DRINK > Fratelli Burgio, Ortigia, Italy (15/20)

There are lots of bars in the beautiful historic town but the Salumi and wine at Fratelli Burgio make for a perfect combination and of course it is in the perfect location, combine it with the harbourside bar Alporto you have it all sorted. 

AMBIENCE >

In the beating heart of Ortigia’s open-air market, Fratelli Burgio hums with that particular Sicilian energy where voices, clinking glasses and the perfume of cured meats and citrus all blur into one soundtrack. Long counters stacked with salumi, cheeses and jars of sott’olio frame a handful of tiny pavement tables, which quickly become prime real estate for people-watching as the market shifts from the rush of morning trade to golden-hour aperitivo. Expect close quarters, a fast, almost theatrical service tempo and a clientele that swings from market workers grabbing a quick glass of wine to design-conscious travellers chasing the “only in Sicily” deli-bar experience.

SNACK >

The house ritual is the tagliere – generous wooden boards layered with thinly sliced salumi, smoked and fresh cheeses, marinated vegetables, salads and little glass jars that move from sharp and briny through to sweet. Panini are serious business: think prosciutto, mozzarella and tomato on sesame-dusted bread, or more loaded combinations with spicy ventricina, baked ricotta, grilled peppers and house-made chili paté. Much of what arrives at the table can also be taken home – bottarga, peperonella, pickles, oils – turning a casual aperitivo into an impromptu provisions run.

DRINK >

This is a deli first, wine bar second, but the glass never feels like an afterthought. Local whites from around Syracuse do the heavy lifting with those salty boards, alongside easy-drinking reds and the expected aperitivi – an Aperol or Campari spritz feels almost compulsory between market strolls. Coffee is taken seriously too: a shakerato – espresso shaken on ice and strained into a martini glass – has become something of a cult order for those stretching lunch into late afternoon.

CONCLUSION >

Come for a quick glass and a plate before wandering further into Ortigia, and you may well find yourself ordering a second round and plotting how to fit jars and vacuum-packed salumi into your luggage. Fratelli Burgio is less a conventional bar than a finely tuned slice of contemporary Sicilian life, where the market, the bottle and the board all share top billing.

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Image Credit | ALMANAK & Fratelli Burgio

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