The sea on the table

Seafood and raw fish in Ortigia

Fish is the reason we exist. On our menu the sea appears in four ways: raw, in fresh pasta, grilled or fried, and in soup. Here are the specialities exactly as they are, with ingredients and prices: what you read is what reaches the table.

Our house signatures

Chef Carmelo's signature dishes

The dishes marked with ✦ on the menu: the ones Carmelo prepares himself and recommends first.

Prices and ingredients are those on the menu. Every dish is also available gluten-free (€ 1.50 supplement).

Raw fish

Raw fish is the hardest test for a seafood restaurant: cooking cannot fix it. That is why our menu gives it a section of its own, with four options.

• Raw red prawn — € 25

  Six red prawns served as they are, with extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, lemon and rocket. Nothing else: the dish where the prawn stands on its own.

• Red prawn tartare — € 22

  Red prawn cut by hand with red onion and oranges: the sweetness of the shellfish against Sicilian citrus.

• Tuna tartare with guacamole — € 22

  Yellowfin tuna with avocado guacamole: a tartare with a rich, vegetal note that lightens it.

• Gillardeau oysters — € 7 each

  Oysters from the Gillardeau family, an institution in French oyster farming: often called the “Dom Pérignon” of oysters, ordered by the piece.

Seafood pasta

We make our fresh pasta in house, and three dishes carry a name of our own. They are the recipes people know us for.

• Sciccheria — € 25

  Fresh pasta with red prawn, pistachio sauce, cherry tomatoes and fresh salted ricotta: the dish that carries the restaurant's name.

• Melodia — € 25

  Fresh pasta scented with langoustines, with red prawn tartare, red onion and chilli: raw and cooked in the same plate.

• Maestranza — € 25

  Fresh pasta with clams, pistachio sauce, smoked salmon and courgettes: the most unexpected combination on the menu.

• Marina — € 25

  Fresh pasta with mussels, live clams and local red prawns, cherry tomatoes: for those who want the whole sea at once.

• Vongole veraci — € 22

  The Mediterranean classic: clams, olive oil, garlic and parsley. Simple, fragrant, essential.

• Siracusana — € 18

  Fresh pasta with capers, anchovy fillets, cherry tomatoes and toasted breadcrumbs: the home recipe, as it has always been made here.

Main courses, from the grill to the fryer

After the raw dishes and the pasta, the fish comes back whole: roasted, grilled or fried, always with few ingredients.

• Grilled octopus on pistachio — € 22

  Recommended by the chef. Grilled octopus on pistachio sauce, oil, salt and pepper: the dish everyone agrees on.

• Octopus alla luciana — € 20

  A Sicilian classic: octopus deglazed with Nero d'Avola, red onion and tomato sauce, served in its own dish.

• Fried prawns and squid — € 24

  Local squid and prawns, oil and salt: fried seafood done properly, with nothing added.

• Mixed grilled fish — € 28

  Grilled squid, tuna and swordfish with oil, salt and parsley.

• Roasted tuna fillet — € 20

  Roasted tuna with oil, salt and parsley: simplicity as a choice.

• Fish and seafood soup — € 28

  Mussels, octopus, clams, swordfish and red prawn in fresh tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes and parsley: one plate, the whole menu inside.

Pistachio, the recurring thread

Read the menu carefully and you notice it: pistachio returns in the Sciccheria, in the Maestranza, in the grilled octopus, in the Duomo pasta and in the cannolo. It is not a trend: it is how we tie the sea to the Sicilian inland in a single menu, from the first course to dessert.

Gluten-free too

Every seafood dish on the menu also exists gluten-free, fresh pasta included: gluten-free pasta is cooked in a dedicated pot and water, fried dishes have a reserved fryer. A coeliac guest orders from the same menu as everyone else.

The full menu

All our seafood dishes, with prices, allergens and menu sections, in ten languages.

See the full menu

Frequently asked questions

Which raw fish dishes do you serve?

Raw red prawn (6 pieces, € 25), red prawn tartare (€ 22), yellowfin tuna tartare with guacamole (€ 22) and Gillardeau oysters (€ 7 each).

Which dish do you recommend?

Two dishes carry the chef's recommendation on our menu: grilled octopus on pistachio sauce (€ 22) among the mains and the Duomo pasta (€ 20) among the first courses.

Is the seafood pasta home-made?

Yes, the pasta is fresh and made in house, including the three signature recipes: Sciccheria, Melodia and Maestranza (€ 25 each).

Can I eat seafood gluten-free?

Yes, every seafood dish has its gluten-free version, fresh pasta and fried dishes included, with a dedicated pot and fryer (€ 1.50 supplement per course).

Do you have grilled fish or fish soup?

Yes: mixed grilled squid, tuna and swordfish (€ 28) and fish and seafood soup with mussels, octopus, clams, swordfish and red prawn (€ 28).

Should I book?

Booking is recommended, especially in the evening and at weekends. You can book on WhatsApp with date, time and number of guests.

Where we are

Via Saverio Landolina 14, 96100 Syracuse (Ortigia) — a two-minute walk from the Duomo.

Get directions