We’re sure you’ll fall in love with at least one of our gastronomic specialties. Because Catania, besides being beautiful, is above all delicious: starting from its street food, which caters to every palate by offering flavors ranging from the simplest to the most unique, capable of surprising anyone here for the first time and never boring the locals.

The day starts much better with the right boost, and we know it well! That’s why our breakfast is a true celebration of taste and variety. Fragrant croissants in a thousand flavors – Nutella, jam, pistachio, custard… the choice is endless! – cream-filled panzerotti and fried ravioli with ricotta for the sweet-toothed. Breakfast for us is a moment to live: sitting with a good coffee, or standing while strolling or chatting with friends and colleagues.

In summer, granita reigns supreme, to be tasted in traditional flavors such as almond, chocolate, mulberry, and pistachio, strictly accompanied by freshly baked “brioche col tuppo”… a real delight!

Some locals also love savory breakfast, which represents the pride of Catania’s street food: the “tavola calda” (hot table). It’s fantastic at all hours of the day and night and so varied in its offerings that it deserves more than one stop: arancini, cipolline, mini pizzas, bomb-shaped pastries, folded pizzas, Sicilian-style pizzas, and more! A specialty you can only find here and certainly shouldn’t miss.

But Catania is also undoubtedly the city of sandwiches: in the evening, in many corners of the city, but especially along the seafront and near the station, you’ll find real trucks transformed into sandwich shops, ready to serve you – until the early hours of dawn – delicious sandwiches with endless combinations of fillings. Try the sandwich with porchetta and cheese, seasoned to taste, or the classic one with sausages and fries!

If you love meat, especially horse meat, your place is in the historic center. The route from the arches of the Marina to Via Plebiscito, not forgetting the area of Castello Ursino, is dotted with butcher shops and small taverns specializing in the famous “Arrusti e mangia” (Grill and eat), practically a philosophy of life. The characteristic smell of charcoal and the thick white smoke emanating from the premises will introduce you to the fantastic world of meat: steaks and delicious horse meatballs rule! Donkey fillets, veal rolls, pork ribs and chops, or rather “sanctified” thanks to a generous bunch of rosemary dipped in a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon, vinegar, and chili, called salmoriglio. In Catania, sacred and profane blend irreversibly! You must try the “cipollata”, a spring onion wrapped in tender slices of bacon… obviously grilled!

If you love strong sensations and are not easily impressed, the strong section might have hidden treats for you. Now almost extinct, at least around here, are the sellers of “bistecca e sangeli”, respectively offal and blood sausage. Many young people talk about it, but few dare to taste it.

A lover of fish? Then the fish market is the place for you! Immerse yourself in a riot of colors and flavors, where sea urchins and seafood still alive await you for the “lemon test”. Taste the delicious “mauru”, an algae traditionally consumed raw with just salt and lemon. But you won’t only find raw fish! You can enjoy many dishes cooked on the spot: stuffed sardines, octopus salad, cone of fried fish… there’s something for every taste!

Finally, the anchovy and ricotta crispelle deserve a category of their own: you’ll often encounter them during festivals and fairs, but also in the rotisseries and gastronomies from the afternoon onwards. Trust me, once you’ve tasted Sicilian specialties, you won’t be able to do without them anymore! Word of a local!