Most interesting things to eat in Cagliari, Italy

Naturally, some of the essential Italian dishes will be on the list, as the Italian people is unique in the way they preserve and develop their national recipes without diluting them with modernized mass production. Despite that fact, dishes like parmigiana are very common, because there's nothing overly complicated in making them - the "eggplant parmesan" is basically fried, sliced eggplant layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked.

La Cantina would be a good choice for this kind of dish.

Another classic dish that doesn't need a lengthy introduction and can be found in most Italian restaurants both in and outside the country. The filling of ravioli varies according to the area where they are prepared. In Sardinia, ravioli are filled with ricotta and grated lemon rind, but there are other available options in local restaurants, including ricotta cheese, spinach, nutmeg, and black pepper. Sauces are available with the dish, but not too necessary.

MIAN Ramen House and more has a surprising Italian-Asian mix.

Eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper - as raw and gritty a recipe for an Italian dish as it gets, yet still classy and rich in both taste and pedigree. This is spaghetti carbonara, one of the absolute classics of pasta. Guanciale is the most commonly used meat for the dish in Italy, but pancetta and pancetta affumicata are also used. Naturally, in different countries, there are different variations of the classic Italian formula.

Antica Cagliari Bistrot has great carbonara.

Since we started so strong, it would only be natural to rewind back a bit and enjoy lighter dishes. For example, the classic Italian appetizers called crostini can save you from eating too heavy. It's as simple as an appetizer gets - small slices of grilled or toasted bread and toppings such as different cheeses, meats, vegetables and condiments. Simpler variations just have olive oil and herbs or a sauce. Crostini is perfect to start or finish a meal.

L'infinito is as good a choice as any, not to mention it has wonderful offerings to get after the crostini.

If a more meaty alternative to small dishes like crostini are preferable, then you can always go with ham. Dry-cured unsmoked ham, for example. The classic prosciutto is made from either a pig's or a wild boar's hind leg or thigh, which makes the quality of the meat quite high and very suitable for processing and storage. Luckily, Italian chefs have lots of imagination when it comes to adapting prosciutto to their own tastes and ideas.

Novantasei has many interesting ham options.

Meat can be consumed in many forms, both excessive and exquisite. For example, it can be thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetizer. This kind of dish invented in Italy is called carpaccio and can be made from beef, veal, venison, as well as salmon or tuna if you're feeling original. The classic recipe from the mid-20th century requires lemon, olive oil, and white truffle or Parmesan cheese. 

Il Brigantino will have you covered.

If meat is not to your liking and you don't want pizza or pasta, there's always the simpler thing. Like bread. Not any bread, however, but a special Italian flat bread called focaccia. It's very similar to pizza, actually, and can be prepared with cheese, meat, and other ingredients if the chef at your restaurant is feeling inventive. Naturally, focaccia can be combined with other, more hefty dishes to make a substantial meal.

Il Dante is a great place to start with focaccia.

Let's get a little more heavy and a little more exotic at the same time. How about spaghetti but not with meat or cheese but with clams? This is basically what the name of spaghetti vongole translates as. There are two main ways to prepare this kind of spaghetti, the first is called in bianco, i.e., with oil, garlic, parsley, and sometimes a splash of white wine; the second one is called in rosso, like the former but with tomatoes and fresh basil.

Trattoria Lillicu has spaghetti vongole that's being praised in particular.

It's about time for great desserts, and panna cotta is probably the classiest and most famous dessert of them all. It's a dish of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded into a shape that the chef prefers. Although the name means 'cooked cream', the ingredients are only warmed enough to dissolve the gelatin and sugar, so panna cotta is not a hot dish and can be consumed separately or with any kind of soft drink.

Da Artan is a good place to try some panna cotta.

If you want something colder and sweeter than your average dessert, and ice cream is not your thing, there's always the Italian alternative, gelato. To be perfectly honest, in Italy, "gelato" is the word for almost any kind of ice cream, but when you get technical, real gelato contains a lot less air and more flavoring than other kinds of frozen desserts, giving it a density and richness that distinguishes it from alternatives and similar products.

Kremet Gelateria is one of the best places to have some gelato.

As you can see, the food scene in Cagliari is essentially Italian and combines the classics with modern takes on them. Therefore, local restaurants should be as interesting to explore as the city itself.