Best restaurants and what to eat
Italy
Messina’s cuisine is a vivid expression of northeastern Sicily’s maritime culture, where the Strait brings exceptional fish, shellfish, and a lively tradition of street food. The area also excels in citrus, pistachios, almonds, and festive pastries shaped by Arab, Spanish, and mainland Italian influences.
Salt cod is a cornerstone of Messina’s tables, prized for its firm texture and deep savory flavor after long soaking and slow cooking. It appears in stews, salads, and baked preparations, often brightened with olive oil, tomatoes, capers, and oregano.
Salt-packed anchovies from the Strait are intensely aromatic, oily, and mineral, with a concentrated flavor that seasons everything they touch. They are used sparingly to enrich pasta sauces, vegetables, and bruschetta.
This cured tuna roe has a silky, savory depth and a refined marine salinity, often grated or sliced thinly. It is a prized finishing ingredient for pasta, seafood salads, and simple bread with olive oil.
Tuna from the Sicilian coast is meaty, rich, and deeply tied to the island’s tuna-fishing tradition. In Messina it is enjoyed fresh, marinated, or preserved, often paired with onions, capers, and citrus.
Sardines are a classic local fish, with a full flavor and supple flesh that stands up beautifully to grilling, frying, and baking. They are commonly matched with wild fennel, raisins, pine nuts, and breadcrumbs in the Sicilian style.
Swordfish from the Strait is firm, lean, and prized for its clean taste and steak-like texture. It is often grilled or served in braises with tomatoes, olives, capers, and herbs.
This celebrated dessert wine from the Aeolian Islands near Messina is rich, honeyed, and perfumed with dried apricot, citrus peel, and Mediterranean herbs. It is typically served slightly chilled with almond pastries and other local sweets.
Although produced on the slopes of Mount Etna rather than in the city itself, it is one of the most characteristic wines of the greater Messina area. It is crisp, mineral, and citrus-driven, ideal with seafood and grilled fish.
A volcanic red with bright acidity, red fruit, and a savory edge, reflecting the dramatic terroir of eastern Sicily. It pairs well with richer fish dishes, tuna, and swordfish.
Faro is the signature red wine of Messina, traditionally built on indigenous grapes and known for elegance, spice, and a refined, lightly tannic structure. It is a serious food wine, especially with roasted meats, tuna, and aged cheeses.
A softer, more perfumed Sicilian red, Cerasuolo combines cherry fruit, floral notes, and supple texture. In Messina it is appreciated with a wide range of local dishes, from baked pasta to savory pastries.
An ancient wine associated with the Messina area since Roman times, Mamertino can be white or red depending on the blend. It is valued for its historical prestige and balanced, food-friendly style.
A Sicilian classic of pasta with tomato, fried eggplant, ricotta salata, and basil, it is lush yet balanced, with creamy-salty and sweet-savory contrasts. In Messina it appears in home kitchens and trattorie as a benchmark of island cooking.
This richly baked pasta is layered with tomato sauce, cheese, meat, hard-boiled eggs, and sometimes eggplant, creating a hearty, celebratory casserole. Its browned top and deeply savory interior make it a festive Messinese specialty.
A humble but iconic coastal pasta, it is prepared with small sardines or anchovies, wild fennel, pine nuts, raisins, and sometimes saffron. The result is fragrant, sweet-salty, and unmistakably Sicilian.
A thick fava bean purée or soup, maccu is earthy, silky, and comforting, traditionally associated with rural pantry cooking. It is often finished with olive oil and served with bread or fried accompaniments.
This mixed fry of small local fish and sometimes tiny seafood is crisp, light, and intensely fresh. It is one of the most straightforward expressions of Messina’s maritime bounty, best eaten hot with lemon.
Salt cod cooked Messina-style is a deeply savory dish often prepared with tomatoes, potatoes, olives, onions, and capers. The long-simmered flavors are robust and homey, with a pleasing balance of acidity and richness.
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