Where to Eat
Since the region of Calabria is bordered on two sides by the sea, you can expect excellent fish and seafood dishes to be among the entrée suggestions at countless restaurants.
The price code for the restaurant entrees below is $ = 100 or more.
La Sosta
$$-$$$
Located in Crotone, this traditional Italian restaurant offers everything from mushroom risotto to shrimp scampi to cuts of filet. The wine menu features local as well as regional favorites, and the fact that Diners Club International cards are welcome should give you an idea about just how well this staff is trained to please visitors from outside Italy.
Ristorante L'Approdo
$$-$$$$
Ristorante L'Approdo, located at Vibo Valentia Marina just north of Reggio di Calabria, specializes in homemade pasta and just-caught fish from the very sea that its restaurant overlooks. The chef prides himself on using only the freshest ingredients, and the eatery's sophisticated nautical décor is anything but touristy or tacky.
La Locanda di Alia
$$-$$$$
Located in Cosenza, this restaurant offers traditional, local foods presented with an original and often elegant flair. There are traditional as well as “traditional reinvented” menus suggested by the chef, and there is a wine-tasting room in addition to an extensive wine list from which you can choose during your meal.
Ristorante Il Ducale
$-$$
This Reggio di Calabria restaurant is on the waterfront promenade, right next to the museum that houses the Bronzi di Riace statues. Seafood is the specialty, with menu items including pasta with squid, mixed grilled fish, and peppery mussels. The wine list is small but wide-ranging in terms of both quality and price. (Several bottles cost less than 15.) Save room for traditional desserts such as lemon sorbet and nut truffles.
