The Best Arancini in Catania, Sicily: Our Top 5

When we walked down Via Etnea in Catania, every bar had a glass case full of arancini. They all looked golden and perfect. So which one is actually worth your euros?

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In this guide 7 sections

Cream and I tried to answer that with our stomachs. Some were huge and some were tiny. One came sitting in a bowl of black squid-ink sauce, and one was a quick snack on a train platform.

We spent a week in Catania in November 2026 and ate arancini almost every day. So I can tell you where the best arancini in Catania are. Savia wins.

Where Are the Best Arancini in Catania? My Quick Answer

• 1. Savia (Via Etnea 302): our favorite. Get the classic ragù cone, then the eggplant one. €2.80 at the counter, €3.30 at a table.
• 2. Spinella (Via Etnea 292-298): the biggest arancino we had, stuffed with ragù and cheese.
• 3. MM Street Food (Via Pardo 26): small seafood arancini in squid-ink sauce, by the fish market. €8 for the order.
• 4. Canusciuti (Via della Lettera 13): a ton of flavors, from the classics to dessert ones, in the old town.
• 5. Caffè Europa (Corso Italia 302): won Catania's 2023 arancino contest. Our pick for next time.
• Bonus: even the train station arancino was good.

Want to sleep close to your next arancino? We'd pick Palace Catania, the first hotel below. It's on Via Etnea, only a few minutes up the street from both Savia and Spinella, so your morning arancino is never far away.

Our Top 5 Arancini in Catania, Ranked

I don't think you can have a bad arancino in Catania. Still, some were better than others, and these five are the ones we'd happily walk across the city for again or are already planning to try next time.

1. Pasticceria Savia // Our Favorite Arancino in Catania

We had arancini at Savia on four different days, sometimes with a coffee at one of the outdoor tables and sometimes from the counter in the late afternoon. I never got tired of it.

• Where: Via Etnea 302, on the corner of Via Umberto I, across from Villa Bellini
• What we got: the ragù arancino most days, and the Catanese (eggplant) one
• What we paid: €2.80 (about $3.15) at the counter, €3.30 (about $3.70) at a table, November 2026
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 7:45 AM to 9:30 PM, closed Monday
• Who it's for: anyone who wants the classic Catania arancino
• Skip it if: you want somewhere quiet on a Sunday afternoon

The surprise for me at Savia was the eggplant one. It's labelled alla catanese in the case. I expected eggplant stuffed in the middle, but it wasn't stuffed that way at all. Everything was mixed up together, the rice and the eggplant and the sauce. It was so good!

The ragù is still the one I'd order first. It's the cone in the case. Our Savia review has the full story of our week there and how the counter works.

2. Pasticceria Spinella // The Biggest Arancino We Had

Spinella's ragù arancino was our very first bite in Sicily, on the night we arrived. Of all the arancini we tried that week, it was the biggest by far. It was huge.

• Where: Via Etnea 292-298, a few doors from Savia
• What we got: the ragù arancino
• Hours: 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM, closed Wednesday
• Who it's for: big appetites, or two people sharing
• Skip it if: you only want a small snack

We only had it once, and I wish we'd had it more to really get to know it. It was still good! It's similar to Savia's, full of cheese with real chunks of beef. Spinella closed for its holidays the day after we arrived, so we never got a second try. I'd check the door before walking over. That first night has its own page, our Spinella review.

3. MM Street Food // Squid-Ink Arancini by the Fish Market

These were the smallest arancini we had. Not in a bad way! Honestly, this is the size I had pictured the whole time.

• Where: Via Pardo 26, next to La Pescheria fish market
• What we got: arancini al nero (two seafood arancini in squid-ink sauce) at lunch on a Saturday
• What we paid: €8.00 (about $9) for the order, November 2026
• Who it's for: seafood lovers, or anyone who's already had a classic one
• Skip it if: it's your first arancino in Catania (start with a ragù)

I thought the rice itself would be black from the ink. It wasn't! The arancini had a seafood flavor inside and sat in a beautiful black sauce made of tomato and squid ink, and the two paired really nicely together.

This was a fun one to try. We ordered them with stuffed sardines and a plate of fried calamari and octopus. Come hungry.

4. Canusciuti // The Most Flavors, in the Old Town

We couldn't miss Canusciuti. It has a giant arancino sign at the door, right next to a wall of graffiti.

