Following on from my recent posts from the lovely island of Sardinia. I’d like to tell you about the amazing Sardinian cuisine I discovered. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced so many wonderful meals in one week before, so please join me on an edible journey, starting in the south of the island.
Caffè delle Arti
Via del Fossario, Cagliari, Southern Sardinia
The perfect spot for a light lunch while enjoying the best views in Cagliari.
Caffè delle Arti
Having flown into Cagliari in the south of the island, it was great to have a chance to wander around the old town, see the cathedral and stop at the Caffè delle Arti for lunch and a cold beer.
The staff were friendly and the food was good with a wide choice but the highlight was, without doubt, the view from the terrace.
More photographs of Cagliari including the beautiful cathedral can be found here.
Pula Market
Tuesdays – Car park on the outskirts of Pula, Via 25 Aprile
Perfect for buying picnic supplies.
Pula Market
Local produce at its best can be found at the open-air markets such as the one held every Tuesday at Pula. The honey and all these wonderful cheeses in particular caught my eye and, as I found out that evening, they go superbly together.
More of my photographs of Pula market and a list of other markets in Southern Sardinia can be found in my article on The Sardinia Blog.
Hotel Cormoran
Via del Porto, Villasimius, Southern Sardinia
A great hotel for families, couples and watersports enthusiasts.
clockwise from the left – buffalo mozzarella Caprese style with Villagrande’s ham, ‘Su pani frattau’ Ogliadstrina style and penne pasta with cicadas, brandy and diced tomatoes
We had a lovely evening meal here and Roberto our waiter couldn’t have been more charming and helpful. There was only a small choice but these included traditional dishes, which I always like to try, and everything was very good.
The aged cheese served with honey at the end of the meal was superb. My only criticism would be that the restaurant itself was very brightly lit. Softer, more romantic lighting would improve the atmosphere in the restaurant no end.
left- Roberto with another delicious wine and right – baked fillet of pork with bacon ad green apple
A common factor throughout almost every meal that week was a large basket of crisp, wafer thin bread, known as carasau. This was first produced for the shepherds who spent many weeks, if not months away from their families tending their sheep. This bread was designed to last a very long time without going stale. At Hotel Cormoran one of the dishes we tried was ‘Su pani frattau’ Ogliadstrina style – a poached egg on a tasty tomato sauce with pecorino cheese, served on a bed of carasau softened in lamb broth and very good it was too.
Su Gologone
Loc Su Gologone, Oliena, Central Sardinia
A charming hotel tucked away in the mountainous interior of the island with an outstanding restaurant.
Su Gologone’s Sardinian Feast
I had been told that Madonna had once rented out the whole hotel for a week. Sadly, I only got to stay for one night but I was particularly looking forward to it as the photographs I had seen of the hotel looked amazing and I had heard some VERY good things about the restaurant. You can read my article about the Su Gologone on the Boutique Travel Blog but here I’ll just tempt you with the wonderful cuisine.
We ordered the set menu which included the roast suckling pig, cooked by an open fire in the restaurant. This is the hotels signature dish and it is famous throughout the island for it. I tried it a number of times during my stay and while it was always very good, here it was superb! Before the pork we’d already been served cured meats, delicious cheeses and various Sardinian delicacies including sheep’s intestines and brains and while my companion was a little reticent, I tucked in and loved it all (although I’ll admit the intestines didn’t look very appetising!). It was a ridiculous amount of food. By the time the pork came out I was l already feeling rather full. I did manage to eat it though as well as a little homemade ice-cream but the brightly coloured handmade sweets I’m afraid were left untouched.
While we were eating, we struck up conversation with the couple on the table next to us and they mentioned that they had friends come over from Rome, just to eat here!
Relais Villa del Golfo & Spa
Cannigione, North East Sardinia
A beautiful hotel and probably the most luxurious that I stayed in that week.
This lovely, stylish hotel ambles up the hillside with sensational views across the Gulf of Arzachena to the Costa Smeralda. After my serious over indulgence the night before, and despite not having had any lunch, I held back from having a starter but my colleague’s raw steak looked superb. I tucked straight into my main course of rare sirloin steak “tagliata” with a rocket salad and for dessert I tried their selection of aromatic chocolate. Each little glass contained chocolate mousse with first coconut, followed by cinnamon, then raspsberry and then pomegranate and lastly brown sugar. I’m sorry to say this looked better than it tasted and was just merely passable but everything else at Villa del Golfo, including the wine and the service, was superb.
Agriturismo Tenuta Pilastru
Arzachena, North East Sardinia
Agriturismi are well-known for their superb food.
My expectations were high but they were exceeded!
A bottle of the Tenuta Pilastru‘s own wine was already on the table waiting for us. It was excellent (and a couple of bottles found their way into my suitcase!) What followed that evening was beyond belief, both in quantity and quality.
To begin….
cured meat
Bite-sized delights including mini pizza’s, cream cheese and stuffed mushrooms
Lamb that melted in the mouth!
