6 Best Restaurants in Sardinia, Italy

Slightly off the tourist track but well known to locals, this grotto-like former mill has two long rooms with low, vaulted ceilings and a brisk but cheerful atmosphere. There's a good balance between meat and seafood dishes, the menu taking in everything from malloreddus alla sarda (local pasta with sausage-meat sauce) and fritto misto di mare (fried squid, prawns, and fresh fish) to crusty pizzas. You may have to wait for a table without a booking.

This backstreet trattoria has a strong rustic flavor, its two rooms adorned with brass cooking pots, colorful embroideries, old photographs, and agricultural knickknacks. The menu, too, has a local focus and might include roast pecorino with honey, and bottarga (mullet roe) with fennel and orange. Two open fires keep everything toasty in winter, and there are tables in the alley for dining alfresco in warm weather.

At this family-run local spot, the rustic dining area—with terra-cotta floors, brick pillars, and a wood-burning stove—is packed nearly every night. The service, presentation, and wine list are as exceptional as the food: only the freshest local meats and cheeses are served, and all the dishes are made from scratch, including the pizza (available evenings only), the pasta, and the semifreddo ice cream drizzled with honey. Orchestrated by chef Francesco Nanu, the menu might feature such starters as culurgiones (ravioli) stuffed with toasted almonds, orange zest and guanciale (cured pig cheek) followed by courses of grilled seafood, lamb with fresh broad beans, or porcetto sardo (roasted pork).  The daily tasting menu is a very good deal.

Get a true taste of regional cuisine at this family-run trattoria in the old town. The menu is not for the squeamish or for vegetarians: horse, donkey, and—one of the stand-outs—roasted suckling pig feature prominently, as do typical Sassarese dishes such as trippa alla parmigiana (tripe with Parmesan), lumaconi in rosso (snails in a rich tomato sauce), and cordula con piselli (sheep's intestines with peas). For dessert, the seadas (honey-dribbled, cheese-filled pastry packets) are a treat. Two three-course set-price taster menus (€25 and €28) are available. Tables can be had in the buzzy vaulted terra-cotta-tiled dining room, or in summer, in the courtyard. You can hear local folk music most Thursday evenings.

Amid the lime and lemon trees in this courtyard trattoria in the center of Pula, you'll find down-home Sard cooking at its most authentic, with the accent firmly on meat dishes. The menu (in the local Campidanese dialect, with Italian and English translations) lists a selection of meaty fare, with pride of place going to the most famous of island dishes, porceddu (roast suckling pig), which you'll find displayed sizzling on a spit to satisfy the most purist of local gourmands. Notify the staff on the preceding day if you want to order this. Other options include fregola (semolina pasta) with mutton ragù and wild boar stew. Each dish will be carefully explained by the staff, and abundant portions ensure that no one leaves hungry. For those with the capacity, the desserts are also worth sampling, not least the sebadas (cheese-stuffed pastry packets topped with honey). Booking is essential.

Light-color walls lined with bottles of wine and two simple rows of tables deck out the single room of Trattoria Gino, beloved by locals, especially at lunch, and run by the same family for nearly a century. Although the lobster is a memorable splurge, consider trying any of the antipasto selections or spaghetti ai ricci (with sea urchins).