2 Best Restaurants in Sardinia, Italy

The gilded Antico Caffè once served as an intellectual haunt for famous writers like D.H. Lawrence and Grazia Deledda, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1926. With its street-front terrace and polished-wood interior, it has anchored the base of the Bastione di St. Remy since 1855, serving as a social center from breakfast time until well after midnight; the menu features local fish and meat specialties. You can also get pastas, salads, and such desserts as tiramisu and elaborate artisanal gelato coupe concoctions. A granita di caffè con panna is sublimely refreshing on a hot summer afternoon.

Entering this antique, vaulted bar a stone's throw from the port is like stepping back into the 19th century. Order a steaming cappuccino, a glass of the local vermentino, or a freshly squeezed fruit juice, and nibble on a panino, a pizzetta, or a pastry. It's all served with politeness and heaps of old-fashioned charm. There are tables outside, too.