The first course…
…or should that be courses, as we didn’t have to choose between these two delicious dishes. We were each given both!
Home-made pasta with a wild boar and tomato sauce
Zuppa Gallurese – a kind of cheesy bread and butter pudding – so good!
The main course…
Veal Charolais stew with peas
Roasted suckling pig with myrtle and roast potatoes
Desserts with fruits, coffee and digestives…
We didn’t have to choose between the various desserts either – we could eat them all!
Seadas – pan-fried pastries filled with cheese and drizzled in honey
Digestives – limoncello, mirto and grappa
Yep, all that was just one evening meal at a Sardinian agriturismo!
Including the wine and the digestives, this set menu was just 70 euros for the two of us, less than £30 each.
Disclosure: I was travelling in Sardinia while working for Sardinian Places. As always these are my own, honest opinions.
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I am so glad I found your website. Sardinian food looks amazing and I cannot wait to go (which I am very soon, so lucky!).
Really looking forward to hearing about your adventure. Have a fabulous time.
Isn’t Sardinia famous for their maggot-y cheese? Did you try any of that? Food looks lovely! I just spent a yea in Italy and traveled everywhere except in the country. The Caprese salad in the beginning is enough to make me want to go baaack!!
It is indeed. Apparently the smell it gives off of ammonia is overpowering and there is a special technique of eating it so that the maggots don’t jump out in your face. Alternatively, you can put it in a paper bag, hold the top shut so no oxygen gets to the maggots. Then wait and listen until they stop jumping out of the cheese. Then eat it. Yum!! Sadly, I didn’y hear about this cheese (which is actually illegal) until after I had left… shame… not! 😉
What I love the most about Sardinian dishes is their presentation. Everything looks so amazing on the plate. I would love to try some Suppa Gallurese. Cheesy bread and butter pudding sounds like heaven :). Did you try to cook some of these dishes back home?
The Suppa Gallurese was so delicious! I haven’t tried cooking anything myself yet but I have just bought a Sardinian cook book which I’ll review when I have some spare time to cook some of the dishes. Going to Tuscany this weekend for a couple of days of cooking in the countryside – can’t wait!
Sardinia looks to be worth visiting for the food alone! That’s how we feel about Turkey – we’d return just to taste all those authentic mezzes again.
I wouldn’t disagree with you there. The food was the best I’ve had in Italy, if not anywhere! Not made it to Turkey yet but really hope to one day.
Yum. Boarding plane now…
OK, you’ve convinced me. Sardinia will be on my itinerary for my next trip to Italy. I can’t wait to try some of the food!
Excellent! 🙂
That all looks amazing and I’m dribbling over my keyboard now! Fabulous photos of all that glorious food too.
Thanks Suzanne. Your recent Iceland post had a similar affect on me!
That IS a lot of food! hahaha Looks like good value for all that you get, not to mention, delicious! Hungry now! Thanks for introducing us to Sardinian cuisine 🙂
Kat,
forgot something: You simply must go and see the Sartiglia (this year on March 2), the traditional carnival in Oristano where Su Componidori and the sardinian traditional costumes are a delight to see and the typical sweet, the zippole, hard to resist.
Thanks so much Anna! I’m going to have to try this. And do tell me where I can get this book when it’s translated. I’d love to review it!
I would dearly love to visit for the carnival but it isn’t possible this year (as I’m off on an Artctic adventure) but hopefully one year I’ll be able to go.
Thanks again for this recipe. Really looking forward to trying it out when I get the chance.
Hi Kat,
just a correction on your caption under the photo of “Zuppa Gallurese”: This is not a sort of “cheesy bread and butter dish”, as matter of fact, butter is not used at all in the traditional sardinian cuisine. Here’s the recipe: Day old bread, cut into slices and then layered into an ovenproof dish. Each layer is topped with slices of very young Cacciocavallo or provolone cheese plus some grated sardinian pecorino and a mixture of herbs (thyme, mint, basil, parsley). Add about 1 liter of homemade(!) broth (preferably made out of 3 different meats, e.g. lamb, veal and chicken) and put it into the oven until top is crisp and brown.
I’m currently translating a cook book on traditional sardinian cuisine into english (hope to finish soon 😉 and this is a good excercise ;-))
Fantastic and colourful post that represents Sardinia’s food culture in its finest. How did you enjoy the Seadas? It’s my favourite local sweet.
Thanks Jennifer – I loved them too but anything that involves cheese and honey can’t go wrong in my book!
(It always makes me a little nervous when I see someone local has been reading my blog, in case I have something wrong! So glad you are enjoying my posts from Sardinia)
Well as you can imagine, Kathryn, and other readers will appreciate, my mouth is watering as I am making this comment. Lots of delicious looking food, it really seems like a culinary paradise. I would love to go sometime. Roberto looks like a great character, lots of lovely, tempting photos and wonderful descriptions.
I feel rather hungry myself now too, Jackie, just as well we can’t smell the photos too!
And yes Roberto was great, as were all the staff at that hotel. Mind you.. everywhere we went the people were lovely.