A local’s guide to the 8 best restaurants in Sardinia
Sardinians are passionate about food and love all kinds of it. Thankfully, we have lots of good options on our island!
In this guide, I’ve included my favorite restaurants from all over Sardinia. They all serve different types of food, but one constant theme will always be local ingredients and local flavors, so if you visit any of these restaurants you can be sure that you’ll be eating authentic Sardinian food.
*For some additional research, you can read my detailed one week Sardinia itinerary or take a look at my guide to travel in Sardinia.
And for a guide to all things Cagliari, check out my city guide.
Table of contents
The best restaurants in Sardinia
Cagliari - An ever-changing menu at Babeuf
Porto Pino - Seafood at La Peschiera
Alghero - Ambiance and lovely owners at Movida
Castelsardo - Stunning seaside views at Rocca Ja
Oliena - Hyperlocal, honest rural food at Su Gologone
Aggius - Simple hearty fare at Il Mosto
Cagliari - Excitement and authenticity at the Mercato di San Benedetto
All over Sardinia - The true flavors of Sardinia at our Agriturismo
An introduction to food in Sardinia
What makes Sardinian food special
Things to know when eating out
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The 8 best restaurants in Sardinia according to a local
Choosing just 8 restaurants on an island filled with fabulous ones is an awfully tough task and I’ve left out loads of fantastic restaurants. So if you’ve got your eye on somewhere, but don’t find it on this list, don’t think that means it’s not worth it. I just couldn’t include everywhere!
Because Sardinian cuisine is actually quite varied, I tried to include restaurants that offer a bit of everything. As Sardinia is an island, most people assume that fish will be served everywhere, but that’s not actually the case! Many coastal parts of Sardinia were abandoned for centuries as locals fled to the safety of the interior to avoid the countless pirate attacks and raiding parties. As a result, a lot of typical Sardinian cuisine actually revolves around meat (pork and lamb), cheeses, and local produce.
The calm and stability of recent centuries (no more pirates raiding the coast!) have led to fishing and seafood again becoming a much more integral part of Sardinian cuisine, but there’s much more to it!
Allora, let’s look at the restaurants.
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1. Babeuf
Cagliari
This is a bistrot with a quite distinctive identity; full of books and classy vintage furniture. It's definitely casual, and the main clients are local college students, with a nice mix of hippy, alternative, and chic locals.
I especially like it because it stands out from the local food scene: they are highly selective with their products, and tell you not just about the food, but also its producers. Everything is fresh, and the menu changes seasonally and according to what they find at the market. The owner’s name is Federico, and you can feel his passion for what he does. When I eat here, I like starting with a bruschetta with bufala mozzarella and anchovies, followed by one of their soups, like the one with mashed beans, black cauliflower, porcini mushrooms and black garlic. Divine.
Situated at the end of Via Giardini, which is a lovely street in the Villanova historic district, Babeuf is also in a charming location.
For more info on food, dining, and all things Cagliari, see my Guide to Cagliari.
2. La Peschiera
Porto Pino
This is by far one of the best fish restaurants you will experience in your life! Located at the lagoon of Porto Pino, close to the beach that leads the way to magical sandy dunes, the restaurant could not have a better location. The founder of the place was Basilio, the husband of Novella (now the owner), who is very well-known here as the creator of the Santa Anna Arresi Jazz Festival, which is an event that brought some of the best musicians of the world to this small village.
Here, the menu is all about fish, fish, fish! It is local and super fresh, since it comes from the lagoon fishmonger and the gulf of Palmas. Their entrée selection is a journey into the fish cuisine of Sardinia, after which you’ll be so stuffed that it will be a challenge to move on to a main course. But in case you’re up for another dish, I'd suggest the quintessential Sardinian "Spaghetti Vongole e Bottarga"; the spaghetti with clams and Bottarga (fish roe).
The restaurant is just a very simple fisherman’s hut, with a nice space outside. Due to the size of the place and the food experience, I'd recommend it for a small group or a date. Most importantly, Novella, the owner, is the soul of this place and is a true delight. She will make your experience here magical.
3. Movida
Alghero
Located atop the old bastions of the town, and with its outside terrace beautifully overlooking the bay and the port, this location cannot be beat. The view is spectacular and worth the journey here alone. With a spacious outdoor terrace, this is also good choice if you’re in a large group.
Moving on to the food, we’ll be staying with fish here, as this is a must-try seafood spot. Without doubts, simply ask Daniele (the owner) what the fish of the day is. Careful though - he may come out of the kitchen with the biggest grouper or seabass you've seen in your life! If you want to go big, ask for the local lobster Catalan style.
To learn about other great restaurants and things to see & do around Alghero and Sardinia’s Northwest, check out our Sardinia Travel Guide.
Schedule a Sardinia travel consultation and spend an hour perfecting your itinerary, getting the best local info, and clearing up all your questions!
