After you’ve eaten your fill, spend some time shopping for artisanal products at Ortigia’s many quaint boutiques and art studios. Stop by Cool de Sac, a sartoria and showroom filled with hand-made jewelry, leather purses and funky prêt-à-porter pieces, for fashionable items that make a statement. Nearby, Chiodo is a multifunctional shop, café and event space that sells clothes and accessories with a focus on sustainability and recycled materials – you can also pop-in for the occasional concert in the evening.

Nearby, Chiodo is a multifunctional shop, café and event space that sells clothes and accessories with a focus on sustainability and recycled materials – you can also pop-in for the occasional concert in the evening. Owned by a Dutch transplant, Circo Fortuna is a treasure trove of Sicilian arts and crafts including hand-painted ceramics, playing cards, t-shirts and posters. For edible souvenirs, Olive stocks some of the best food, organic wines and extra virgin olive oil to bring back in your suitcase.

Like a typical Sicilian home (with a communal table that was once a carpenter’s workbench), surrounded by ornamental plants in the courtyard, it welcomes you in a homely atmosphere from morning to night. It starts with breakfast (from 9 am) with homemade cakes and ends after dinner with drinks and cocktails. For lunch and dinner, traditional-style dishes like pane cunzato and polpettine di carne a’ stimpirata.

A former boutique located in a charming courtyard on the central Via Roma, Chiodo is the perfect spot for a relaxed lunch, dinner, or a casual get-together with friends in Ortigia. Their food is of high quality (cotoletta is our favorite), and they offer a selection of local wines, drinks, and teas. In the same courtyard, you'll also find Monica Castiglioni's shop, known for its contemporary jewelry designs.

Whether you decide to visit just for a cocktail, I do recommend eating in Chiodo at least once. The food is mostly vegetarian and much like MOON further down on the list, it offers visitors a really alternative menu from the typical pasta and pizza dishes you can find everywhere else. Chiodo is also a concept store with pieces of local artisan and designers works on display.

I love this small casual restaurant located in a courtyard off the busy Via Roma. It’s billed as a ‘showroom-cucina’ and they do have a small area that sells some clothes and accessories, all made by local artisans. The ambiance is very cool, with mismatched vintage chairs and tables.

Chiodo: The eclectic dining room that is also a shop showroom is strung with fairy lights and mismatched furniture. There is an outside courtyard that is equally sparkly. I had a simple plate of busiate alla Trapanese and we shared a bottle of Etna red.

Chiodo - showroon con cucina is a bar, restaurant and wine shop in Syracuse with a 30% minimum natural wine in their offer. At Chiodo - showroon con cucina, you'll find local, seasonal, and most often organic food and plenty of delicious natural wines.

Chiodo is a quirky lunch location in a small courtyard off one of Ortigia Island’s main corso, Via Roma. It is set amongst old benches and bar stalls, and it offers a small selection of quirky items for sale.