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.

Paella reached Alghero through six centuries of Catalan and Aragonese rule, and the town kept it when the rest of Sardinia did not. The Algherese version leans hard on the sea, taking in whatever the port lands rather than the rabbit and beans of the Valencian original, and it is treated as a shared centrepiece booked in advance rather than a dish you order for one. La Pergola at Maria Pia has built its reputation on it since 1976 and holds a string of Italian guide listings for it. Alamo in the old town works a 21-ingredient version in the same tradition.

2 editor picks for Paella algherese in Alghero, ranked by editorial score. All Alghero signature dishes · Paella algherese across every city.