La Lisca Cucina e Bottega — Restaurant in Syracuse

I dine here at least a few times, every time I come back to Ortigia, which is at least twice a year, and La Lisca is consistently terrific. Francesco, the manager, doubling up as entertainer, order taker, and overall fixer, is wonderful, and if Italian is a challenge for you, his English is great. La Lisca is perfectly located, if you come at lunch time you are sat in the middle of the market, bordering the spice and herbs seller. If you come in the evening, the whole street transforms into a sea of tables and another type of wonderful atmosphere. On this last occasion I had raw prawns starter with freshest sweetest peaches, mint etc and for main the tastiest, melt in your mouth grilled octopus you will ever taste. La Lisca is owned by a fishing family, and in fact used to be their market fish shop, until they moved to mainland Syracuse, but they continue to supply the freshest fish and seafood to their own restaurant and one can tell. All the waiters, except the redhead curly haired girl (normally there during the day and always scowling), can't do enough for you, are funny, and a picture of Sicilian hospitality. It is not cheap by Sicilian standards, but then this is a prime example of "one gets what one pays for". Do not miss it on your trip to Ortigia especially for dinner, very atmospheric...

When the temperature is in the high 30s and it’s lunch time, the idea of sitting inside a restaurant with air-con suddenly becomes very appealing.

I was staying for a couple of days at Syracuse on Sicily and just before heading to the airport eight of us had a light Sunday lunch at La Lisca. Their website is minimalist so the link above is to their Facebook page.

Most of us only had one course each, in my case Octopus with purée potatoes and spinach. It was simple and simply delicious. The octopus was perfectly cooked and the purée as smooth as can be.

Picture stolen from their Facebook page! Beyond the excellence of that one plate of food though, La Lisca offers much more in terms of being a serious food place. The menu is extensive and majors on fish and seafood. The chap in charge was clearly knowledgeable and facilitated the desires of the group with a sense of hospitality, efficiency and good humour and the overall sense is of eating well – at VERY reasonable prices.

My only regret was not having a starter and particularly not having the raw violet prawns from the just over the other side of the sea wall.

Go to Sicily and if you do, be sure to visit Syracuse and eat at La Lisca...

We were warmly greeted by Francesco, the owner, a familiar face from last year. At that time, the place was fully booked, but he went out of his way to make a table for us. That gesture stayed with me, and so did the memory. Returning this year felt like visiting an old friend.

La Lisca is the kind of place locals swear by, and that alone says a lot. The vibe? Pure magic. A DJ spinning classic funk, people dancing under the pergola, and the scent of fresh Sicilian seafood filling the air.

We started with sardines and burrata, rich, creamy, and balanced. Tuna tartare, vibrant and citrus-kissed. Nero di seppia pasta with cuttlefish, bold and unforgettable. Tagliatelle with ragù, hearty and deep. But the real showstopper? The tuna belly. I’ve rarely tasted anything like it. Finished with a cloud-like tiramisu, just boozy enough.

The wine list celebrates Sicily, and the staff knows how to guide you. Service was relaxed, thoughtful, and never rushed. This wasn’t just a meal, it was a Mediterranean mood. We’ll be back. Again.

🍽 Must-try: Tuna belly, tiramisu, cuttlefish pasta 🎶 Funky atmosphere with...