Syracuse Ortigia - Sicilian Street Food Tour by Do Eat Better
Description
Discover Syracuse on our Syracuse Food Tour, a journey through the charming streets of the historic center and the picturesque island of Ortigia. Taste the dishes locals love, from fresh seafood and traditional Sicilian recipes to sweet treats that define the region. Every stop is carefully selected to introduce you to authentic culinary traditions, highlight the best local restaurants and markets, and create an unforgettable food experience. Your guide is a passionate local Foodie, a friendly expert who shares insider tips, explains each dish, and reveals the history and stories behind every bite. Do Eat Better Experience tours combine high-quality gastronomy with an immersive cultural walk, offering a true taste of Sicilian life. To ensure a personal and authentic experience, tours are limited to small groups so every guest receives full attention and guidance. Please note the tour is always run in English and Italian; other languages are available upon request.
Tour Options
Itinerary
At our first food stop, we’ll dive into the most authentic local street foods, surrounded by the historic atmosphere of the Temple of Apollo. You’ll savor arancini, the world-famous rice balls stuffed with a variety of ingredients like meat, cooked ham, spinach, pistachios, or aubergines, fried to golden perfection for a true taste of Sicilian tradition. In the summertime, you can also enjoy a fried fish cone, filled with a selection of fresh fish caught that very day. With the ancient columns of the Temple of Apollo as your backdrop and the lively energy of Ortigia’s streets all around, tasting these local specialties becomes a perfect blend of history, culture, and flavor.
Next, we’ll have the chance to taste the Sicilian impanata, a traditional artisanal specialty. This oval-shaped, golden calzone can be filled with tomato sauce, vegetables, meat, cheese, potatoes and sausage, or even shrimp and black olives, offering a rich explosion of bold flavors. Enjoying it in Piazza Archimede, surrounded by the grandeur of historic palaces and the lively energy of locals and visitors alike, turns this tasting into more than a meal, it’s a true taste of Syracuse’s culinary and cultural heart.
To then go to taste some local products: along a tour of the ancient market in Syracuse including a tasting of paninetti with locally produced cheeses and cured meats.
We’ll also relish some local and refreshing desserts in the heart of Syracuse’s historic center. Sicilian granita is perfect for relaxing and cooling down on a hot summer afternoon. Served in a glass, this simple yet incredibly tasty mix of fresh fruit, sugar, and ice is ideal to end a rich meal on a high note. Alongside it, you’ll enjoy Sicilian cannoli, where the crisp wafer, traditionally molded around a hot metal bar, is filled with sweet, creamy ricotta and often garnished with candied fruit, crunchy pistachios, or dark chocolate chips. Surrounded by the vibrant streets and historic architecture, tasting these desserts becomes a colorful and indulgent experience that captures the essence of Sicilian life.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please be aware that the guide may speak both in English and Italian during the tour
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
- For safety reasons, guests with severe or life-threatening food allergies are unfortunately unable to participate in this experience.
Reviews(588)
We had an excellent experience on Brenda’s Sicilian Street Food Tour! Brenda was warm, knowledgeable, and made the whole tour fun and engaging from start to finish. The food was absolutely delicious, with a great variety of authentic Sicilian specialties, and we loved learning about the history and traditions behind each dish. It was a wonderful way to experience the local culture and discover some fantastic food spots we might never have found on our own. Brenda’s passion for Sicily and its cuisine really made the tour special. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Sicily — come hungry! This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
Great experience and guide and lots interesting information
The experience with Giuseppe was exceptional; he not only explained all the typical Sicilian dishes, but also explained the history of Ortigia on the way from one restaurant to another. The food was very good, explanations with a lot of passion. I would do it again, highly recommended.
Giuseppe our guide was extremely knowledgeable He knew everything about real Sicilian food & drink. He led the tour & really entertained us with his vibrant personality I’d definitely recommend this foodie experience. We tasted things I’d not had before. Wonderful! Not to be missed
It was a lovely food tour. We got to taste many local delicacies and Giuseppe was an amazing guide who told us a lot of interesting history and facts about Ortigia and the food.
Perfect experience. The food was amazing and Giuseppe was a wonderful guide who taught us a lot of interesting history about the food and Syracuse as a whole.
We had a wonderful time on our food tour with Giuseppe! He did a great job of addressing everyone in the group, learning about our holidays, and combining Ortigia history with information about the dishes. We tried a wonderful assortment of local dishes and the quantities were generous. He was thoughtful about restroom breaks and dietary restrictions as well.
A must do experience while in Ortigia. Can’t recommend it highly enough Truly delicious Sicilian food as well as an informative and enthusiastic guide. From our meeting at the RVP, Giuseppe was a kind and welcoming guide and we knew we would be in safe hands. We got to try some amazing charcuterie and cheeses; fried fish and vegetables; incredible arancini as well as granita and cannoli A first rate experience.
Giuseppe is very knowledgeable and accommodating! Great food, great tour guide, great company!
This was the best food tour we have ever been on. Giuseppe really made the tour for us. He was very personable and so knowledgeable about not only the food, but of the history of Siracusa and surrounding areas. He even made sure we were able to catch the sunset while we ate granita. Oh, and the food was all freshly made, delicious and plentiful. I wish I could give this tour an extra star.
