Lampedusa is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, closer to the African coast than to the Italian one, even if it belongs to Sicily. Although not very extensive, it offers those who visit it spectacular and postcard-worthy landscapes , making it an ideal destination for all types of travelers.
Obviously, being a Sicilian land, but which over time has also been influenced by other cultures, here the food is truly something unique , which will make you experience a journey within a journey. In every dish, however, you will find a great constant: fish, without a doubt the great protagonist of Lampedusan cuisine !
You are already really hungry
Here is a list of the10 things to eat in Lampedusa and where !

1 – Shrimp and mint salad
It is one of the most famous and most loved appetizers !
This recipe, originally from the island, then spread throughout Sicily, with obviously different variations. It is a fresh dish, ideal for hot summer days. It must be tried at least once! Or as an appetizer or even as a single dish if you are not too hungry because of the heat.

The main ingredient of this recipe is obviously the prawns, which are generally accompanied by celery or salad, always seasoned with a little lemon. Before serving, the dish must rest in the fridge for half an hour and then, before serving, add a little chopped parsley and, obviously, the mint leaves.

  • Recommended for : lunch, dinner
  • Average cost : €10.00
  • Main ingredients : shrimp, celery, mint leaves

2 – Spaghetti alla Bottarga
Let’s start with the first courses, starting with these spaghetti. The starring ingredient is obviously the amberjack bottarga , then accompanied by lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, basil and wild fennel and spachetti are used as a type of pasta.
Bottarga, used above all in Sicily, Sardinia and Tuscany, is not a common and rather particular ingredient: it is obtained by salting and drying tuna roe. It has a very strong, salty and slightly bitter flavor , which not everyone might like.
But trust that this dish is truly delicious and should be tried at least once, and what better occasion than in a restaurant in Lampedusa!

  • Recommended for : lunch, dinner
  • Average cost : €10.00
  • Main ingredients : amberjack bottarga, spaghetti, wild fennel, lemon, oil

3 – Pasta with mullet alla Lampedusana
It is really a very popular dish on the tables of the island’s restaurants and recalls the Sicilian seafaring tradition. It is inspired by pasta with Palermo sardines and can be prepared both with long pasta such as spaghetti, and with short pasta such as penne.
Obviously, the great protagonist of this dish are the mullets , which are not very easy to prepare. They must in fact be well cleaned, scaled, filleted and blanched and then added to the sauce made with fennel and tomato. They are then sautéed together with the pasta and a little extra virgin olive oil. A mouth-watering dish!

  • Recommended for : lunch, dinner
  • Average cost : €12.00
  • Main ingredients : red mullet, pasta, wild fennel, olive oil, tomato

4 – Cous Cous with fish and vegetables
This can be considered to all intents and purposes a single dish ! Of Arab origin and today it is one of the traditional dishes of the island.
It is a recipe that requires a lot of time and work, especially for the preparation of couscous. Again one of the fundamental ingredients is fish !
The Lampedusana version generally includes slices of grouper, Lampedusan capers, olives, cherry tomatoes, a little chilli and oregano and various vegetables such as potatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes, celery and carrots. Absolutely to try, you cannot say that you have been to Lampedusa without tasting the cous cous!

  • Recommended for : lunch, dinner, breakfast, snack
  • Average cost : €20.00
  • Main ingredients : couscous, grouper, vegetables

5 – Linguine with seafood

The great protagonist is the fish , always fresh! In fact, all the restaurants on the menu have the item “catch of the day”. And if you are sitting in a restaurant and you are hungry for good pasta, you cannot fail to order linguine with seafood, present in every restaurant and always excellent!
Surely you have already eaten them elsewhere, but on the island they are a must ! For those who do not know it, it is a first course based on linguine and seafood , such as clams, cockles, sea truffles and others, seasoned with a little oil, parsley and, to taste, a little of chilli.

  • Recommended for : lunch, dinner
  • Average cost : €12.00
  • Main ingredients : linguine, seafood

6 – Swordfish in seawater
In Lampedusa, swordfish can be found everywhere, both in the first and second courses.

The recipe for this dish requires the fish to be very fresh , of excellent quality, freshly caught and washed in clean sea water .
It is then cooked in a pan without oil, thus allowing it to throw out the water it absorbed while washing it, and it must be turned over until it dries. Then add lemon juice, garlic, parsley, oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.

  • Recommended for : lunch, dinner
  • Average cost : main courses from € 20.00
  • Main ingredients : swordfish

7 – Ziti with sardines and fennel
Source: wikipedia. They are a classic of Lampedusan cuisine and also of Sicilian cuisine . Usually, the types of pasta that are used in the recipe are ziti, bucatini and perciatelli.
Wild fennel is one of the basic ingredients of the island’s culinary tradition, in fact it is used in many recipes.
It grows everywhere on the island, even in the most unlikely places. But it is not only used in food: fennel liqueur is produced here in Lampedusa , a real natural digestive with an excellent aroma. It is still homemade as it once was.

  • Recommended for : lunch, dinner
  • Average cost : €12.00
  • Main ingredients : sardines, fennel, pasta

8 – Catch of the day
If you are for lunch or dinner on a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea, you cannot miss the catch of the day! Many restaurants offer this dish, which therefore varies every day based on what the restaurant has bought or directly caught !

