Overlooking the palm-lined boulevard of Poetto, an area that's anything but short on great restaurants, Antica Cagliari has earned its place as a local favourite for fresh seafood and traditional Sardinian cuisine. Order the pescato del giorno, or settle in on the terrace with a pizza as the sun sets over the coastline.


Sun-bathing spot beneath long rows of cream-coloured umbrellas by day, dance floor by night – Le Palmette has it all. Along the promenade, the restaurant serves the day’s freshest seafood alongside fregula (the island’s delicate toasted semolina pasta, resembling couscous) and culurgiones (Sardinia’s potato-and-mint-filled dumplings). Just minutes from Sella del Diavolo and the harbour of Marina Piccola, it’s also a perfect place to start the day before setting off to trek the saddle-shaped promontory.

