What to Eat in Syracuse: Traditional Dishes You Should Try at Least Once

In Syracuse, food is part of everyday life, not just a pleasure. Walking through the streets of Ortigia — among markets, the scent of fresh fish and toasted almonds — it’s easy to see how deeply the local cuisine is tied to the land. Every recipe comes from what the sea and the countryside provide, combining simple ingredients with meaning and balance.

In this guide, you’ll discover what to eat in Syracuse: the most famous traditional dishes, the street food you should try at least once, the typical sweets, and a few tips on where to taste them. A journey through authentic flavours and local stories — the best way to get to know the city through its food.

Between Sea and Countryside: the Flavours of Syracuse

The cuisine of Syracuse is a natural meeting point between the sea and the land. It’s based on simple, seasonal ingredients chosen for their freshness. The typical products of Syracuse tell the story of a land shaped by fishing, farming, and a climate that enhances the intensity of every flavour.

Fresh fish from the port of Ortigia

Every morning, fishermen return to the port with boxes of anchovies, mullets, tuna and swordfish. From here come the main ingredients of many local dishes — from fish soups to seafood pasta. The fish is cooked with just a few essentials — olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs — to preserve the pure taste of the sea.

Extra virgin olive oil from the Iblei Mountains

Produced among the olive groves that cover the inland hills, the olive oil from the Iblei Mountains is among the finest in Sicily. With its herbal and slightly peppery aroma, it accompanies starters, pasta dishes and main courses, giving a distinct identity to the local table.

Almonds, lemons and Pachino tomatoes (PGI)

Almonds are widely used in Syracuse’s pastry tradition but also appear in savoury dishes and sauces. Lemons, found everywhere, add freshness to both fish dishes and desserts. The Pachino tomato, cultivated just south of the city, is one of eastern Sicily’s best-known products and a must-have in summer recipes.

Syracuse wines: Moscato and Nero d’Avola

Moscato di Siracusa, one of Sicily’s oldest wines, is perfect with desserts and social gatherings. Nero d’Avola, on the other hand, reflects the island’s bold character — full-bodied and deep, ideal with meat dishes and rich pasta sauces.

Traditional Dishes of Syracuse You Shouldn’t Miss

Local cuisine is a mix of Greek, Arab and rural influences. The typical dishes of Syracuse are made with simple ingredients, yet their combination of flavours makes them unique. From pasta to street food, every bite tells the story of the city and its traditions. You can find these Syracusan specialities both in restaurants and in small neighbourhood trattorias, where cooking remains genuine and seasonal.

Traditional First Courses

Fried pasta “alla siracusana”

One of the city’s signature dishes. The pasta is cooked, then fried in a pan until crispy, and dressed with tomato sauce, anchovies, black olives and capers. A humble recipe born to reuse leftovers, but full of flavour and personality.

Spaghetti alla carrettiera

A simple, rustic dish made with garlic, olive oil, chilli, parsley and grated cheese. Once prepared by carters travelling across Sicily, it represents everyday cooking at its best — modest yet satisfying.

Pasta with sardines and wild fennel

A Sicilian classic also beloved in Syracuse. Fresh sardines combine with wild fennel, raisins and pine nuts, creating a balance of sweet and savoury that embodies the island’s culinary soul.

Main Courses and Seafood Specialities

Matalotta (Syracusan fish soup)

This is the city’s symbolic soup. Made with mixed fish, onions, white wine and tomatoes, it’s served hot with toasted bread that soaks up the broth and the essence of the sea.

Tonno alla ghiotta

A rich and hearty dish. The tuna is cooked with onions, olives, capers and tomato in a thick, aromatic sauce. An ancient recipe linked to the tuna fishing tradition, where nothing went to waste.

Fish patties and stuffed sardines (sarde a beccafico)

Fish patties are fried or baked, often flavoured with herbs and lemon zest. The sarde a beccafico are stuffed with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and raisins, then baked — a perfect mix of the sea’s flavour and the sweetness of dried fruit.

Starters and Syracusan Street Food

Arancini (or arancine!)

In Syracuse you’ll find both versions, filled with ragù, butter or spinach. They’re the ultimate street snack, perfect to enjoy while walking through Ortigia’s market.

Scacce ragusane and Syracusan focacce

Born in nearby Ragusa, scacce are thin stuffed flatbreads with tomato and cheese. In Syracuse, local versions include fillings like aubergines, anchovies or onions — ideal for a quick, tasty lunch.

Panelle and rice fritters (crispelle di riso)

Panelle, chickpea fritters originally from Palermo, are now common here too. Crispelle di riso, sweet or savoury rice fritters, are typical of festive periods and easy to find in local kiosks and takeaways.

Typical Desserts of Syracuse

Sicilian pastry is known worldwide, and in Syracuse it finds one of its purest forms. The typical desserts of Syracuse are made with simple ingredients — almonds, ricotta and wheat — transformed into recipes tied to religious feasts and everyday life. Each dessert has its story, often prepared only at certain times of the year and handed down through generations.

Cassatelle and cannoli

Two symbols of Sicily, always present in the city’s pastry shops. Cassatelle are shortcrust pastries filled with ricotta and chocolate chips, dusted with icing sugar. Cannoli are the undisputed classic — crispy shells filled with sweet ricotta cream and candied fruit. Both represent the authentic taste of the local tradition.

Cuccìa di Santa Lucia

This is the dessert most closely tied to Syracuse. Prepared on December 13th for the feast of Saint Lucy, the city’s patron saint, cuccìa is made with boiled wheat, ricotta, sugar and chocolate chips, or in a simpler version with custard and cinnamon. A dessert of devotion and sharing, it’s traditionally made at home and offered to family and friends.

Marzipan fruits and almond sweets

Brightly coloured and perfect as gifts, marzipan fruits (frutta martorana) are handcrafted almond paste creations. Alongside them, you’ll find almond pastries, soft biscuits and lemon sweets — ideal with a glass of local Moscato. Almonds, the cornerstone of Sicilian pastry, end every meal with the most authentic taste of the island.

Taste Syracuse, One Bite at a Time

Eating in Syracuse means truly understanding the city. Every dish — from the fresh fish of Ortigia’s port to the almonds of the Iblei Mountains — tells the story of a place where food is part of daily life. You don’t need to go far to realise it: sit in a small trattoria in Ortigia, stroll through the market stalls, or stop in a pastry shop to see how much flavour hides in simple things.

For those who want to experience it to the fullest, staying in the heart of the city is the best way to feel its rhythm and aromas. Hotel Algilà, located in the centre of Ortigia, is the perfect starting point to explore Syracuse on foot and let yourself be guided by the flavours of its traditions — and to indulge in the comfort of our restaurant. Every dish and every glass of wine tells a fragment of this land, revealing itself one bite at a time.