately-priced restaurant known for its delicious pizza.
Da Martina
Just up the road from L’isolotto is an exquisite little restaurant called Da Martina. It’s across the street from the town hall just outside of the main village, and is one of the best spots in town. The menu features rotating specials, but make sure to reserve a table as it is small and fills up quickly.
Kiki’s
Kiki’s is another place to eat for any meal without breaking the bank and offers spectacular views of the port and town. Simply take the steps all the way down from the main square and you can’t miss it.
La Rosa dei Venti
By far one of the best places to watch the sunset and have an aperitivo is La Rosa dei Venti. Located near the lighthouse, they often have specials for aperitivo and some sort of live music.
What to Eat in Ustica
Ustica is world-famous for its small, dark lenticchie, or lentils, that are grown and cultivated in the volcanic soil. These tender and tasty lentils are a staple of many recipes and dishes on the island, and you might want to take a bag home with you for the food aficionados in your life.
A Sicilian favorite is arancina— pronounced ah-rahn-chee-na—(or arancino depending on if you’re on the East or West side of Sicily. Near Palermo, where Ustica is, they say arancina. Near Catania you’ll hear arancino). Delicious fried balls of rice and ham or beef and peas. Sicilians love their fried food, and arancine make for a delicious lunchtime meal.
A rice and ham arancina on the beach
Gamberetti di Ustica are tiny shrimp (I’m sensing a theme here) that are a proud delicacy of Ustica and live deep in the caves underneath the island.
Brioche con gelato is a wonderful midday treat when the sun is scorching. It’s simply a brioche bun with ice cream in the middle — a true ice cream sandwich. I thought it was strange at first, but you definitely want to try it at Bar Centrale in the main square.
Another thing to note is that you don’t need to eat at restaurants for every meal in Ustica. For lunch, it’s best to look for any of the numerous signs that say Panificio, or Bar Oasi and Bar Centrale and grab some calzoni fritti (fried calzones), pizza Usticeze (pizza with anchovy sauce from Ustica), or arancine (a staple of Sicilian cuisine: stuffed rice balls coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried). Quick, delicious, and budget-friendly meals that you can easily take to the beach for the afternoon.