Catalan Sardinia, eaten from the bastions down to the quay.
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Alghero eats in Catalan. The Aragonese took the town in 1354, emptied it and repopulated it from Catalonia and the Balearics, and six centuries later the old walled quarter still speaks Alguerès and still cooks to it. That shows up on the plate as aragosta alla catalana, lobster served cold under raw tomato and sweet onion, as paella worked into a local dialect at Maria Pia, and as menjar blanc, the almond blancmange that Alghero pastry families write down in Catalan rather than Italian. The sea does the rest. Boats land on the Banchina Rafael Catardi before dawn and the Mercato Civico on Via Sassari is finished by one in the afternoon, which is why the good dining rooms print no fixed fish list. Sea urchin, bogamarì in Alguerès, is the winter obsession, though the regional government now caps the harvest and the season closes in spring. Behind the town the reclaimed Nurra plain grows Torbato and Vermentino, and the cellars sell direct. Dinner starts late, the bastion terraces fill at sunset, and August books out weeks ahead.
Water activity · 7 hours
A daily excursion by catamaran will take you to discover the bay of Alghero with 3 stops for swimming in the protected marine area of Capo Caccia, all included, lunch ...
Water activity · 7.5 hours
Sail in Alghero with Andrea, a charismatic skipper and sailing pioneer with over 15 years of experience. Discover hidden gems and enjoy an unforgettable, relaxing, and...
3 hours
Enter a typical farmhouse in the Alghero countryside and experience an authentic Sardinian hands on pasta cooking class with a passionate local chef. Enjoy your meal a...
The plates that define eating in Alghero.
Spaghetti tossed off the heat with raw sea urchin roe, garlic, oil and a little pasta water so the coral melts into a sauce rather than cooking into a paste. Alguerès calls the urchin bogamarì.
Where Rafel, Mercato del Pescato Locale
Where to eat Spaghetti ai ricci di mare in Alghero →The Valencian dish rebuilt in Catalan Sardinia, cooked wide and shallow with local fish, shellfish and saffron rice, finished dry rather than soupy and served straight from the pan.
Where La Pergola, Alamo
Where to eat Paella algherese in Alghero →A large semolina pastry filled with fresh acidic sheep's cheese and lemon zest, fried until it blisters and served under warm honey. Sardinia's national dessert, savoury at its core.
Where Trattoria da Mirko, Trattoria Lo Romanì
Where to eat Seadas in Alghero →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Alghero.
Al Tuguri works Alghero's Catalan seafood tradition over several levels of a Via Maiorca townhouse, with tasting menus from €40 to €75 a head.
OrderThe seasonal tasting menu, seven courses at €75 or the shorter three-course run at €40.
Musciora is a small family room on Via Mazzini in Alghero where a father and son serve tasting menus split between the sea, the land and a full run.
OrderThe Vera Esperienza Musciora menu, narrated plate by plate at the table.
La Saletta in Alghero has held its place in the Michelin Guide since 2023, with four tasting menus built on Sardinian produce a block from the sea.
OrderThe Radici menu, where Sardinian vegetables lead instead of the fish.
Al Refettorio sits in Vicolo Adami in Alghero, where Cristiano Andreini cooks tagliolini with bottarga and pecorino and runs a gourmet pizza oven.
OrderTagliolini with bottarga and pecorino, then the suckling pig with potato millefoglie.
Il Pavone has kept its veranda on Piazza Sulis in Alghero since 1979, cooking octopus salad, spaghetti alle vongole veraci and the day's fish four ways.
OrderSpaghetti alle vongole veraci, then the day's fish grilled all'isolana.
Nautilus looks over the Alghero port from the Forte della Maddalenetta, with terrace tables above the marina and spaghetti with clams and bottarga.
OrderSpaghetti with clams and bottarga, eaten on the terrace above the marina.
The walled Catalan town, cobbled and pedestrian, where the bastions carry the aperitivo terraces and almost every serious kitchen in Alghero sits within four blocks.
Best for: Seafood, Tapas, Wine bars, Pastry
The working quay between the marina and the bastions, where the first-catch fish market runs at dawn and the harbour restaurants take the tables closest to the water.
Best for: Fish market, Raw seafood, Sunset dinner
Two kilometres of sand north of the walls, lined with beach clubs that serve lunch in swimwear and keep the cocktail lists running until four in the morning.
Best for: Beach lunch, Cocktails, Late night
A 1930s planned village on the Calich lagoon, settled after the war by Istrian and Dalmatian families, with a quiet grid of bars that stay open long hours.
