Catania: Sicilian Street Food Tour with Market Tasting

Summary

Walk Catania’s markets tasting caponata fried fish & pastries

You’ll wander through Catania’s bustling markets with a local guide, tasting fresh caponata, hot fried fish cones straight from the stalls, flaky pastries like cipollina and cartocciata, and finish with classic Sicilian sweets — cannoli or icy granita if it’s hot out. You’ll hear stories between bites and leave feeling more like a neighbor than a visitor.

What’s the experience like?

I never thought the first thing I’d notice in Catania would be the sound — all these voices tumbling over each other at the market, someone calling out prices for swordfish, a kid laughing as he dodged a stray cat. Our guide, Francesca, waved us in with this easy smile and handed me what she called “the real deal” caponata. It was still warm from somewhere behind the counter, sweet and sharp at once. I think I got more olive oil on my fingers than in my mouth. She told us everyone’s nonna has their own version; hers uses extra celery because “it’s good for the soul.” I didn’t argue.

We wandered through narrow streets where laundry flapped like flags overhead and scooters zipped past so close you could feel the air shift. At the fish market, Francesca pressed a paper cone of fried fish into my hand — anchovies, tiny squid, something else she tried to explain but I just ate it before I could ask again. The batter was salty and hot, and for a second all I could smell was the sea (and maybe fryer oil). There was this old man selling lemons who nodded at us like we were regulars. Maybe that’s just how people are here.

Later we ducked into a bakery for cipollina — flaky pastry stuffed with onions and cheese that stretched when you pulled it apart. Someone behind me said something about “cartocciata” and suddenly there was another pastry in my hand (I lost track of what was what after a while). Francesca switched between English and Italian so naturally that sometimes I forgot which language she’d started in. She laughed when I tried to say “grazie mille” with my mouth full. The street food tour in Catania just kept rolling from one bite to another — honestly by the time we hit cannoli at the end (or granita if you wanted), I had no idea how I’d eat another thing but somehow managed anyway.

I still think about that first spoonful of lemon granita — cold enough to make my teeth hurt but perfect after all those pastries. If you’re looking for polished or fancy, this isn’t it. But if you want to feel like you’re part of the city for an afternoon, even just for a few hours… well, it kind of sneaks up on you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Catania Sicilian Street Food Tasting

• Try Sicilian Caponata
• Eat fried fish cone at market
• Taste Catanese cipollina pastry
• Sample Cartocciata rustic pastry
• Enjoy Sicilian Cannoli or Granita

Top questions

What foods do you try on this Catania street food tour?

You’ll taste Sicilian caponata, fried fish cones from the market, cipollina (pastry with onion and cheese), cartocciata (stuffed baked pastry), plus cannoli or Sicilian granita at the end.

Is there an English-speaking guide on this tour?

Yes, your guide speaks both English and Italian during the tour.

Does this street food tour include drinks?

Bottled water is included along with one alcoholic beverage for adults 18+.

Are infants or small children allowed on this food tour?

Yes, infants can join; prams or strollers are allowed and infants may sit on an adult’s lap.

How long does the Catania street food tour last?

The exact duration isn’t specified but expect several stops throughout central Catania over lunch or dinner time.

Is public transportation available nearby?

Yes, public transportation options are available close to the meeting point.

What’s included

Your experience includes tastings of classic Sicilian street foods across several stops in central Catania — from warm caponata to fried fish cones at the market, pastries like cipollina and cartocciata, plus sweet cannoli or refreshing granita to finish. Bottled water is provided throughout along with one alcoholic drink for adults; lunch or dinner hours apply depending on your booking time.