Good food and lots of it. That’s what normally gets the Gourmet Belly excited. What’s even more exciting is when it involves seafood, a generous amount of alcohol, and all this at a very reasonable price.

Located on one of the main pedestrian streets of Cagliari, Lillicu is permanently packed with locals and an absolute find for the discerning traveller who manages to get a reservation.

The concept is relatively simple. No menus, seafood only, and you eat what the kitchen feels like cooking up on the day.

For Gourmet Belly and friends, we were somewhat familiar with this – just like when we were growing up. Eat what was served on the table, or be starved! The only concern was that no menu, means no prices…but nonetheless, we were ready!

Mamma Mia…Mamma Mamma Mia…and what a feast this was.

Antipasti included massive portions of: Fresh Tuna Salad, Polpo, White Bait fritters, Swordfish Pomodoro, Welks, and Mussels in white wine and garlic

Primi and mains consisted of two types of pasta: Tuna Linguine in a tomato sauce, and a Spaghetti Vongole, followed by a tomato baked Rascasse fish commonly found in the waters of Corsica near by.

All four of us at the table had matching smiles as we scoffed all this amazing food, washed down with chilled glasses of local red and white wine…the perfect dining experience indeed. This was probably heightened by Giampaolo, the (slightly mad) waiter that also serves as the entertainment for the evening as he goes around with his guitar in between serving dishes. 

Then out comes the bottle of Mirto – a local spirit made from Myrtle berries, which in hindsight shouldn’t have been left unattended on our table. After practically consuming the whole bottle, saluting other customers nearby, we found out that these are traditionally consumed by sipping slowly, and NOT to be downed in one like a shooter. Uh Oh…spot the tourists. 

This is the third time that the Gourmet Belly has been fed by Lillicu, and it is yet to disappoint.

At around €35 per head for some amazing seafood cooked traditional Sardinian style, drinks, dessert of Sebada (fried ravioli stuffed with cheese and drizzled with honey) and coffee, the only disappointment is not being able to eat like this every day…

Did You Know?

• Mirto, made from Myrtle plant which grows freely in Sardinia comes in two forms – Mirto Bianco is made from the leaves, while Mirto Rosso is made from the berries, so is often sweet. The pulp of these berries aren’t wasted either. This is often used to create a jam for stuffing in their local biscuits.