The best places to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in Sicily: Chef Dionisio Randazzo

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The best places to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in Sicily: Chef Dionisio Randazzo

By Julietta Jameson
Sicilian cannoli.

Sicilian cannoli.Credit: Alamy

THE EXPERT

DIONISIO RANDAZZO, HEAD CHEF AT ALTUM, MILSONS POINT

From working as a kitchen hand as a 16-year-old in his hometown of Terrasini, Dionisio Randazzo​ followed his passion for food to London where he worked in Michelin star restaurants alongside the likes of Gordon Ramsay. Moving to Sydney, he worked at Osteria Balla with Gabriele Taddeucci and Stefano Manfredi before his role as head chef of Altum, Milsons Point. See altumrestaurant.com

BREAKFAST

Bar Trupiano is the place to go for breakfast in Terrasini. Mr Trupiano serves the best espresso alongside a wide variety of traditional Sicilian pastries. My favourite is the cannoli con la ricotta. It is a delicacy: a beautiful crunchy shell filled with Sicily's iconic and delicious sheep ricotta, topped with dark chocolate and house made candied fruits. It stands out from other cannolis. (No website: Corso Vittorio Emanuele 221, Terrasini)

LUNCH

If you love seafood, then sitting down for a lunch at Primafila, which literally means "front row", is like opening up the gates to seafood heaven. While you are enjoying a panoramic sea view, a multitude of glorious dishes arrive at your table, all impeccably fresh and locally sourced. I always order the caponata di pesce, a sweet and sour John Dory tossed with traditional eggplant caponata. Caponata is usually full of strong flavours. Here, the chef is able to balance all the ingredients into a light and delicate amazing dish. See ristoranteprimafila.net

SNACK

For the best snack in town I usually look for the La Panella d'Oro food truck. On this tiny little truck, Gaetano offers an authentic taste of Sicilian culture, featuring dishes that range from the sfincione – an oily pizza topped with tomatoes, red onions, caciocavallo cheese and anchovies ­– to panino ca meusa, a beef spleen sandwich finished with a squeeze of lemon and fresh ricotta. The food is made with local ingredients and cooked in a traditional way. Gaetano follows old family recipes and it is food made with love. Everything will perfectly pair with a nice, cold bottle of local beer. Follow the truck's location on Facebook: @panelladoro.

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APERITIVO

Aperitivo in Terrasini is like a more sophisticated version of happy hour and it's not all about enjoying drinks. I usually go to Leoni or Friend's Bar, two lively wine bars serving great Sicilian wine by the glass and an excellent negroni. Friend's Bar offers the largest category of pezzi di rosticceria​, another classic Sicilian street food. My favourite is the rollo with ham and mozzarella: baked savory brioche stuffed with roasted ham, buffalo mozzarella and a bechamel sauce. Freshly baked, it's a perfect snack for a great aperitivo. See facebook.com/FriendsTerrasini/; facebook.com/IleoniTerrasini

DINNER

One of Terrasini's many great attractions is Ristorante Bavaglino​. This small restaurant, which has had a Michelin star since 2014, represents the modern face of Sicily. Here, the talented chef, Giuseppe Costa, deconstructs time-honoured Sicilian dishes and reassembles them with fresh dazzle in a menu that combines simplicity and sophistication. A good example is his house-made pasta with tenerumi – the green leaves of long cucuzza squash – fresh local scampi and a foam of caciocavallo​ cheese. I usually finish my meal with nuvola di cassata, Giuseppe`s interpretation of a classic Sicilian cake – it's a light but intense cloud of sweet madness. See giuseppecosta.com

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