The 16 best breakfast and brunch in Syracuse

If you are in Ortigia, you cannot miss Pasticceria Artale. Their cannolo is simply unforgettable – the shell is perfectly crisp and delicate, while the ricotta filling is creamy, fresh, and full of authentic Sicilian flavor. It’s the perfect balance of texture and taste, not too sweet, just perfect. The pasticceria itself is welcoming and full of tempting pastries, but the cannolo truly stands out as one of the best I have ever had. The staff are friendly and take great pride in their craft, which makes the experience even more enjoyable.

My favourite granita I've had in Sicily so far! The brioche was so fresh and warm. The staff was lovely and suggested I try a mix of almond and pistachio - delicious.

Good breakfast, nothing mind-blowing. The cannoli are massive, maybe even too much (I’ve never seen them so big to be honest). Everything was good and prices were fair, but it just felt like a normal breakfast you could have anywhere in Italy, nothing really special.

If you want to eat traditional breakfast, this is the right place. 2 capuccinos, brioche, granita were all together 8 euros. Best granita in Ortigia!

The pistachio granitas here were the best one I’ve had in Sicily. Almond was also very good. Not too sweet! Warm brioche.

Finally, a friendly place for English speaking customers on our cruise journey thru Italy 🥰. Double macchiato with classic Connolly, so yummy! Highly recommend!

I tried canollo here, and it was delicious! One of the best, or maybe even the best that I've had in my life. I've been to Italy many times and I like canolli, so I tried them a lot. Here the ricotta filling was so fresh!

Cute bar located in front of the ruins of the Apollo temple. I came here and ordered 2 coffee cream. They asked me if I wanted a small or a large one. I decided to go for the large. They served me the attached cup. I asked if it was normal that the coffee cream was only half of the glass. They replied that it was till 3/4... Bill for 2 creams and one cannolo: 10.5€ which sounds like the bill of a bar in Milan and not of Sicily.. Considering the answer (with no grounds) of owner to my review above, hereby my comment to it: First of all, nobody told me that the glasses were finished and that you were going to serve them in bigger ones. Nobody suggested to check or weigh the quantity. I have been served with no comments That said, regarding the fact that Milan and Siracusa are both in Italy ans therefore should have the same costs I must disagree with the comparison Indeed Sicily, like the rest of Italy, shares certain national expenses, but the overall cost of running a business in Milan is significantly higher compared to Siracusa. For example: Rent and Property Costs: Milan has some of the highest commercial rents in Italy, especially in central areas. Siracusa, on the other hand, offers way more affordable rental rates, which naturally affects the overall cost of operating a business. ( I know it because I am Italian and I owe properties in Siracusa and I know that rents in Milan can cost x5 or more than in the south) Taxes and Utilities: Although tax rates are standardized nationally, the actual cost of utilities and local taxes can vary, with Milan generally more expensive due to its infrastructure demands and higher population density. Labor Costs: While labor laws ensure some consistency at the national level, businesses in Milan have to offer higher wages to align with the city's cost of living, which is not as high in Siracusa. Miscellaneous Expenses: Other costs associated with running a business, such as insurance, marketing, and compliance, tend to be higher in Milan due to the competitive and demanding nature of its market. Given these factors, it's clear that the higher operating costs in Milan justify the generally higher prices. Therefore I would recommend the Apollo owners to better inform themselves about the costs in Italy.

Lovely café with lots of delicious pastries! We tried the Nutella, ricotta, and pistachio pastries. The ricotta one was really good. Perfectly sweet and super creamy.

Hearty Pizza Caffè Apollo offers a laid-back dining experience overlooking the Temple of Apollo ruins. The pizza portions are large, and free nibbles are a nice touch. The service was on the slower side, but it suited the pace of the place—great for people-watching and enjoying the surroundings. If you’re not in a rush and want a bite to eat in a scenic setting, Caffè Apollo is a good choice.

They have the most delicious almond flavoured ice cream I ever tasted. Probably the best in the world. If you are in Syracuse, Caffe' Apollo is a must be visited place and do not dare to skip almond ice cream. All other flavours are great, but mandel is best without a doubt.