  • Recommended for : lunch, dinner
  • Average cost : €20.00
  • Main ingredients : fresh fish

9 – Cannoli
It is one of the most loved sweets in all of Sicily , which you will find really everywhere, in big cities, villages and small islands. It does not need many introductions, certainly almost all of us have tasted at least one in our life.
It is a crunchy wafer with a ricotta cream filling .
Perfect to eat at any time of day, in the morning for breakfast, as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack and, why not, also to round off lunch and dinner!

  • Recommended for : always
  • Average cost : €2.00
  • Main ingredients : flour, eggs, sheep’s milk ricotta

10 – Granita e Brioche
Photo by Giovanni.grasso. You cannot fail to have at least one breakfast with the classic granita and brioche! It is a real institution and the best way to start the day! It may seem like a strange pairing to some, but trust me, you will love it.
Granita is nothing more than a cold dessert made with water, sugar and fruit .
The pistachio, coffee and lemon ones are also very good. At breakfast, or as a snack, or at any other time of the day, try it accompanied by a Sicilian brioche, made with yeasted egg dough and with vanilla or citrus flavor.

  • Recommended for : breakfast, snack
  • Average cost : €4.00
  • Main ingredients : water and sugar; yeast dough with egg and aroma

Where to eat in Lampedusa: cheap restaurants, typical bars and street food
Photo of Figiu. On this island of just 20 square kilometers, obviously there is no shortage of places to eat! Indeed, you will find solutions suitable for all budgets. Most of the restaurants are mainly located on the seafront, in the port area and in the town center , especially along Via Roma, a reference point for nightlife too.
In the most popular beaches there is always at least one place that offers bar and restaurant service, while some are completely devoid of services and in that case you will have to equip yourself with a packed lunch.
Don’t forget to enjoy an aperitif at sunset in one of the bars located on the western side of the island, it will be an experience that you will not easily forget! Here are the best places to eat in Lampedusa :

1 – Il Ritrovo Restaurant

  • Description : located in the center of the city of Lampedusa; offers traditional Lampedusan dishes, fish dishes and land dishes; always fresh ingredients, friendly and helpful staff
  • Specialty : spaghetti with scampi, prawns and grains
  • Average price : from € 20.00 per person
  • Address : via Roma, 58 – Get directions / tel: 0922 970414

2 – Giglio Lampedusa restaurant

  • Description : located inside the hotel of the same name, it overlooks the beautiful Guitgia beach; offers traditional Lampedusan dishes, based on fish and menus at fixed prices
  • Specialties : caponata, beccafico sardines
  • Average price : from € 20.00 per person
  • Address : via Lido Azzurro, 9 – Get directions / tel: 0922 970093

3 – Ristorante Pizzeria Mir Mar

  • Description : located inside the hotel of the same name, a few steps from the beautiful Guitgia beach, it has a panoramic terrace; offers fish dishes as well as vegetarian alternatives
  • Specialty : spaghetti with sardines
  • Average price : from € 15.00 per person
  • Address : via Lido Azzurro, 17 – Get directions / tel: 0922 971008

4 – Friendship Bar

  • Description : located in the center, room with a large terrace; perfect place to start the morning with an excellent breakfast, including brioche and cannoli; also offers pizzas and rotisserie “pieces”
  • Specialties : cannoli, brioche and Sicilian cassata
  • Average price : from € 10.00 per person
  • Address : via Vittorio Emanuele, 60 – Get directions / tel: 0922 970432

5 – Tunez

  • Description : located on the beautiful beach of Cala Croce; ideal place for an aperitif or aperitif at sunset, but also suitable for a lunch break; offers both sandwiches and excellent fish dishes
  • Specialty : cocktails and aperitif at sunset
  • Average price : from € 15.00 per person
  • Address : C / da Cala Croce – Get directions / tel: 331 9745537

6 – Martorana gastronomy

  • Description : works mainly with take-away but outdoor tables are also available. The menu includes arancine, pizza, green pasta and really tasty fresh fish. Open for both lunch and dinner.
  • Specialty : arancine
  • Average price : € 15.00 per person
  • Address : Via Roma, 64, Get directions / tel: 0922970796

7 – Onda Blu Refreshment Point

  • Description : excellent stop near the Rabbit Beach. Breakfasts, aperitifs, lunches, and a nice van where you can find sandwiches, ice cream, cold dishes, rotisserie, ice cream and fruit, open from 8:00 to 21:00 for happy hour at sunset.
  • Specialties : caponata, octopus and tuna
  • Average price : € 15.00 per person
  • Address : Strada di Ponente, 1 – Get directions

8 – Pizzeria Papa Doc

  • Description : excellent pizzeria with pizza and focaccia by the slice, ideal for a snack or a meal with friends. It works mainly as a take-away pizzeria but there is also the possibility of sitting at some table set up outside.
  • Specialty : pizza with lemons and mortadella
  • Average price : € 10.00 per person
  • Address : Via Roma, 131/133 – Get directions / tel: 3421536672

9 – Left-handed gastronomy

  • Description : fresh and quality products, here you can enjoy first and second courses of meat and fish, vegetables, salads and much more. You can have your meal inside the restaurant, in the square next to it, or order it for take away.
  • Specialty : arancine
  • Average price : € 15.00 per person
  • Address : Via Vittorio Emanuele, 39/31 – Get directions

10 – Luca Bakery

  • Description : traditional specialties both sweet and savory, exceptional baked goods, ideal for take-away. You can also sit outside, under a pergola
  • Specialty : cunzato bread with mackerel, arancine
  • Average price : € 15.00 per person
  • Address : Via Stazzone, 74 Get directions / tel: 3338341244
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