Pizza, Arancini & Granita: Where I Actually Eat in Catania

One honest note upfront: these are places in Catania and its immediate surroundings — I haven’t eaten out enough elsewhere on the island yet to give an equally solid recommendation. So if you’re currently in this area, here are three spots I personally keep going back to, picked using clear criteria: solid quality, a wide selection, and — where relevant — a gluten-free version that actually tastes like the original. That last point matters to me a lot, since I’m often out with people who can’t eat gluten, and most “gluten-free” options in Sicily are a compromise at best.

Scorzonera, Nicolosi

Right at the foot of Mount Etna, in Nicolosi (Viale della Regione 12), sits this pizzeria with an attached steakhouse. What sets Scorzonera apart from most other places: the entire menu comes in a gluten-free version — not just two token pizzas, but starters, pizza, meat dishes, and even dessert. They have a dedicated work area and a dedicated oven used exclusively for gluten-free preparation, so there’s genuinely no cross-contamination risk, which for anyone with celiac disease is the whole point.

Honestly, Scorzonera is noticeably pricier than 7+ (below) — but after several visits, I can say the prices are fair because the quality backs it up. The pizza is excellent, gluten-free or not, and the charcuterie boards are well done too. One clear tip: avoid it on weekends if you can — it gets so busy that the whole visit feels rushed, very different from a weekday.

7+, Catania (by Villa Bellini)

Right in the middle of Catania, directly across from Villa Bellini, sits 7+, part of the Gruppo Settepiù chain. The pizzas here are Neapolitan-style: soft, well-risen dough with a high crust edge. In 2017, the place won “Pizza Maker of the Year” at the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas for its “Regno delle Due Sicilie” creation — not a fluke.

Here too there’s a fully separate kitchen just for gluten-free preparation (its own fryers, fridges, proofing cells, and ovens), and the best part: no surcharge for the gluten-free version. The topping selection is large, with something for every taste, and overall it’s cheaper than Scorzonera. Honestly, online reviews have gotten a bit more mixed lately, with some reports of inconsistent quality — but my own experiences there have been consistently good. Same advice as Scorzonera: it gets very busy on weekends, weekdays are far more relaxed.

Quaranta, Ognina – for arancino and granita

My number one in all of Catania for arancino or granita: Pasticceria Quaranta, in the old fishing quarter of Ognina (Piazza Mancini Battaglia), right on the small harbor, in the same spot since 1984. Two connected spaces — pastry shop/gelateria on one side, food and bar on the other, joined by a covered veranda with plenty of tables looking straight out at the boats in the harbor.

Eating a granita here, looking out over the Ognina harbor, is one of my favorite small rituals in Catania. The arancini are excellent too. The one downside: parking nearby isn’t easy to find, but the waterfront location more than makes up for it.

This list will grow

Three spots is a start, not a ranking of the whole city or the island. I’ll add to this list as I try more places in Catania and other regions of Sicily — until then, these are my honest picks, not paid advertising, just places I genuinely keep going back to.