In Sardinia, the food is good, and getting better and better. This is the picture emerging from Gambero Rosso's new 2026 Italian Restaurant Guide, presented today in Rome.
Seventy-three establishments reviewed, three more than last year, and about fifteen new entries that testify to the vitality of an island in gastronomic ferment, where quality is now a widespread fact, not an exception.
"If you open the guide and ask yourself if the food is good in Sardinia, the answer is unequivocal: yes, it is very good," confirms Giuseppe Carrus, regional coordinator of Gambero Rosso. "The establishments we've included showcase all the nuances of eating out: from restaurants to trattorias, from bistros to wine bars, even ethnic restaurants. And the most interesting thing is that despite all this variety , the quality-price ratio remains excellent, a sign that Sardinian dining has achieved a mature balance."
Excellent trattorias and new openings
Two Tre Gamberi restaurants, the highest national recognition for trattorias, remain at the top: Arieddas in Sanluri and Osteria Abbamele in Mamoiada. Two different yet complementary stories: the first is a symbol of new-generation farm-to-table dining, housed in a wine cellar and based on local ingredients; the second is the story of a chef who, after years of experience in Italy and abroad, returns to his hometown to reinterpret tradition with a contemporary twist.
"Arieddas and Abbamele represent two perfect models of a modern trattoria," explains Carrus. "Haute cuisine isn't just fine dining, but also the cuisine that comes from places like these, where the local area is reinvented without losing its authenticity. I hope that more and more excellent trattorias will emerge in Sardinia: it's a territory that belongs to us, and where we can truly be an example for Italy."
Among the most interesting new additions, the guide crowns Capogiro, the restaurant at the 7Pines Resort in Baja Sardinia, led by chef Pasquale D'Ambrosio, as Sardinia's New Restaurant of the Year . Its signature cuisine, international in scope but anchored in local ingredients, is "a project that demonstrates how even a luxury resort can create a distinctive offering, grounded in sustainability and small local artisans. This is an important signal, because it illustrates the direction in which Sardinian dining is moving: a cuisine that is breaking free from tourist clichés and finding its own voice." Capogiro, on its first entry in the Guide, is among the best restaurants in Sardinia, with Two Forks and 84 points. At the top of the list is Fuoco Sacro, the restaurant at the Petra Segreta Resort in San Pantaleo. Under the guidance of chef Enrico Bartolini and a team led by Alessandro Menditto, it has managed to come close to earning a Tre Forchette award, thanks to its strongly regional, extroverted, and contemporary cuisine and a very young, yet highly trained and nearly perfect dining room. Close behind, among the best places to eat on the island, are Il Mattacchione in Olbia, La Spigola in Golfo Aranci, Luigi Pomata in Cagliari, and La Saletta in Alghero.
Compared to the last edition, the difference lies not only in the numbers but in the overall tone. While the 2025 Guide depicted a robust system, concentrated in cities and major centers, the 2026 Guide depicts a more widespread and transversal movement. "Today, quality is no longer an urban phenomenon," observes Carrus. "There are top-notch trattorias in the inland towns, impeccably run bistros, and even wine bars where you can eat truly well. It's a sign of maturity: Sardinia is no longer an appendage of the continent, but a gastronomic laboratory with its own distinct identity."
The guide makes it clear: alongside the established names of previous years, new names are joining the ranks, such as the Sa Mandra farmhouse in Alghero, voted Best Agriturismo. "Agriturismi," Carrus emphasizes, "are one of the keys to the future. They represent the true Sardinia, the one recognized in rural flavors, handmade pasta, and short supply chains. Seeing them enter the guide isn't just an award, it's a sign of a return to a sustainable, conscious way of eating, consistent with the island."
Last year, 70 Sardinian restaurants were included in the guide. This year, in addition to the increase in numbers, the diversity is striking: more bistros, more hotel restaurants, more hybrid venues where balanced experimentation is encouraged. "Sardinia is learning that quality can also come from a well-made sandwich, a simple yet perfectly executed dish, a carefully curated and coherent wine list. You don't have to be a gourmet to represent excellence," Carrus comments.
Another aspect of growth is territorial reach: from Sulcis to Gallura, passing through Nuoro and Oristano, Gambero Rosso's staff have "covered the island inch by inch." "We don't start from a list or from random recommendations," says Carrus. "We go searching, discovering. Every restaurant, even if it's just a few lines of mention, is an award-winning restaurant for us." Behind the numbers, a deeper change can be seen. Contemporary Sardinian cuisine has stopped chasing external models and has begun speaking its own language. The guide's pages feature traditional dishes—su filindeu, pani frattau, suckling pig, mountain herbs—but alongside them appear fermentations, modern techniques, and sweet influences. "There's a generation of chefs who are no longer afraid to be themselves. They don't have to prove themselves 'continental,' but Sardinian and contemporary at the same time. This is the real revolution."
The 2026 Guide thus portrays a vibrant, curious island, capable of balancing past and future. Those establishments that only survive for a few weeks a year during the summer season are deliberately out of the running, a sign that Sardinia's true gastronomic culture is moving in a very specific direction, aiming to transcend the mere combination of tourism and the sea, and seeking year-round stability. And while the Three Forks, a symbol of national excellence, are still missing, average quality is clearly improving. "It's not enough to look only at the top. A region's true strength is measured at its core, and in Sardinia, that core is solid, concrete, and proudly tied to the local area. And this, more than any score, is the greatest recognition."
Special prizes:
Three Shrimps:
Arieddas – Sanluri
Osteria Bàmele – Mamoiada
Quality - price:
CUCINAeat - Cagliari
New this year:
Vertigo – 7Pines Resort – Baja Sardinia
The best cellar:
The Sacred Fire at Petra Segreta Resort - Olbia
The great classic not to be missed:
From Nicolo - Carloforte
The vegetarian menu:
The Little Room - Alghero
I would go back tomorrow:
Mema - Pula
Best farmhouse:
Sa Mandra – Alghero
(Unioneonline)