LA LOCANDOLINA — Restaurant in Catania

We loved La Locandolina so much, we came here twice in just four days during our stay in Catania! This cozy, family-run gem is something truly special. The owner—a talented young chef who works alongside his wonderful mother—made us feel completely at home from the moment we walked in.

What stood out was the incredible hospitality and personal attention to detail. My wife is vegetarian, and the chef was more than happy to customize dishes just for her—and the flavors were exceptional. On our second visit, he went out of his way to source fresh fish from the local market earlier that day, just to prepare something special for us. He also made sure that our kids, who have food allergies, were not only safe but absolutely loved every bite of their meal.

This place is not just a restaurant, it’s an experience full of heart and Sicilian soul. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Catania—don’t miss it! Let’s support...

A Lucky Find with a Warm Welcome We stumbled across La Locandolina by chance and it turned out to be one of our best meals! Clelia, our waitress, greeted us with such warmth – you could tell it’s a lovely family-run place with heart.

We were looking for something a bit different (I’d had my fair share of swordfish steaks by then!) and Clelia was super helpful, especially with the vegetarian option. The pasta alla Norma was fresh and full of flavour, and the sardine pasta was a tasty change. The antipasto was delicious, and we may have argued over the last bite of the lemon cake – it was that good.

The outdoor seating was perfect for people-watching and relaxing, and being next to an eclectic bar added a bit of extra charm to the whole evening.

Would definitely return – Clelia and the whole vibe made it feel like a little Sicilian secret we were lucky...

Avoid, avoid, avoid.

Really wanted to like this place, we went past a few times and saw the hand-written board and thought it seemed sweet. It’s on an alley with bars and music so felt like it had a good vibe.

Should have trusted spidey-senses when the waitress said there was no real menu and asked what we wanted instead. We said we were craving vegetables and wanted a salad, said we wanted vegetarian, expected what everywhere else was describing as a Catanese salad - tomatoes, olives, basil, maybe some mozzarella. What we got was undressed salad leaves and some sachets of oil.

The swordfish pasta was fine, tasty.

The pistachio pasta was heavy on the double cream and extremely light on the pistachios.

Second night of disappointing Catanian food. I don’t doubt we’re just picking the wrong places, just don’t make the...