Ristorante Centrale lies within the historical heart of Enna, the town traditionally referred to as ‘Sicily’s navel’ as it stands, at an altitude of 1,000 metres above sea level, in the exact geographical centre of Sicily. Ristorante Centrale, accessed through a small lane, sits within a historic building which overlooks Piazza VI Dicembre, formerly Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark’s Square). This was built at the beginning of the 1900s to replace an old Monastery’s small garden. The Monastery’s structure (‘Monastero delle Ree pentite’-Monastery of the penitent offenders) gave its name to the street behind the Restaurant(Via Ree Pentite)and survived until 1897.Since its establishment at the beginning of the 1900s, Ristorante Centrale proudly carries on Enna’s ancient culinary traditions through a cuisine which uses strictly fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Our simple cuisine is reminiscent of ancient culinary rituals which reveal the abundant flavours and products of our land. Ristorante Centrale gives you the opportunity to taste ancient traditional recipes from the Mediterranean such as the ‘frascatola’ (cream of vegetables), the ‘figliulata ca’ cipudda’ (onion’s omelette), the ‘caprettu abbuttunatu’(Roast Kid with pecorino ennese and garlic),the ‘farsumagru all’ennese’ (Traditional stuffed roast), and the ‘maccarruna alla castrugiuannisa’(Local style maccheroni).
Ristorante Centrale proudly serves a very old recipe, ‘u sciabbo’, prepared with sweet pork mincemeat and cocoa. The recipe of this and other traditional dishes have carefully been preserved and protected by the Pirrera family in the last 45 years.
It was in 1968 that Gaetano Pirrera decided to take over the restaurant’s ownership, having fallen for the charm of its delightful decor. Ristorante Centrale still preserves its big mirrored wall which hosts, within a rounded niche in its centre, an antique vase depicting ‘The Rape of Proserpina’. The restaurant also preserves two beautiful bas-reliefs, made in the 40s, portraying convivial scenes in a villa overlooking Lake Pergusa. Gaetano begun his culinary erudition as a child, working in various bars and restaurants of the area, but most importantly working in baronial houses for affluent families. It was here that Gaetano learned the gastronomic secrets of the prestigious ‘Monsù’. The Monsù were celebrated cooks, formerly of French origins, employed by aristocratic families in order to impress their guests, as they were able to transform every dinner into a proper culinary ritual. Gaetano was able to combine the knowledge acquired from the Monsù to his own creativity thus adding a personal touch to the traditional Sicilian cuisine. Nonetheless, Gaetano was always eager to preserve the simplicity of Sicilian cuisine and of our cultural origins, two key ‘ingredients’ which his son Giuseppe, now owner of the family business, proudly maintains and nurtures with great care. The deep bond between father and son has given an unique twist to traditional recipes. A good example of this can be found in the ‘Arancini do’ Centrali’ (Centrale’s Arancini). These are traditional rice balls stuffed with various ingredients and popular throughout Sicily. Ristorante Centrale, however, has been able to make them its own, and the ‘Arancini do’ Centrali’ are considered to be one of Enna’s most famous products. It is to honour this that Giuseppe, throughout the year, organises ‘Arancini’ evenings (Serata dell’Arancino). These ‘golden spheres’ are the stars of the evening, and are placed at the centre of our imperial table, the same one used to accommodate King Vittorio Emanuele III during his visit in the 1940s. The fresh cuisine of Ristorante Centrale can surprise when you least expect it.. The smell of freshly cooked vegetables, used to make our delicious Caponata, might be carried by the wind on a fresh spring evening, and surprise you while sitting on a bench in Piazza VI Dicembre.. On a cold January noon, while walking through S. Antonio’s market close to Addolorata’s Church, your appetite might be tickled by the scent of wild fennel dancing on our pan, the ones used to dress our ‘Maccheroni ai sapori locali’ (Local flavour’s Maccheroni).Finally, while on Via Ree Pentite, a beautiful Sicilian lady might invite you, with a gorgeous smile, to enter her kitchen and admire the sizzling pork cheek, mountain artichokes and sweet and sour shallots, surrounded by a delightful mist produced by the vanishing white wine from Mount Etna.Ristorante Centrale has a long tradition of hosting notorious guests. These have included Placido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli, Beppe Grillo, Pino Daniele, Nino Frassica, Enzo Iacchetti and Miriam Makeba. Recently, Ristorante Centrale has hosted various comedians from the Italian show ‘Zelig’ such as Checco Zelone e many others.Throughout the summer our dining hall is pleasantly air-co

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