The Best Restaurants on the Island of Lampedusa, Italy

This swanky hotel restaurant not far from the main port has made it into the Michelin guide. Prim white-clothed tables line an elegant terrace edged by pines and palms, where grouper tartare topped with edible flowers is served in a shell-like ceramic dish and champagne-simmered prawn risotto comes topped with jewels of salmon roe. Both the five- and seven-course tasting menus feel well priced for the quality of fare. Book well ahead to score a sought-after table.

On a sunny plateau above the small southern beach of Cala Croce, this breezy terrace under a thatched canopy has a lighthearted, beach-club feel. Platters of garlicky spaghetti come topped with prawns the size of a fist, antipasti platters overflow with charred aubergine and marinated anchovies and slivers of tuna crudo are fragrantly fresh. Come well before lunchtime to skim across the blonde sands and swim in lapis-blue shallows, then cool off with a cold beer in the shade.

Striking presentation is top of mind at this temple to seafood, set in a pretty, tiled residential building with a slim balcony terrace, in the main port. Scarlet hunks of tuna tartare are topped with seaweed crackers spun like fishing nets, sea urchins swim in their spiky shells atop twirling tornadoes of pasta and seared tuna is encrusted with vivid crushed pistachio, then sprinkled with edible flowers. A stylish crowd of young couples and groups from the mainland makes a beeline here for photogenic dinners, topped off with premium champagne.

A low-key cafeteria with pavement tables scattered over a central square, this is the place for home cooking surrounded by chattering locals. The must-tries are the arancini (fried rice balls), but expect to find crisp calamari, vinegar-doused octopus salad and chargrilled aubergines, too, as well as plenty of sugary baked treats. Close to bartering street vendors and facing a leafy square, it’s a no-frills lunch spot with tonnes of local atmosphere and charm.

In the inland province of Terranova, this family-run joint excels at fresh grilled fish and parmesan-showered pastas served on rustic, hand-painted platters. You start by filling up on a buffet of island specialities served aperitivo-style – couscous, anchovies, octopus salad – then move on to the mains, which host Gianni guides you through with great charm. It’s high quality, but with more generous home-style portions than the fine-dining institutions on the island.

This east-coast restaurant has a romantic terrace cut into the rocks, topped with sails and scattered with nautical blue-and-white painted chairs. Couples graze by candlelight on juicy grilled squid, slivers of fresh fish crudo and peppery seared tuna served on elegant slates or glossy glazed ceramics. At night, the stars in this low-lit area appear piercingly bright. Then again, by day, the seas off this strip of coast glow a surreal shade of aquamarine, so you may be tempted to come for a lunch as well as a dinner.

On the eastern side of the island’s main port, this spot fuses the whisper of Arabic-speaking North Africa with the Mediterranean in a cave-like space, with its buffed checkerboard flooring, mosaic-tiled arches and silky golden upholstery. This is traditional rather than modern fine dining, but it’s loved by a whole new generation for its reverent, attentive service. You’ll tuck into pasta topped with crispy artichokes and seafood soup amid beautiful gilded design features and antiques.