Caffe and orange juice were good, but the service is very bad. Wouldn’t recommend

Came here twice on our stay in Syracuse and it was great. Good coffee, the best cream croissants EVER! and lovely waiter who spoke great english. It’s a good spot for people watching and nice and shaded with umbrellas. The tables all have lovely flowers on them too. Loved this place 😊

Probably best coffee we had on Ortigia, cornetti were top. Two cornetti and a cappuccino was €6.5. Came back another time for cannoli and peach granita which was pretty delicious aswell 😋. Good location to sit and relax and people watch.

The pastries and food here are truly delicious – especially the cannolo and the cornetto, which are absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t match the standard of the kitchen. You can’t order at the counter and then take a seat; you’re expected to wait at the table – but today, no one came to take our order at all. There is one lovely young woman with long dark hair who is always kind and helpful. Unfortunately, the older lady at the register tends to be unfriendly. I had really hoped to enjoy breakfast here every day, just like I did two years ago – but sadly, the current atmosphere and lack of service have discouraged me. Photo taken a few days ago – before today’s disappointing experience.

They had a vegan cake/tarte! It was chocolate-hazelnut-orange, a bit like a tarte with nutella and a hint of orange - I enjoyed it. Matched well with an oat milk Cappuccino

This place absolutely made our holiday, we made it part of our routine - walk down there around 10 am for two espresso macchiatos standing at the bar. The gentleman behind the bar - fantastic, brilliant and made the best coffee I have had in ages. If we ever come back to Ortigia, this will be the first place we go to!

Best cappuccino I ever had in Italy. Love to visit again. Arrevedelci.

I had high hopes for Viola, but unfortunately, the bakery items were a bit disappointing. They tasted like they were more than a day old and had a soggy texture. The café itself is quite nice, with plenty of seating that makes it a good spot to sit and relax. However, the counter staff wasn’t very pleasant — a bit indifferent and fussy, though perhaps it just wasn’t their best day.

Fantastic. Best coffee I've had in Sicily, and this is something that is usually pretty uniform across places here. It's generally great, but rarely truly stands out, and it absolutely does here. Really distinguished, excellent coffee. Great pastries and snacks too, really effective AC (not a trivial matter!) and friendly staff.

Don’t go there if you are used to nice breakfasts. They only have processed bakery full of sugar. Only packaged gluten free choices, and also no toasts etc there are better natural places around the corner - I am sad I wasted my last morning here

This was our opening and closing place of our short stay in Siracusa. We love the staffs who were so friendly and helpful with my son’s allergies. Cheaper prices compared to other places, but quality is very high, good value for money. Also the atmosphere and environment was very chilling and clean.

Great local coffee shop for true Italian coffee & cakes.

Just passed this bakery by chance after visiting the Archeological Park. We had the best Arancini we’ve had so far in Sicily. Delicious!

Sicilian bar with pastry, coffee... Sicilian sweets in their highest quality and great coffee! Arancini was great too. Staff is nice and prices really really affordable, when visit Syracuse, I recommend to go there, don't need to hesitate!

A great little coffee shop serving just magical hot chocolate... They have 5 different types. To select from: dark, pistachio, white, normal and another one I forgot... I went with the pistachio and 3 small cakes and it was a perfect sugar hit to keep me running until dinner later.

Your one stop for every Sicilian delicacy ! Be it for a quick lunch or to enjoy a sweet dessert , you are sure to find something to pleasure your palate here. Among the sweet dishes be sure to try the Raviola con Ricotta or the Panzerotto con Ricotta. They are exquisite. Personnel is super friendly. Honest pricing helps too!

Lovely locals hang out but welcoming to tourists also. Great Sicilian pastries, cakes, granite and Illy coffee - affogato specialities too with pistachio and almond.

Very tasty food made with passion and charming lady owner. Dishes are being prepared with regional and organic ingridients and the menu offers something for everyone (e g. gluten free, vegan, local and international kitchen etc.) Good choice for a lunch or dinner.

