Are you looking for the best budget restaurants in Cagliari? Good news! I am a local, and I have scouted the city for the best and most authentic places, where budget friendly prices don’t mean that you have to give up on quality.
You see, when planning a holiday, you need to take everything into account, from the itinerary to the means of transportation to the budget. Some people prefer to splurge their money to book a luxury hotel; some others choose a cheap place to stay and invest their finances into sightseeing or souvenirs. But there’s one thing that often gets overlooked and left to chance: food.
Too many tourists, after spending the day wandering in a city, just go and eat in the first restaurant that seems decent enough. This might lead to great discoveries, of course, but also to unexpected expenses and – worse off – disappointing food!
To help you plan your meals while in Cagliari, I made a list of the best budget restaurants in Cagliari. These are all places I know well – I am a regular customer – and I know their budget friendly prices are paired with actual quality, local ingredients. Plus, these are truly authentic places, run by locals, enjoyed by locals, and obviously now by tourists too.
The Best Budget Restaurants In Cagliari
Bombas
Bombas is a gourmet hamburger place that takes its pride in its first-class, locally farmed ingredients. Many of their recipes are old, traditional dishes reinterpreted in a more modern key and in burger form, and each one of them is delicious! Their potato chips are deliciously crispy and their “mirto tiramisu” (a revisitation of the classic Italian tiramisu with a mirto liquor soaked savoiardi base) is probably the best in town.
Bombas has a fixed menu all year round and some extra seasonal specialties. They are located in Via Università, 37. Reservations are recommended at weekends and for larger groups.
Cucina.Eat
Open for every meal, from brunch to dinner, Cucina.Eat mixes different sides of the Italian and Sardinian cuisine tradition, and serves as a restaurant, bistrot, and winery. It’s an excellent stop to grab a bite between the morning and afternoon explorations or to finally have a filling, delicious dinner after a whole day of adventures.
Cucina.Eat doesn’t have a fixed menu, but varies every day depending on the offerings found at the nearby Mercato di San Benedetto. You can find them in Piazza Galilei, 1.
Framento Pizzeria
What’s better than a warm, delicious pizza after a tiring day? Framento serves one of the best pizzas in Cagliari. They take extra care of the ingredients, to make sure their products are light, tasty, and always worth your money. They also offer vegetarian and vegan options. The selection of craft beers is excellent as well.
You can find Framento in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 82; booking isn’t mandatory, but it’s highly recommended especially at weekends and for larger groups.
Check out my post The Best Pizzerie In Cagliari.
Grains Pizzeria
Grains is another excellent pizzeria where they use locally farmed ingredients and serve local, craft beers and liquors. They are open for both lunch and dinner and have more food on the menu, to add to their pizzas. You should definitely try their sandwiches and their farinata… which make more than one trip there necessary.
Their address is Via Dante 14A . They also have a larger location in Quartu Sant’Elena, a city neighboring Cagliari, that is particularly pleasant during the summer.
Little Star
Little Star serves both Italian and Arabic food and offers a lot of vegan-friendly dishes. Many love the authenticity of their ethnic recipes, which are as close to the real deal as it gets – which isn’t a big surprise since the owners are Palestinian. You should order the hummus – this is the only place in Cagliari where hummus is actually really good! The only issue is that the owner won’t let you have hummus without a serving of falafel so go ahead, order some of those too.
They are open for both lunch and dinner and their address is Via Enrico Lai, 52.
Make sure to read my post The Best Vegan Restaurants In Cagliari.
Babeuf
Babeuf is a great place for enjoying some wine and a light meal at night. The room is decorated with books, and it looks like a cozy library where you can often see cultural and musical events. They offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options too.
You can find them in Via Giardini, 147a.
Head over to my post The Best Aperitivo In Cagliari.
Federico Nansen
Pizza is definitely one of the staples of Italian cuisine, and the places serving excellent pizzas are abundant. Locals love Federico Nansen – it’s literally an institution in Cagliari, so it makes sense to include it in this selection of best budget restaurants in Cagliari. What we love about it is the fact that you can get a box full of different slices of pizza, each with different toppings!
Definitely a must-go, either for dinner or for a late-night snack. They are in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 269.
Fritto Mania
If you are looking for everything fried, Fritto Mania is the place for you! Here you will find all sorts of fried food, to eat as a snack or, if you can have more, to have a complete meal out of it. Seafood is especially delicious – I love their calamari. The place is located nearby the touristic harbor, which adds to the atmosphere.
Its address is Viale Regina Margherita, 29.
Micibo Cat Café
If you are looking for a snack and some cuddles, Micibo is the best choice. Their cats are well taken care of, sociable, and clean, and their coffee and food are great. Ideal for a pause in between sightseeing, you can either have a juice and a cake or a simple sandwich with some beer. It’s a very popular place among locals – especially a younger crowd of students thanks to the Wi-Fi, as well as families with children; but tourists love it too.
Their address is Piazza S. Cosimo, 6 – it’s one of the prettiest squares in Cagliari!
Paninoteca Baffo
Baffo is not a restaurant, but a food truck, and in fact it is the locals’ most beloved food truck. It’s a must-go for everyone visiting Cagliari: here you can have the best panini and sandwiches in the whole city, for incredibly fair prices. Everything they make is delicious and the servings are huge.
You can find Paninoteca Baffo alongside the Poetto Promenade, by the amusement park.
Check out my post A Complete Guide To Poetto.
Osteria di Castello
Located in the homonymous district, in Via Alberto Lamarmora 94, Osteria di Castello is a cozy, rustic restaurant that serves traditional Italian dishes, often on a daily menu based on the available ingredients. It’s a great place to rest after climbing up and down the streets of Castello, and one of the best choices if you are looking for tasty and generous servings of food.
Head over to my post A Short Guide To Castello.
Further Readings
For more food options in Cagliari, check out the following posts:
- The Best Restaurants In Cagliari
- The Best Wine Bars In Cagliari
- The Best Cocktail Bars In Cagliari
- Where To Stop For A Coffee In Cagliari
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