Caseificio Borderi

If you are visiting the local historic market nearby, this is an essential place to stop and refuel. The owner can usually be found outside tempting people with paninis that will keep you full until dinner. Be prepared to practice your Italian as he engages in nonstop conversation with locals and tourists alike.

Caseificio Borderi is a good place to eat at any time of the day. It specializes in delightful sandwiches, made with love and the best ingredients you could ask for. While waiting for their sandwich to be prepared, customers can sample Italian cheeses such as smoked mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan cheese.

Each one is loaded with Italian meats and cheeses, as well as local delicacies like pistachio pesto, artichoke cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Sicilian caponata. Try to grab a spot at one of the deli’s outdoor tables or take your sandwich to go and eat it along the water.

Caseificio Borderi is a small family-run shop located in the Ortigia Market that carries Borderi-produced artisanal cheeses, high-quality Sicilian charcuterie, olive oils and Sicilian wines. The shop's owner, Andrea Borderi, a.k.a. the Panini Maestro, is famous for creating crazy, gigantic made-to-order sandwiches that are fully loaded with various Sicilian cheeses (smoked mozzarella, provolone, tuna, ricotta), charcuterie (prosciutto, salami, ham), olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and greens, oregano, olive oil, Sicilian lemon juice and potato salad. The line is long, but the Borderi family passes out samples to the hungry crowd, and it's fun to watch Mr. Borderi in action, feverishly building his insane panini while you wait.

Caseificio Borderi is an institution in Siracusa, selling mouth-wateringly good sandwiches with exquisite flavours. Their sandwiches are enormous (one is normally enough for two people), cost around €8 and are stuffed with high-quality fillings. I recommend the Chef’s Special; layers of cured meat, bacon seared with a blow-torch, the freshest, tastiest mozzarella you will ever try, sun dried tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines and fresh basil.

Caseificio Borderi is an institution in Siracusa, located at the end of the famous street market. It was a beautiful day on our first visit to the market, so we got a table outside and ordered sandwiches here, not realizing at the time how famous and popular this place is. The sandwiches are packed to the brim with fresh prosciutto or salami, mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, arugula, you name it.

One of the most popular places to eat in the Ortigia Street Market is a small sandwich shop, Caseificio Borderi where the waiters run around delivering some of the largest panini’s in Sicily. Freshly baked bread is filled with a variety of meats, cheeses and vegetables. Sit down at the tables outside Caseficio Borderi, or join the long line to grab a take-away sandwich to eat by the water.

Do not miss the many tasty products, from cheeses to cured meats, that the Caseificio Borderi offers. It is located within the Ortigia market, and since 1930 it has an innate passion for traditional flavors. For seafood dises, instead, it's a good idea to head on over to Oz & Cappuccio Pesce Fresco, where you can enjoy excellent swordfish burgers, fried fish or bruschetta with anchovies.

There are numerous enticing restaurants near the market, but no one should miss Ortigia’s local institution Caseificio Borderi. The maestro of sandwiches entertains everyone in line with a running commentary on ingredients and anything else on his mind. You can ask for specifics or let him let choose from house-made cheeses and locally-sourced meats, vegetables, olive oil, and herbs.

The choice of which way to turn at Catana came down to the following: a beer in a nice town on the hillside of Etna, or a sandwich at Caseificio Borderi in Syracuse before it closed at 4pm. Needless to say the sandwich won. Imagine the heartbreak when we finally arrived (“on time,” at 3:30 pm) to the completely deserted Ortigia market and were told they had just run out of bread.

When you’re here, you should plan to eat outside so that you can soak up the elegant atmosphere and savor every moment. Caseificcio Borderi is like a tapas bar of sorts and it used to be just a cheese and salami store (a caseificcio is a cheese shop). In line with their history, some of their best dishes are panini (sandwiches) made with the best local cheeses and salami.

The owner of our guesthouse recommended here for paninis (Italian sandwiches). But it’s not just sandwiches, it’s an incredible sandwich art-making performance. The queue was long, but we were entertained by the veteran sandwich master Andrea Borderi who would burst into song as he handed out generous samples of cheese and olives while we waited.

While in Ortigia market it’s hard to miss Caseificio Borderi, a cheese and sandwich shop at the end of the market. Just look for the long line of people around lunch time crowding around Andrea Borderi, the sandwich king himself. In general, I scoff at the idea of waiting in line for food.

Caseificio Borderi has a reputation for serving the best panini or sandwiches not just in Ortigia Island or Sicily but throughout Italy. It would only be fitting that you make your own judgement, although, with so many other food options, it's a tough choice. Instagram: Caseificio Borderi

Caseificio Borderi: A number of people told me that I had to go here for the most delicious sandwich in Sicily. I ordered the one stuffed with mackerel, lemon, parmesan and capuliato di pomodoro. It is extra delicious with a cold Messina after a morning of swimming.

There are also several small food shops as well and we had the most amazing sandwiches from the very famous Caseificio Borderi. They make all their own cheeses (caseificio is a cheese maker) and it’s definitely worth waiting in the line, even with the kids.

Caseificio Borderi – Make sure you save time and stomach space for at least one panino made by Andrea at Caseificio Borderi. Don’t try to tell him what you want, just let him do his thing (which you can see here). Be forewarned: they are HUGE.

BEST FOR: lunch on the go, iconic street food, award-winning sandwiches. On a hot summer’s day sometimes you just want to grab a quick lunch and waste no time getting to the beach. Yet, in Sicily, ‘fast food’ takes on a whole other meaning.

No matter what else you try while in Syracuse, you absolutely must sample a sandwich from Caseificio Borderi. It’s the one shown in the top picture. Located by the fish market, just follow the long line of people waiting outside the shop.

I went for Caseificio Borderi’s smoked prosciutto with mozzarella, olives and sun-dried tomatoes, which was so generously filled that I ended up sneaking slivers of prosciutto to my dog.