Great local joint, go if you want to hide from the cruise ship tourists. The best spritz in town and great food. Not to be missed

A local hipster eatery which would not feel out of place in Brooklyn or Stockholm. The menu consists of street food from the entire world, focusing on traditional stomach-filling meals such as meatballs, chilli con carne, and a Senegal-style chicken on rice. They have a menu item called “Tour the World” which gives sample sizes of their main courses, and is plenty of food for 2 people. They also speak amazing English, and if I have one regret, it would be not taking the time the dig up all the knowledge they have about Ortigia, but parking waits for no man.

The owner cum chef is friendly with a sense of humor. The food is unique.

The food was not tasty at all. Dessert had a weird taste and smell, either was not fresh or was stored with other food. The salad was... a pieces of salad and tomato with olive oil, no dressing whatsoever. Drinks were good. Overall I do not recommend to eat there.

Really good food and welcoming staff. The recipes are diverse and includes dishes from various part of the world as well as typical Sicilian food. The owner also proposes unique variations of the classic spritz cocktail. The restaurant is a little bit appart from the most crowded areas, in a more peaceful street. It is a little bit more expensive compared to others equivalent Sicilian restaurants but the experience is still very pleasant !

Great food! The pesto pasta and the caponita we ordered were both great. Total Italian comfort food.

Staff is friendly. We had breakfast here twice, it gets really crowded at any point of the day and in the morning it seems like a meet-up coffee stop for all the Italian wives in the neighborhood lol. I really liked their almond granita.

We came here for lunch several days while staying at Villa Politi. They offer a good range of salads, sandwiches, cakes and ice cream. Prices were pretty average compared to other places we ate and certainly much better value than the hotel. Most of the waiters had a little English, which was really helpful if we had a question but had run out of Italian vocabulary! We were happy with the experience and speed of service at lunchtimes. We did come once for dinner, but found the service a bit slow and the staff overwhelmed. At dinner, we had steak served with courgette (fine) and tuna with guacamole (tuna was nice, guac was just an underripe avocado put through a blender- didn’t eat it). They also serve pizza in the evening which looked and smelled nice. It’s a popular local place, open all day til late. You can pre-book or just turn up. Overall I’d recommend it if you’re staying nearby and don’t feel like going into Ortigia to eat.

If this has failings as others have suggested, why do the locals pile in relentlessly . It is very popular, very busy and with bags of atmosphere. Great experience just to watch the buzz. We had chips, beer and Greek salad to share. Reasonable price and efficient service: I loved it!

Bar Drago's almond granita is an absolute must-try in Syracuse! The perfect balance of sweetness and almond flavor was incredibly refreshing. The bar itself had a charming, local atmosphere. While I didn't sample anything else, I'm eager to return and explore their menu.

Great little bar/cafe looking it over the sea. In the middle of a hot day it was a welcome oasis of cool air and relaxed atmosphere with good food and friendly staff.

Great selection of food and beverage, nice terrace with a seaview and delicious salads. I recommend to try the pistachio cake

The best italian bar in Siracusa! If you want to buy some freshly baked bread, grab a coffee or drink or even try cannollo and other delicious sicilian specialities, Drago is your place! Highly recommended! And the last but not least - sea view is unforgettable!

As a Sicilian, I must say one of the standout dishes that keep me coming back for more is the sfoglia. Aside from the incredible food, the recent refurbishment of the cafe has added a touch of elegance to its cozy atmosphere. However, I personally prefer indoor seating. While the outdoor ambiance is lovely, there have been a few occasions when my enjoyment was interrupted by pesky pigeons vying for a taste of my meal!

Tipical Sicilian place to have breakfast: Granita alla mandorla e Brioche

Excellent Almond granita! Hot morning croissant!! Very good

Granitasi disapore ofullu. 35.limon e votavota

Best bar in Siracusa

Good food!

nice

I am very impressed with the choice and quality of both food and deserts. Unexpectedly good for a "tourist" eatery. Thank you very much !

