Trattoria da Pina di Maniaci

The great-grandparents' old house

Trattoria da Pina di Maniaci is in Gelso, a fishing hamlet at the southern tip of Vulcano, facing the coast of Sicily. It was opened by the family's great-grandparents in 1958, in their own house; later it was run by Pina and Tindaro, and today Franco and Cristina cook. The grandfather and uncle spent the day in the boat, and from that comes the house rule: only fish from the archipelago, cooked without fuss so that it tastes of what it is.

The tables are over the sea, on a terrace under a pergola, with Sicily opposite. The Michelin guide includes it in its selection and says it is worth crossing the island to get there.

What to order

The menu follows Aeolian tradition and changes with the fish season. The Michelin guide cites as fixtures the raw seafood, the pastas, from the alla Norma to the pasta with sardines, and the fish of the day, fried or grilled. The house speciality is pesce alla cipollata, fish with onion. On their website they talk about pot-caught prawns, amberjack and grey mullet, fish the family used to catch off Gelso. The Michelin guide gives it two price symbols, a reasonable cost.

Getting there

Gelso is about 15 km from Vulcano harbour, on the other side of the island, along the provincial road that crosses it from end to end. From the harbour you can go by taxi or hired scooter. If you are coming from Lipari for the day, work out the time to get back to the harbour before the last hydrofoil.

Hours and booking

According to the Michelin guide, it is open every day, from 12:45 to 14:00 and from 20:00 to 21:00. The trattoria does not publish on its website the months it is open, so call beforehand, especially outside June to September. It is very well known and fills up: book well in advance, by phone or email.