What to Eat in Syracuse

Syracuse offers traditional Sicilian dishes, which are the basis of the cuisine that one can enjoy at the Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel.
From caponata to seafood, traditional cuisine is, in fact, the undisputed protagonist of culinary offerings in our restaurant.

During spring and summer a visit to any place in Sicily does not taste the same without refreshing granita, served in all bars, made with finely crushed ice, almost liquid, and various flavors to choose from (lemon, almond, coffee).  It can taste even better accompanied by a croissant, as a breakfast.

Among drinks, latte di mandorla (almond milk), prepared fresh every day, is certainly the most pleasant and refreshing choice.  It is also available for breakfast in the morning at the hotel bar.

Almond pastries.

In terms of confections offered by many traditional artisanal shops in the streets around the Hotel Algilà, we recommended all sweets made with almonds, either in the form of paste ("occhi di Santa Lucia” – “eyes of St. Lucia", "limonelli "," pistacchiati", "mandarinelli" etc.) for more delicate tastes and flavored from time to time with dried fruit, to the much stronger and sweeter flavors of marzipan fruit, which imitate the shapes and colors of “real” fruits (apricots, mandarins, strawberries, cherries ... there are no limits to the imagination).

Fruits made from pasta di mandorla (almost paste).

Also worth trying is quince marmalade, or cotognata, which has a very firm consistency and sold in pieces. The flavor is very sweet and slightly sour at the same time; it is called "marmalade" but you eat it like a sweet, sliced or broken, not spread.

Cotognata (quince marmalade).

The bakery also offers a variety of confections, such as "fichetti", made with puff pastry and figs, as well as candied orange peel, and more.

Completing the picture are the most famous desserts, such as cannoli (those that are artisanal have a flavor that cannot be compared with that of the mass-produced product, popularized in the rest of Italy) or zéppole.

Little known outside of Sicily, but worth tasting, is chocolate of Modica, easily purchased in stores in Syracuse and produced according to an ancient recipe dating back to the Spanish rule, which has the consistency of crystalline sugar (it is typical of this chocolate to “crunch” when chewed). It is characterized by being hand-crafted, worked cold, and with no fat added, resulting in a more opaque appearance, more crumbly texture, and taste and smell distinctly different from that of mass-produced chocolate.
The Modica chocolate is flavored in various ways, making uncommon use of spices: the aromas range therefore from the most "classic" (dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla) to the more unusual (pistachio, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili pepper, orange...).

For those more willing to experiment, there is the orange pasta sauce, which one can buy in cans.

It should be noted, lastly, for those who love markets that a short distance from the Hotel Algilà near the Temple of Apollo the market of Ortigia takes place each morning.
It is very characteristic and has always been popular with tourists, where it’s also possible to find local food: cheese (try the pecorino (sheep chese), the pepper cheese, and chili pepper cheese), fruits and vegetables (Syracuse is famous for its Pachino tomatoes), fish, and so forth.

How to reach them from the Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel.
Pastry shops are easily found around the hotel, especially around the nearby Piazza Duomo and Piazza Archimede.
Given their short distance from the Hotel Algilà, it is possible to reach these on foot.

The front desk staff is available to recommend restaurants and pastry shops to customers who want additional guidance and suggestions.

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