13 Best Restaurants in The Aeolian Islands, Sicily

Feisty Concetta serves a set menu for lunch and dinner from her long terrace, located near the Chiesa San Bartolo. You can expect a large selection of antipasti (such as wild fennel, sautéed shrimp, and roasted eggplant), a pasta course, and some variety of roasted fish. It's true island home-cooking, done in abundance and served with incredible hospitality. 

There's no better (or easier) place on the island to watch its fiery explosions than from the terrace of Osservatorio. The diverse menu offers everything from pizza (dinner only) and locally caught fish to pastas and roasted meats. It's a lovely 45-minute passeggiata from the port (about 3 miles), winding up a flora-rich path, to this look-out point with prime views of the area's volcanic activity (in total, about 20 minutes from Piscità). Alternatively, if you call ahead, they can arrange a shuttle service for you. During the day, you'll see the plume of smoke emitting from the crater and get spectacular sea views. At night, it's all about the fireworks show.

On the southern tip of the island, the Asino Beach lido (beach club) is surrounded by palm trees and vegetation along a particularly beautiful stretch of volcanic sand. They offer everything from great pizzas (plus salads and panini) and refreshing cocktails to beach chair and umbrella service.

Just off the pier where the hydrofoils dock, this modest little café serves simple pastas, sandwiches, and fresh-from-the-oven sweets. At breakfast, look for warm brioche, granita, and freshly squeezed fruit juices while in the evening, it's a gathering place for aperitivo. Open even during the off-season, it's a lovely place to dine and watch the port traffic while soaking up the Mediterranean sun. 

Even in the off-season, this little port café serves a reliable breakfast, with flaky croissants (often filled with marmalade) and good strong coffee. In the evenings, it becomes a gathering spot for aperitivo, where locals gather for a gin and tonic, Negroni, or spritz.  

A native of Naples, Ciro Aragione has called Stromboli home since the 1990s. From his home, he cooks lunch for visitors to the island, usually a set menu of pasta and fish he's bought straight off the boats that morning. In addition to the home restaurant, really a long table on his terrace flanked by lemon and mandarin trees, he can arrange catered picnics for your boat excursions or beach days, and will deliver to you.

In his humble kitchen, Silvio, a rosy-cheeked fisherman, cooks for his guests as they sit around the table. You might have a simple pasta with tomato sauce, eggplant from his garden, olives cured from his trees, simmered wild greens gathered from the hillsides, and a fish dish (roasted, fried, or sautéed). The menu really depends on what's in season, and more importantly, what Silvio caught that morning from his little wooden fishing boat. You'll eat well, but the food is almost beside the point.   

Open since 1979, this family-owned restaurant is now helmed by son Gaetano Nani whose cooking relies on the offerings of the sea. There is no regular menu—instead, he works with area fishermen to select the freshest fish and frutti di mare from the waters of the Panarea coast, which then informs that night's dishes. Expect fine dining tasting portions that showcase maximum territoriality. Oenophiles will revel in the wine list, which has over 1,000 different labels.

For quick and easy bites, from focaccia loaded with toppings to mixed salads, this food truck-style café (with a smattering of tables under oversize umbrellas) in the heart of Pollara is an island go-to. Stop by for a cold beer or a spritz to watch the nightly sunset from the westernmost point of the island. 

Named for an historic structure that was used to store Malvasia grapes at night after sitting in the sun all day (the pinnata), this restaurant consistently delivers the exact flavors you want to eat on a Mediterranean island. Diners linger late into the evening over raw seafood, roasted fish, grilled octopus, and pastas dressed with wild fennel, caper pesto, fresh ricotta, or rich cuttlefish ink. Dine alfresco on the massive terrace overlooking vineyards and the sea from Malfa's southern edge.

If you're stocking up for a day by the sea, stop in this bakery to fill your picnic basket. In addition to the freshly baked bread (whose scent wafts into the town's narrow alleyways), look for overstuffed sandwiches, arancini, and tender focaccia. And if you haven't already gotten your cannoli fix during your time in Sicily, their pistachio-dusted version is excellent.

Founded in 1910, Filippino is rightly rated as one of the archipelago's best dining venues—and you'll understand why, when you sample the catch of the day on the gorgeous terrace. Zuppa di pesce (fish soup) and the antipasto platter of smoked and marinated fish are absolute musts, but be sure to leave some room for the local version of cassata siciliana, accompanied by sweet Malvasia wine from Salina.

Owner Franco Maniaci might be one of the most welcoming people in all of the islands, with his gentle laugh and accommodating attitude. His little restaurant (named for his parents) in the southern town of Gelso relies on the seasons and the day's fresh catch to dictate the menu. The vegetable fritto misto often includes wild fennel while the rosy tuna echoes the hues of freshly sun-kissed diners. And his fried or grilled totano will make you realize that every bite of calamari you've eaten until now ultimately had no flavor.