2 Best Restaurants in Sardinia, Italy

A covered veranda by the seafront marks out Alghero's top seafood restaurant, an expansive and sunny room complete with crustacean-filled aquarium. Summer sees crowds of both locals and tourists, many of whom come for the specialty aragosta (lobster) cooked different ways, including with linguine or alla Lepanto (with tomato, onions, and orange). In winter, when lobster isn't always available, sample the ricci (sea urchins). For starters, try linguine alle vongole e bottarga di muggine (pasta with clams and dried mullet roe).

There's always a lively crowd at this backstreet trattoria, where diners pack into three rooms to enjoy the same multicourse set menu. If this seems limiting, think again—you'll be presented with a range of fresh, delicious, seasonally appropriate dishes (perhaps prawns, squid, swordfish, or sea bass) in abundant portions. The usual formula is: five cold starters, two pastas, two mains, a dessert, and unlimited drinks—all for one price. Lobster is also usually available for a supplementary charge. Service is brisk and good-humored, and reservations are essential.