Restaurants
Well, you can’t make a list of things to do and skip eating if your list is about Italy, right?! So, here are a few restaurants, bars and recommendations in general on food you definitely have to try, once visiting Lo Stagnone, Sicily.
Master Pizza
The local’s favorite pizza place offers a wide selection of pizzas and they come in various forms and sizes. You can even order a 1-meter-long pizza and divide it into 3 different tastes! There are a few tables but it’s mostly for delivery.
Home Restaurants
We organize dinners for our guests at home restaurants in Birgi. Our hosts prepare several courses for us so we can taste many typical sicilian dish: from vegetarian appetizers and seafood pastas to grilled meat/fish. We finish with fruits and cakes and drink wine until it lasts. We love the atmosphere of these intimate nights and so as our students. Visiting these home restaurants is the best way to try the traditional sicilian food, enjoy the hospitality of the local people and talk (or sometimes dance and sing) through the night.
Assud
The first Assud restaurant opened in the old town of Trapani in 2013. Thanks to the exceptional food and service, they’ve grown quickly and nowadays they are already present in 3 cities around Sicily. The closest to our kite spot is Assud Mozia. We recommend booking a table, especially during the peak season!
Playa del Rio
The shallow lagoon of Lo Stagnone is ideal for kitesurfers, but for swimming in the sea, we always go to the closest beach: Playa del Rio. There is a large, sandy beach with all kinds of facilities and their restaurant is very nice. We especially like the atmosphere of the small deck during the evening.
Sushi Gohan
It’s not italian, but we have to mention the best all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant we’ve ever been to. You can choose the a la carte option, but if you are a fan of Japanese food, you should definitely go for the all you can eat option for 20-30 euro. Appetizers, soups, pasta and rice dishes, tempura, poke bowls and fresh sushi selection are all included in the price.
De Vita
Less attractive from the outside, but for sure you’ll be a regular in De Vita too, once you try their speciality: zuppa di cozze (mussle soup). This dish made of fresh mussles, tomato sauce, garlic and parsley is simple yet heavenly. Our other favourite from the menu is the pasta with smoked ham (or shrimp) and pistachio cream sauce. De Vita also makes undoubtedly the best cannolo in town, which is a traditional sicilian dessert made with ricotta. This restaurant is a family business, so you can see the same faces each time you go there. Friendly service and great value for money.
Sicilia Beddra
In Sicily there is a coffee shop in literally every corner. Sicilia Beddra is the newest addition to the breakfast places in Birgi, and luckily they prepare some ‘tavola calda’ as well for lunch. They have the ‘obligatory’ sweet sicilian pastries with ricotta, cream, chocolate and pistacchio filling, paninis and good coffee for breakfast. For lunch there are usually 5-6 different options, all of them are typical sicilian dishes such as pasta, cold rice salad, arancini (fried rice balls), melanzane (layered eggplant) and caponata (sicilian ratatouille).
Bar Di Saro
Saro is probably the most well-known bar in town. It’s a family business, it was opened in 1977. Saro is one of the few places in the area that offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and even gelato!
Wine Bar Il Mulino
If you have a sweet tooth, your favorite meal of the day will be breakfast in Sicily. The croissants are fluffy and filled with thick cream and the coffee is just perfect. We tried a small coffee shop the first year we came here and we are addicted ever since. It’s on the main street of the „kite village”, Birgi, called Il Mulino Bar. Having breakfast there is simply the best way to start the day.
Aperitivo
I think aperitivo is the most genious meal idea, invented by the people of the Mediterranean. It’s more casual than a dinner, usually consists of a local selection of cold cuts, cheese, olives and of course some nuts or chips to make sure you accompany your food with plenty of drinks. In the last few years aperitivo places got so popular in the area that now you can find one in every few meters along the scenic route of the Lo Stagnone lagoon. Why here? Because the sunsets are so mesmerizing by the lagoon, that people come here merely to take a selfie with an Aperol Spritz in their hand and the sky in the background that turnes just as orange as their drinks are.
Peola
The most recent addition to the aperitivo restaurants in Stagnone is Peola. This place was born right in the middle of a vineyard, creating a sense of walking in a maze between tall grapes. The setting is one of a kind and their strong connection to wine is shown also on the menu. Next to the bruschetta and cold platters they offer a wide selection of local wines and they even make their own.
La Terazza sulle Saline
Having an aperitivo at this lounge bar is an experience you shouldn’t miss while you are in Lo Stagnone. With law tables and chairs on the lawn, overlooking the breathtaking view of the salina, it’s guaranteed to have a relaxing pastime here. Plenty of pretty cocktails to choose from and the fresh meat/fish/cheese platters are not only a treat for the taste buds, but for the eyes as well.
Mamma Caura
This restaurant and bar has the most amazing view to the lagoon, so it has become a popular photo sight for tourists. They have an endless list of tasty cocktails and yummy aperitivo (complimentary snacks next to drinks) at the bar, and fresh seafood at the restaurant. The best time to go there is just before sunset, so you can sip your drink while the sky turns into orange and the sun goes down behind the old salt mill. During the summer months, you better make a reservation, because it gets really crowded!