Best for: Pub food, Beer, All-day bars
Pine woods behind the dunes on the road out to Fertilia, where the big family dining rooms sit close enough to the beach to fill for Sunday lunch.
Best for: Paella, Family lunch, Gluten free
A residential quarter east of the centre with its own small market and the bakery queues that form before seven, well away from the tourist streets.
Best for: Breakfast, Bakery, Market
Spaghetti ai ricci di mare
Spaghetti tossed off the heat with raw sea urchin roe, garlic, oil and a little pasta water so the coral melts into a sauce rather than cooking into a paste
Paella algherese
The Valencian dish rebuilt in Catalan Sardinia, cooked wide and shallow with local fish, shellfish and saffron rice, finished dry rather than soupy and served straight from the pan
Seadas
A large semolina pastry filled with fresh acidic sheep's cheese and lemon zest, fried until it blisters and served under warm honey
Centro Storico
The walled Catalan town, cobbled and pedestrian, where the bastions carry the aperitivo terraces and almost every serious kitchen in Alghero sits within four blocks
Lido
Two kilometres of sand north of the walls, lined with beach clubs that serve lunch in swimwear and keep the cocktail lists running until four in the morning
Fertilia
A 1930s planned village on the Calich lagoon, settled after the war by Istrian and Dalmatian families, with a quiet grid of bars that stay open long hours
Maria Pia
Pine woods behind the dunes on the road out to Fertilia, where the big family dining rooms sit close enough to the beach to fill for Sunday lunch
A sample of Alghero hotels from our booking partner, who list 344 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
L'oleandro
With a stay at L'oleandro in Alghero (Pivarada), you'll be steps from Port of Alghero and San Giovanni Beach.
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The Smerald 2
With a stay at The Smerald 2 in Alghero (Lido), you'll be a 3-minute walk from San Giovanni Beach and 11 mi...
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Hotel Soleado
A stay at Hotel Soleado places you in the heart of Alghero, steps from San Giovanni Beach and 8 minutes by ...
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R & D
With a stay at R & D in Alghero (Lido), you'll be a 3-minute walk from San Giovanni Beach and 11 minutes by...
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Hotel Riviera
With a stay at Hotel Riviera in Alghero (Lido), you'll be steps from San Giovanni Beach and 11 minutes by f...
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Sardegna Sole e Mare
With a stay at Sardegna Sole e Mare in Alghero (Pivarada), you'll be within a 10-minute walk of Madonna del...
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Italianway - B&B Olivar
When you stay at Italianway - B&B Olivar in Alghero, you'll be near the beach, within a 5-minute drive of S...
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Hotel La Margherita & SPA
A stay at Hotel La Margherita & SPA places you in the heart of Alghero, steps from Coral Museum and Alghero...
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B&B 55 Alghero
Located in Alghero, B&B 55 Alghero is near the beach, within a 5-minute walk of Tarragona Park and Alghero ...
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Alghero Sunrise
Alghero Sunrise is in the heart of Alghero, within a 5-minute walk of Alghero Aquarium and Alghero Market.
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Alghero Vacanze Hotel
With a stay at Alghero Vacanze Hotel in Alghero (Pivarada), you'll be within a 5-minute walk of Port of Alg...
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La Mia Isola
With a stay at La Mia Isola in Alghero, you'll be near the beach, within a 10-minute walk of Alghero Market...
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Also compare: Zen Hotels in Alghero from USD 76/night · Holidu in Alghero from USD 38/night · LateRooms in Alghero
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Alghero, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: May to early July and September to October, when the sea is settled and the town is not full. January to early May for sea urchin, subject to the regional harvest decree. Late June for Birralguer on the port, and early May for the Sa Segada strawberry sagra.
Local dining hours: Lunch 12:30-14:30, dinner 19:30-22:30, later in July and August. Many old-town kitchens close one weekday out of season, and several beach venues shut entirely from November to March.
Tipping: Service is included and the coperto covers bread and cover, usually 2 to 3€ a head. Rounding up the bill for good service is welcome and never expected.
Alghero's signature dishes include Aragosta alla catalana, Spaghetti ai ricci di mare, Paella algherese, Fregola con arselle, Seadas. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Alghero by district. Centro Storico, Porto, Lido, Fertilia are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Alghero include La Saletta, Musciora, Al Tuguri, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 4 editor-picked food tours in Alghero, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Alghero dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.