Salina | The Muse and the Lobster

Salina is, relatively speaking, one of the larger and more populous islands of the rugged Aeolian Arcipelago off the north coast of Sicily, a primordial medley of craggy cliffs, black beaches, thermal springs and lava fields, with still-active volcanos on Vulcano and tiny Stromboli. Getting there involves an often-incommodious 4 to 5-hour boat ride from Palermo or Naples, but the mystique is as compelling as the summer sun. 

Santa Marina di Salina, on the greenest of the islands with its twin volcanic mounts, and in particular Amaneï, gallery, bookshop and boutique on the main street, has also become the focus of a thriving contemporary art scene in recent years. The muse, it seems, lives here, and a growing number of artists come to seek her out.

So you might well meet some celebrated aesthete at one of its coolest eateries, ‘nni Lausta, wine bar and fish restaurant, where owner-chef Fabio Giuffré, New York-trained, a lobster tattooed on his arm, gives an adventurous nouvelle twist to traditional local fare. You won’t regret trying his famed tuna tartare with capers and wild fennel, or the couscous with clams. Or just hang out with a glass of the delicious local Malvasia.

‘nni Lausta is open every day from May to October in …