What to eat in Alghero
Focaccia on the pavement, lobster for two and Torbato at sunset
- Focaccia
- €3.50, Via Garibaldi 11
- Lobster
- Priced by the kilo, chosen from a tank
- Cover charge
- coperto (cover charge), €1–4 per person
Nobody comes to Sardinia expecting paella, and that is the first surprise of eating in Alghero. The kitchen here is Catalan with an island accent, a legacy of the families who arrived from Valencia, Majorca and Aragon in the 14th century. It shows up in lobster chosen from a tank, in a seafood paella and in sweets with Catalan names. Add a thin filled bread eaten on the pavement and a white wine from a grape called Torbato, and you have a menu that will not be mistaken for the mainland.
The Milese and breakfast on your feet
The morning starts at Bar Focacceria Milese, Via Garibaldi 11, opposite the harbour. The focaccia here is a thin bread, folded around tomato, tuna, boiled egg, anchovy, rocket, onion and pancetta and topped with a house sauce, and the bar dates from 1971. It is eaten standing up or on the pavement outside, and one costs €3.50. Al Gambero, at Largo San Francesco 10, is the second stop for small pizzas and hot sandwiches when the Milese has a queue.
3-star hotel, double room, per person per night
Lobster alla catalana and paella
The lobster is the dish people travel for. It comes alla catalana, it is chosen from a tank, and it is priced by the kilo, so ask for the figure before you point. La Lepanto, at Via Carlo Alberto 135, is the address to start with, and the restaurants along the walls serve it too. A lobster is a dish for two, which makes it a dinner decision and not a lunch one.
The verdict between the two big Catalan dishes is easy. Take the lobster for an occasion and the paella for an ordinary evening. Alamo in the old town makes the seafood paella, and La Pergola near Maria Pia is the beach alternative. For a tapas-style table, Mos Tapas at Via Carducci 3 leans on the Valencian side with its fregola.
Fregola, seadas and the rest
Sardinian food comes in sideways, and it is worth letting it. Fregola with clams is a summer dish at La Lepanto and Mos Tapas. Seadas, the pastry filled with cheese and honey, is a fixture at Lo Romanì on Via Lazzaretto and at Trattoria da Mirko. Trattoria Maristella on Via Fratelli Kennedy is another table for island cooking, and Al Tuguri at Via Maiorca 113 finishes the list. For dessert, Bon Bons on Via Einaudi sells the Catalan sweets menjar blanc and ous de butxaca.
Torbato and the winery
Torbato is the white grape of Alghero DOC, and it is the wine to order with the fish and the lobster. The estate of Sella & Mosca covers 650 hectares near town, with 520 of them under vine, and its sparkling Oscarì is made from Torbato by the classic method. A visit is by reservation, and the winery shares a plateau with the Anghelu Ruju necropolis, so the two fit into the same day by car. Drink a glass of Torbato with the seafood before you buy a bottle to take home.
When and how you pay
Most restaurants add an extra line to the bill. Rate: coperto (cover charge), €1–4 per person. Lobster is weighed and charged per kilo, so agree the price before the waiter carries it to the kitchen. Only the street food has a price in this guide, and the rest of the menu changes from table to table.
Where to next
Nomadinho scores out of 100, the same ones behind “Where to go”.
If you like Alghero
Three places with the closest scores, from any country.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Where do you eat lobster alla catalana in Alghero?
Start with La Lepanto on Via Carlo Alberto, then try the restaurants along the walls. The lobster is chosen from a tank and priced by the kilo, so ask for the cost before choosing.
How much does a meal cost in Alghero?
Street food is the one reliable number. One filled item at Bar Focacceria Milese costs €3.50, and restaurant prices vary by table, so ask. The extra line on the bill: coperto (cover charge), €1–4 per person.
What is Torbato?
The white grape of Alghero DOC, a white wine to order with fish and shellfish. Sella & Mosca also makes a sparkling Oscarì from it by the classic method, and visits to the estate are by reservation.
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