Schedule a Sardinia travel consultation and spend an hour perfecting your itinerary, getting the best local info, and clearing up all your questions!
4. Rocca Ja
Castelsardo
A meal at Rocca Ja is always a feast and a festival. It is a joy for the eyes, a delight for the nose, and an unforgettable experience for your tastebuds. They serve a vast menu, and in vast portions too! I love their "Mazzafrissa", which is a typical recipe from just this precise area of Sardinia, made out of fresh milk cream and flour with a pinch of salt. That's it! It may sound and look extremely simple, but the consistency in the mouth and the taste of such fresh ingredients makes for a unique experience. Another great choice here is the super tasty suckling pig served in cork plates on a bed of mirto leaves. Mamma mia! They also serve fantastic pizzas, so there’s something for everyone.
Thinking about the ambiance, this is without doubt one of the most romantic restaurants on the whole Island: you are perched on top of a hill, with the town spreading out in front of you, leading up to its own medieval castle. Looking out past the village, you’ll have the most beautiful sunset of your life, watching as the sun dives into the Mediterranean sea. Choose wisely who you come here with, because you won’t be able to help but fall in love with each other during this experience.
5. Su Gologone
Oliena
This is a temple dedicated to the most typical, rural Sardinian food. Here you'll experience handmade pastas, magnificent lamb, pork, and sheep, all coming directly from the village. This place is so authentic that the food the waiter serves may have been produced by his or her own family.
Not just a restaurant, Su Gologone, is possibly the most successful hotel on the Island, and it’s definitely the most iconic one. There are several rooms, plus a few terraces for magical al fresco dining. The restaurant sits just outside the town of Oliena, and is under the footsteps of the Supramonte mountain range. You'll be amazed by this imposing limestone mountain.
The history of this place is also fascinating, so if you have the chance to talk with Giovanna or the mythical Signora Pasqua, be sure to ask them about it.
For more information on Oliena and the Barbagia mountain region in Sardinia’s northeast, check out our Sardinia Travel Guide.
6. Il Mosto
Aggius
Situated in the main street of Aggius, a beautiful village made out of granite stone, and surrounded by massive granite rock formations, the environment at Il Mosto is lovely. The restaurant is on an ancient building made out of granite, and the interior is filled with juniper wood and stone, giving it a warm, cozy ambiance.
If you come here, to the Gallura region, you must taste its "Zuppa Galluresa", a dish made out entirely of leftovers (we call it "cucina povera"). It's quite simple: four layers of bread, sheep and lamb broth, and lots of cheese, followed by even more freshly grated pecorino and cow cheese. Again, despite its looks and its simplicity, this hearty dish will surprise you with its delicious flavors. It's all related to the quality of the ingredients, and at this restaurant, the quality is fantastic.
Schedule a Sardinia travel consultation and spend an hour perfecting your itinerary, getting the best local info, and clearing up all your questions!
Schedule a Sardinia travel consultation and spend an hour perfecting your itinerary, getting the best local info, and clearing up all your questions!
7. Mercato di San Benedetto
Cagliari
This is the holy grail of food in Sardinia, simple as that. Located in the San Benedetto district, in an unremarkable and unattractive building, you wouldn’t expect much from this place from its looks. But once inside, you'll be fascinated by the colors, the scents, and the enthusiasm of the locals celebrating their food.
The Mercato di San Benedetto is a lively and authentic place where you can see the locals doing their regular shopping. The sellers are friendly and animated, so expect to be invited to try their wares.
There are two floors here: on the upper floor you have everything you can think of except for fish, and on the lower floor you’ve got what is supposedly the biggest covered fish market in all of Italy.
Come here to explore, to eat, and to enjoy seeing a local side of Sardinia.
8. All Sardinian Agriturismos
All over the island!
An Agriturismo is essentially a farm, where the owners serve the food that they produce. Because of that, they are very focused on preparing the best possible food that they can. Do not expect Michelin star preparations or very fancy service, but what you get is real, fresh, and authentic. The menus are usually quite similar, so you'd start with several "antipasti", followed by a tasting of two pastas, and then the local meat. To finish the meal, you’ll have a local dessert and lots of Mirto, or even "Abba Ardenti" our Aguardiente.
While agriturismos usually lack a bit in decor, this is for good reason: a major part of their business is hosting the big lunches or dinners for the local celebrations, ranging from baptisms to weddings, so usually they are set up as a big rectangular room with many tables. While you shouldn’t expect much for style, that’s not what you’re coming here for. Come for the food!
There's usually one or even a few agriturismos in almost every Sardinian village, so one blog post could not possibly cover all, or even some of them. In general, I can say confidently that you'll have a fantastic food experience at least 99% of the time you eat at an Agriturismo. You absolutely must go to one while in Sardinia!