We wanted to get into the church and catacombs which were closed but had the nicest coffee any little mini treats. Recommend!

Was pleasantly surprised to find an orange flavored vegan croissant and that they offer oat milk!

Terrible service - slow, rude and a rip off. If you’re studying at The Italian Academy, use your break more wisely at the bar on the other side of the park. They heat the food in the microwave! The €7pp aperitivo is a crime against aperitivo.

Café and restaurant neyr the catacombs. The food was not very good especially comared to the price they want for it. On the other hand the service was good. I dont recommend overall.

Nice place to stop off after the Archeological museum. Had good granita and a brioche

Breakfast with the locals and a tasty filled croissant. Or good place to grab a refreshment whilst you wait for a tour of the catacombs.

Beautiful building and location. Staff are very friendly and the places is always packed. The gelato is sweet and sticky and very average, which was a disappointment as I had really high hopes for this place.

Nice little spot to start your day A charming café located at the entrance of Ortigia—perfect for a morning coffee and croissant. It’s a good option to kick off your day with a quick and relaxing stop. The coffee was nice, and while the croissant wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, it was still a pleasant experience overall. A cozy and friendly place for a short break before exploring the area.

Acceptable but there are better ones around. No menu is given to you only if you ask for it but why would you as the menu and the reality are totally different things. So just go inside, look around and sit down somewhere (no, you should not wait for anyone to make you sit - as in good places they do). Nevertheless the almond granita is nice and my brioche was warm which is extra.

Viola - Gelati e Caffè dal 1936 is hands down the best gelato and espresso experience I’ve had in Sicily so far. The quality is unmatched - the gelato is rich, creamy, and full of flavor, clearly made with care and tradition. The espresso? Perfectly pulled, smooth, and strong - exactly what you’d expect from a place with such a long-standing history. What makes it even better is the price: just €5.30 for both! Incredible value for top-tier quality. The atmosphere is charming, and the staff are friendly and welcoming, adding to the whole experience. If you’re in Syracuse, do not miss this place. A true gem.

I don’t understand the bad reviews. I have to say I go for coffee and croissants or brioches every morning, except on 2 mornings when I left early for early morning excursions. My morning fix, un caffe doppio lungo, is the best. In the afternoon, when I need a fix, I go for crema caffe or a late macchiato. I love the touch of the latte art. So cute. Maybe it’s because I eat and drink at the counter for the past 7 days so I see the hustle and bustle and the chaos of locals and foreigners who come in for their caffeine or their gelato. Hence I have deep respect for the hardworking ladies who have to navigate all the nonstop orders and paying customers. Respect aside, it is a great place and location for coffee and gelato. Price is also non-exorbitant.

Sunday 13 October 2025 Convenient location at the top of Via Cavour in the centre of OrqIgia. We drank an espresso, two (small) white wines and two Poretti beers. It cost €17.80, which is pretty good considering the excellent service and central location.

Thank You for delicious specialties and great service

Wonderful old bakery with extremely tasty and *generous* servings. The croissants and the brioche are amazing!!

Delicious coffee and gelato 😍 Very friendly staff 😊 I recommend 👍🏼

A great local pasticceria. I like the fact they are open quite late in the evening. When you have a craving for a sweet treat, this is the place to go. I did not sit down I always had take away but the room is a charming old style counter. Friendly staff and easy parking.

Great service. Love their sweet pastries. The one with walnut (Trecce) is my favorite. Excellent expresso coffee

Pistachio gelato is my favorite!

I love this cafe so much, I could live here. Incredible pastries and coffee, all for such an affordable price. The staff is very fun and friendly, and they're very nice even if you don't speak Sicilian.

Very high quality food for exceptional prices!!! We spent 11 euros in total for lunch and drinks. Pasta and pizza for 2. Very friendly and highly recommend.

Place that was recommended to us by the owner of the B&B where we stayed. Here we ate the best arancini of our trip to Sicily, tasty and not very greasy. The place is located along a road near a crossroads, not perfect I would say. Friendly staff, extremely fast service, you can tell they deal with a lot of people/tourists. Very fair price.

