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 in fact dominates the culinary offerings in our restaurant.

Spanning two and half millennia on the sea, Syracusan cuisine’s strongest dishes involve fish. These maritime delicacies are either cooked alone or served with accompanying side dishes, such as the traditional pasta alla siracusana, which marries sardines with wild fennel and Pachino tomatoes. Of course you can also enjoy other traditional Sicilian dishes in Syracuse, like the pasta all norma, rich with eggplant, but you should not miss the humble zuppa di pesce, or fish soup, which is a specialty to find today given the work required to prepare it. When made with freshly caught fish, though, as you can do in Ortigia, the taste and aroma are unforgettable.

Very pleasant and never intrusive is the use of herbs, such as basil, oregano, thyme, mint and fennel; peppers also appear but never to excess, and if necessary you can specify dishes without them. Also featured frequently is the pistachio, thanks in part to Syracuse’s proximity to Bronte, a region renowned for its pistachios (introduced during the Arabic control of the region, Sicily is the only area in Italy in which the pistachio can be adequately cultivated). Pistachios are incorporated into desserts, crushed to garnish dishes,  and also appear in cheeses, sometimes alongside peppercorns or chili peppers.

The Sicilian tradition has preserved a taste for daring flavor combinations with international cooking styles, so it pays not to be scared by strange pairings and instead try before you judge. For example, despite the unusual recipe of ingredients, oranges in a salad, dressed with oil, salt, vinegar and a little onion, turn out to be surprisingly good, so its worth a try. Another is the option to use sweet cherry tomatoes in your order of pasta alla siracusana, which can add an unusual yet perfectly nice touch.

In stores, and sometimes in the market, next to Syracuse’s popular preserves you can find olive tapenade, both black and white, along with the more unusual, local delicacies: jams made from tomato, pistachio or almond pesto, mandarin orange liqueur, orange blossom honey with an intense citrus aroma, and dried cherry tomatoes (simple or in oil). One can also find the celebrated orange marmalade, and, more rarely, a lemon or tangerine version. For the more adventurous palate, one can also find an orange sauce for pasta.

Noteworthy wines are the DOC Moscato of Syracuse, which presents a slightly sweet and very aromatic character (DOC means “Denominazione di origine controllata,” which indicates that the grapes are grown in the controlled tradition of regional production – in short, it means your wine is authentically Italian). For those who love a rich red, a wonderful choice is the Nero d’Avola, which has evolved in recent years from the realms of table wine to elegant reserve thanks to a more careful winemaking with modern requirements. The result is a varietal that has made a successful debut on the international wine market. The same Nero d’Avola grape varietal appears in the DOC Elero production.

During spring and summer a visit anywhere in Sicily does not taste the same without a refreshing granita, served in all bars.  Made with finely crushed ice, a granita comes in various flavors, such as lemon, almond, or coffee.  It can taste even better accompanied by a croissant as a breakfast. Thanks to modern commercial changes, our granite are marketed as a DOP, or “Denominazione di origin protetta,” product, which means it comes from a protected region of production.

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.

In terms of the confections offered by many traditional artisanal shops in the streets around the Hotel Algilà, for more delicate tastes we recommended all sweets made with almonds, either in the form of paste: occhi di Santa Lucia (“eyes of St. Lucia"), limonelli (an almond and lemon cookie), pistacchiati (a pistachio based cookie), mandarinelli (an almond based cookie), and so on. For a much stronger and sweeter flavors, one can try the frutti di marzapane (marzipan fruit), which take the shapes and colors of “real” fruits (apricots, mandarins, strawberries, cherries ... there are no limits to the imagination).

Also worth trying is quince marmalade, or cotognata, which has a very firm consistency and is sold in pieces. This is the dulce de membrillo, or quince paste, originally brought to Sicily during Aragonese control. 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.

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). The secret is in the ricotta cheese, which must be absolutely fresh to make the best cannoli. Also worth a try are the zéppole, little fried cakes filled with custard.

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. This treat has the consistency of crystalline sugar, and so it is typical of this chocolate to “crunch” when chewed. It is characterized by being hand-crafted, worked cold, and with no fat added. This results 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 and occasionally incorporates unusual spices. The aromas range, therefore, from the most "classic" (dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla) to the more unusual (pistachio, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili pepper, orange, . . . and sea salt!).

Finally, it should be noted 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, but it is a great source of local foodstuffs: cheese (try the pecorino (sheep cheese), the pepper cheese, and chili pepper cheese), fruits and vegetables (Syracuse is famous for its Pachino tomatoes), fish, and so forth. For guests staying at the Residenza Alfeo, who have the ability to cook and are close to the market, a visit to its stalls is a must.

How to reach them from the Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel and from the Antico Hotel Roma 1880.    
Pastry shops are easily found around both hotels, especially around the nearby Piazza Duomo and Piazza Archimede.  Given their short distance from the hotels, 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.