An introduction to food in Sardinia
Freshness. This is the first thing that comes to mind when describing our food. Thanks to the fact that the Island is still very much related to its rural heritage, we have easy access to food directly from the local producers. Whether you’ve been to Sardinia ten times or a first-time visitor, you must have lunch at a local "Agriturismo": these are farm restaurants where everything you eat is grown and produced on-site, and is prepared by the farmers and their families.
The quintessential Sardinian meal starts with a "tagliere", a chopping board featuring local cold cuts like Salsiccia (Sardinian local salami), Prosciutto (local Parma ham, which is very similar to the Pata Negra prosciutto), Coppa (coldcut made from the neck of the pig), Lardo (the pig fat), and Pecorino cheese in several degrees of aging.
After this, the first course would be the popular "Culurgiones", a half moon shaped ravioli filled with mashed potatoes, pecorino cheese and mint, or the super classic "Malloreddus alla Campidanese", a Sardinian small handmade pasta dressed with a ragù made with tomato sauce and saffron. All of this is followed by the most famous Sardinian dish, "Su Proceddu", the roasted suckling pig religiously prepared using local woods and with a long cooking process, served with raw veggies such as celery and fennel. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
As a dessert, you'd have a "Seada", a kind of big raviolo filled with fresh pecorino cheese that gets fried and covered with honey. It is truly the sexiest dessert you can imagine! At the end, to help you digest your meal, you'd have a "Mirto", a liqueur made out of local Myrtle berries (smaller and stronger than regular Myrtle berries), with an alchohol content between 30% and 40%.
This is food fit for kings and queens, so just enjoy it!
Schedule a Sardinia travel consultation and spend an hour perfecting your itinerary, getting the best local info, and clearing up all your questions!
Schedule a Sardinia travel consultation and spend an hour perfecting your itinerary, getting the best local info, and clearing up all your questions!
What makes Sardinian food special
Food and wine are an important part of any journey in Sardinia. To give you an idea of how locals relate to food, consider that the island counts 377 villages, and yet there are about 250 different type of bread! Talking about wine, we have about 112 different local grapes, which is the largest variety of any other Italian region by far.
Due to the many diverse regions of the Island, we have so many varieties of food: meat from sheep and goats, pork and wild boar, beef, and even horse and donkey, most of the time raised in the wild. Then, talking about seafood (we’re an island after all!), we have all types of Mediterranean fish, from seabass, to sea brim, grouper, dorada, swordfish, and the famous red tuna from southwest of Sardinia.
Also, despite being part of Italy, Sardinian food culture is definitely more related to Spain than to Italy. We don't use many spices, mostly because the food here has always been fresh enough that preserving it or using spices to change the flavor has never been necessary. I would describe our food culture as natural, fresh, and light.
Yet we do have some "archaic" foods, like the Bottarga, salted and sun-dried mullet roe, which may come from the Phoenicians or even Egyptians. Then we also have the "Casu Marzu", a rotten cheese with larva flies on it. I know it may sound terrible, but at the end of the day it's actually like a Gorgonzola. As a shepherd friend of mine said when presenting this cheese to a group of guests:
“In three thousand years (at least) of Sardinian cheesemaking, nobody has died from this, but in the time since fast food restaurants came to the island, we have ridiculously high numbers of food poisoning. Trust the cheese!”
Things to know when eating out in Sardinia
Although Sardinia is a modern island, we’re also very traditional, especially when it comes to food. Visitors from outside of Italy should be aware of these traditions, even though they may seem unusual.
Meal times in Sardinia
Relating to time of the day, let's say lunch starts from 1:00 pm, and dinner from 8:00 pm. This is stretched a lot in summer, meaning that dinner can start even at 10:00 pm. Of course, thanks to tourism, many restaurants have flexible schedules to accommodate our foreign visitors, meaning that you can usually get meals at most times of day.
Types of restaurants
There are various types of restaurants here, and the food you will get at each type is different. We have the classic "Trattoria", serving not too many dishes and with a quite simple preparation. While fairly basic, this usually assures a good quality of ingredients and freshness.
Then we have the classic "Ristorante", with a much bigger "Carte" (menu). Depending on the restaurant, they can prepare some very refined recipes. As of 2022, the Island has 8 Michelin star restaurants, showing that the food scene here is growing and offering more and more interesting experiences.
Tipping in Sardinia
Tipping was not done historically here, but as Sardinia relies heavily on tourism, it has actually become quite common. Service industry employees are not very well paid and they rely on tips to make a living. You won’t be committing a cardinal sin if you don’t leave a tip, but at restaurants, tipping around 5-10% is very much appreciated. If your meal costs 42 euros for instance, rounding up to 45 would be appropriate. For more casual things like ordering a coffee, just leaving around 10 cents or the change is fine.
Schedule a Sardinia travel consultation and spend an hour perfecting your itinerary, getting the best local info, and clearing up all your questions!
Schedule a Sardinia travel consultation and spend an hour perfecting your itinerary, getting the best local info, and clearing up all your questions!