The granita and brioche were very good. The gelato was also good. The service wasn't perfect but not bad. The location is very busy and lots of people which made it a little hard to enjoy. The prices are pretty good. There are places to sit both inside and out.

Highly recommended. Good food, serve, view, and reasonable. I was pleasantly surprised since I was in a tourist area. The food was great. The bathrooms were clean. The service was great. The salad was a good size and very fresh. Everything was hot and fresh.

Cute little cafe with water view seating. We had the focaccia with salami and calzone with spinach, both were nice and warm and delicious! Perfect place to have a little snack and drink, you really can’t go wrong with the view.

1. The café is beautifully located, and the staff is friendly and welcoming. 2. However, the coffee isn’t great — likely due to the local water in Syracuse, which has a slightly salty taste that comes through in the coffee. 3. The owner is very attentive and makes you feel at home. 4. The food is okay, nothing special but decent.

Has a very nice view and overlooking the sea and the Fonte Aretusa as well. People there are very nice and welcoming. Their local beer is a must try as it is chilling and refreshing in the very hot weather of summer. Their cannoli tastes amazing and also so fresh. Highly recommended for a relaxing time after a long day walking under the sunny summer.

Stopped in for a quick bite. Service was excellent view is fantastic! Food is good!

I've eaten here so many times during my month long stay in Syracuse. The desserts are great. Service is amazing too. The lady that services us at the counter is amazing and so kind.

We had the best cafe latte, sfogliatella, and cornuttos on our trip so far. Luana and Giulia were so kind!! Cutest caffeteria and gelateria. After several days in sicily, this was the best caffe latte we had!

A wonderful relief from the heat of summer. Friendly and kind staff who patiently allowed us to taste the different yummy home made flavors-all vegetarian and lively vegan options especially the strawberry and orange flavors! Very comfortable indoor air conditioned seating too. Worth walking out of your way to this geletaria!

Lovely staff. Delicious pastries. Excellent espresso drinks.

Fabulous place owned by wonderful people. Definitely a must visit!!!

We found this gelateria, located just before Ortigia, to have a great atmosphere. The waitresses are also kind and polite, and the gelato is incredibly creamy, just the right amount, with a wide variety of choices. Highly recommended.

Stopped for an ice cream sandwich. Brioche and Ice cream is possible the most delicious thing you’ll ever eat. Staff are super friendly. Absolutely recommended.

Perfect little neighborhood coffee shop with great coffee at great prices. They also serve fresh squeezed orange juice and pastries. Plus, they’re always playing live shows of classic rock, so if you love Pink Floyd, stop here :)

For two years in a row, this has been our favorite spot for coffee and cornetto (with pistacchio creme) in Ortigia. The owners are so nice and patient, the croissants are always freshly baked.

Great cappuccino, delicious reddish Sicilian orange juice. Very friendly and they had some nice Rock music playing! That’s 5 stars for me 😄☕️

Unique little café with beautiful view on Piazza S. Filippo. Good Music and very nice owners running the café. Totally reccomend for coffee, fresh orange juice and croissant with pistacchio creme ♥️ best music!

Cute place, with the best croissants! Definitely try the pistaccio one. Staff are very friendly and make great coffee.

I consider this place my local in Ortigia. Wonderful coffee, morning treats, and conversation.

A beautiful, quite spot to sit and watch the locals go about their business. In front of a very interesting church. Very good coffee and pastries. Became our favorite place for morning coffee.

Insolito Cafè is a nice place with friendly staff. We came here for a flat white, which we often drink elsewhere. Unfortunately, the coffee didn’t match our expectations at all. The cup was too big and had way too much foam, so it felt more like a cappuccino. What we got had nothing to do with a proper flat white. In the photos we saw nice latte art, but what we received was an average to poor cappuccino, nothing special. Taste was way to week. Not sure if it was a double shot.

Can’t pay by card. C’mon, it’s 2021! The waitress was unfriendly, even though we have spoken to her in Italian. No water next to the coffee as other bars do. Croissants just average. Not a nice morning experience!

