The places in Alghero the guidebooks miss.
The places in Alghero the guidebooks miss. locals-only counters, after-hours rooms and the spots tourists walk past.
Caragol works Sardinian and Mediterranean plates in the Alghero old town, with gluten-free options and about €40 to €50 for a full sit-down lunch.
Why locals love it: A small vaulted room on Via Maiorca that the Alghero food tour uses as its sit-down stop, still mostly local at lunch.
Francesco and his family have run Alamo in Alghero since 2012, and linguine with scampi, bottarga and lemon zest is the plate to order first.
Why locals love it: Francesco and his family cook a 21-ingredient paella in a lane most visitors walk past on the way to the bastions.
Buy pecorino, Sardinian cured meat and Marghine produce to take away at Isola Forma in Alghero, or sit down for a guided tasting board. TableJourney pick.
Why locals love it: A farm cheese counter rather than a restaurant, where Marghine producers sell what Alghero kitchens buy.
A Basque and Sardinian counter beside the Alghero cathedral, SardOa is the old town's most reliable stop for tapas and a glass of Torbato. TableJourney pick.
Why locals love it: A Basque and Sardinian pintxos counter tucked beside the cathedral, open only in the evening.
One of the few Alghero rooms still pouring wine at 03:00, L'Altra Vineria closes on Thursdays and runs through to 04:00 on Saturday nights. Our pick.
Why locals love it: Luca and Sonia keep pouring Sardinian wine to 03:00, long after the tourist terraces have closed for the night.
The Alghero port fish market on the Banchina Rafael Catardi is where restaurant kitchens buy the morning's landings before the town wakes. TableJourney pick.
Why locals love it: Alghero fishermen sell their own landings on the quay, and the market is finished by mid-morning.
A small Alghero charcuterie counter behind the cathedral, Sant Miquel opens evenings midweek and adds a long lunch service at the weekend. TableJourney pick.
Why locals love it: A cured-meat counter with a handful of tables, run as a slicing shop rather than a restaurant.
The Bon Bons laboratory on Via Einaudi in Alghero sells mornings only, with a second counter in the old town on Via Mazzini that also opens late afternoon.
Why locals love it: The family still bakes the Catalan sweets of Alghero from recipes written in Alguerès, not in Italian.