• Where: Via della Lettera 13, in the old town near Piazza Duomo
• What we got: a classic arancino
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 7:30 AM to 11:00 PM, closed Monday
• Who it's for: anyone who wants to try a fun flavor, or an easy stop while sightseeing near the Duomo
• Skip it if: you only want the classic and you're already near Savia

Canusciuti is all over social media, and it's in a really good spot in the old town, so it's an easy one for tourists to walk to between sights. They have a ton of flavors, from the classics to dessert arancini! We always went for the classic ones, but this would be a great place to try some fun ones.

5. Caffè Europa // The 2023 Arancino Contest Winner

Caffè Europa is the one we're saving for our next trip. It shows up on a lot of local lists of the best arancini in Catania. It's top of my list.

• Where: Corso Italia 302-304, near Piazza Europa and the seafront
• What to order: the ragù arancino (€3.30 on the menu, November 2026)
• Hours: 6:00 AM to 12:15 AM, closed Tuesday
• Who it's for: anyone staying near the sea, or chasing the city's top-rated arancino
• Skip it if: you're only around Via Etnea and the Duomo

Caffè Europa has been a bar and pastry shop on Corso Italia since 1962.³ In December 2023 its ragù arancino won a city-wide contest run on social media. It beat Gastronomia Cardì in the final in front of 200 judges, who picked it as the crispiest and tastiest.¹

Its menu lists a lot of flavors, from four cheeses to salmon.² I'd start with the ragù. Then I'd compare it with Savia's.

Bonus: The Train Station Arancino

At Catania Centrale, the main train station, we had one more arancino with a cappuccino before our train. Was it the best? No. But it was good!

That's what I love about arancini here, because no matter where you are in Catania, even at the train station, you can get one that's still good and fills the arancini craving.

What Arancini Flavors Are There in Catania?

We stuck with the ragù most days. The two times we strayed were the eggplant at Savia and the squid ink at MM. I'm glad we did.

These are the flavors we saw most in the cases and on menus:

• Ragù: meat sauce, peas, and cheese. The classic, usually the cone.
• Burro: ham and cheese, sometimes with béchamel.
• Spinaci: spinach and cheese, a good pick if you don't eat meat.
• Alla catanese (or Norma): eggplant, Catania's own.
• Pistacchio: pistachio, often the priciest one.
• Nero di seppia: squid ink, more likely at seafood spots like MM.

How Much Is an Arancino in Catania?

Our priciest arancini were the squid-ink ones at MM, and they were also the smallest. A classic ragù was €3.30 or less everywhere we had a price.

Where	Arancino	Price
Savia (counter)	ragù or Catanese	€2.80 (about $3.15)
Savia (table)	ragù	€3.30 (about $3.70)
Savia (counter)	pistachio	€3.30
MM Street Food	two seafood arancini in squid-ink sauce	€8.00 (about $9)
Caffè Europa (menu)	ragù	€3.30
Caffè Europa (menu)	pistachio or salmon	€4.00

At Savia we sat at a table most mornings. We liked it. If you only want a quick arancino, the counter is cheaper.

Is It Arancino or Arancina?

I'll keep this one simple. In Catania, it's arancino, and the classic one has a pointed top. People say the point is Mount Etna.

In Palermo they say arancina and make them round. So in Catania, I'd skip arancina. Order one arancino, or two arancini, and you'll sound like a local.

Tips for Eating Arancini in Catania

We ate most of ours on Via Etnea because it was only a few minutes from where we stayed and both Savia and Spinella sit right across from Villa Bellini. A few things we learned:

• Check the closing day. Savia closes on Mondays, Spinella on Wednesdays, and Caffè Europa on Tuesdays.
• Watch for holiday closures. Spinella closed from November 4 to 18 while we were in town.
• Start with a ragù. Then branch out to eggplant, pistachio, or squid ink.
• Share the big ones. Spinella's is a meal on its own.
• Save room for lunch. Our favorite sit-down meal in Catania was horse meat at Trattoria Achille on Via Plebiscito.

If you'd rather have a local walk you to more spots than we managed, a Catania street food tour is a fun way to try arancini side by side.

Our Favorite Arancino in Catania

Savia is still our number one, and its ragù is the arancino I'd go back for first. For something different, I'd send a friend to MM for the squid ink. It was so different from the classic ones, in the best way.

Next Steps for Your Catania Trip

• Our Savia review
• Our Spinella review
• Horse meat in Catania at Trattoria Achille