The total is more than the parts. Overall, superb impression. We went there every day. And we got excellent experience each evening. We'd order a glass of white and a glass of red. We'd get good snacks with them each time. It's "just" a place close to everything. It's "just" wine and snacks. But the total made it an awesome pre-dinner place!

Great experience! The staff was very friendly, she is a warm and nice person. Also made me a custom granite espresso! I felt very comfortable there.

Great café! Single origin arabica, which is so much tastier than any other bitter coffee. They give you extra hot water for an americano :) and good pastries

Friendly staff and super clean cafe. Tasty coffee and pastries. Order a cappuccino when you are here. The owner is the Italian champion of latte art and he’s awesome! Seeing the cute sunny and teddy bear faces on our coffee brought a smile to our own faces. We wish we could stay in Siracusa longer because of his coffee.

Perfect for a quick breakfast, very kind service, and worked well for us as a group of 7 ☕️🥐

Very comfortable outdoors and indoors. Air conditioning indoors in the summer! I'm having a coffee at 3pm when everywhere else is closed.

Cheap and good stufd

(Translated by Google) About a month ago, a friend and I decided to have an aperitif in this bar, given the convenience of the central area. We had never done it. Apart from the rude reception of the staff, the quality of the food was, to put it mildly, terrible to say the least. Only they know how the sweet dough can be used for a "pizzetta". Truly incredible, surreal. The hope is to leave room for some new business, perhaps capable of fully understanding the value of the typical Sicilian rotisserie. (Original) Circa un mese fa, in un’amica abbiamo deciso di fare un aperitivo in questo bar, data la comodità della zona centrale. Non l’avessimo mai fatto. A parte la scortese accoglienza del personale, la qualità del cibo era, per usare un eufemismo, a dir poco pessima. Come si può utilizzare, per una “pizzetta”, l’impasto dolciastro, solo loro lo sanno. Davvero incredibile, surreale. L’augurio è di lasciare spazio a qualche nuova impresa, magari capace di comprendere a pieno il valore della rosticceria tipica siciliana.

(Translated by Google) Clean place, fantastic staff especially the employee Roberta very kind and helpful. (Original) Luogo pulito, personale fantastico soprattutto la dipendente Roberta gentilissima e disponibile.

(Translated by Google) Great coffee, great breakfast, welcoming people, quick service (Original) Caffè ottimo colazione ottima persone accoglienti servizio rapido

(Translated by Google) Delicious aperitif, very kind and welcoming staff. Mrs. Giusy and Mr. Tony number 1🥰🥰 (Original) aperitivo buonissimo, personale gentilissimo e accogliente. Signora Giusy e signore Tony numero 1🥰🥰

(Translated by Google) Delicious coffee, friendly staff, excellent breakfast (Original) Caffè squisito personale gentile ottima la colazione

We really enjoyed our stop near here before visiting thet nearby Catacombs. Service was warm and professional, the fresh orange juice was delicious and refreshing, and the pistachio layered coffee was a fun treat. Great baked goods too!

The cappuccinos tasted just as good as they look — smooth, rich, and satisfying. Plus, they’re quite affordable too! Definitely recommend if you’re after a good coffee spot around. ☕️👌

We’ve been so lucky to find this place! Everything is tasty, Coffe-art by barista is amazing. But the most important is feeling that you are local surrounded with locals. (Also its very easy to find parkingthat was important to us)

Lovely café with a youthful vibe. Delicious coffee and pastry. Highly recommend.

The food was meh, nothing special, the croissant was supposed to be hot (caldo) but it wasn't, and the pizza bread was also cold. The coffee was okay (according to my girlfriend; I liked the Kinder Bueno taste but I don't like coffee, and without the chocolate it had a strong coffee flavour to me). The staff is friendly, but the food is meh.

Friendly staff, that speaks english as well, and serves you coffee so beautiful, it is like an art :) tasty pastry as well

Excellent cappuccino! One of the few places that doesn’t drown your cappuccino in milk. As a coffee lover, its a big plus. They make really pretty latte art if you’re into that too.