Restaurant in Porto Torres, Italy
Pre-order the porceddu. Come hungry.
Li Lioni is a Michelin Plate-recognised Sardinian restaurant just outside Porto Torres, rated 4.7 from over 1,700 reviews. It specialises in grass-grazed meats and traditional dishes — most notably porceddu (suckling pig), which must be pre-ordered at booking. Relaxed garden setting and €€ pricing make it a confident choice for groups wanting authentic Sardinian meat cookery without fine-dining prices.
Yes — and more confidently than you might expect from a roadside restaurant on the SS131 outside the tourist centre of Porto Torres. Li Lioni holds a Michelin Plate (2024), earns a 4.7 from 1,712 Google reviews, and delivers the kind of traditional Sardinian meat cookery that most restaurants in the region gesture at rather than commit to. If your priority is authentic porceddu, grass-grazed meats, and a spacious garden setting at a €€ price point, this is the right call.
Li Lioni sits just outside the tourist centre of Porto Torres, which means you are not walking here from the ferry terminal. That distance is a feature, not a bug: the setting is an informal, spacious property with a garden that gives the meal room to breathe. Expect a relaxed, unpretentious room rather than a formal dining environment. The space is generous — this is not an intimate eight-seat trattoria , and the garden is a genuine asset in warmer months, making the venue well-suited to groups who want space and air around them rather than a close-packed interior.
The cuisine is rooted in Sardinian tradition with a clear bias toward meat. Most of what you will eat here comes from grass-grazed animals, and the kitchen takes ageing seriously on select cuts. This is not a venue that tries to modernise or reframe the tradition , it executes it with consistency, which is exactly what the Michelin Plate recognition reflects. For Sardinian contemporary cooking with a more creative lens, Fradis Minoris in Pula or Bacchus in Olbia offer different registers of the same island cuisine.
The spatial highlight at Li Lioni is the garden. For groups , whether a family gathering, a table of six, or a private occasion , it provides the kind of informal outdoor setting that makes long Sardinian lunches feel natural rather than rushed. The relaxed atmosphere the venue is recognised for is not accidental: the combination of open-air space and a menu built around sharing-format meats like porceddu makes this a better group destination than a venue for a quiet dinner for two. If you are booking for four or more, ask about garden seating when you reserve, particularly in spring and summer when the outdoor experience is at its strongest.
There is no formal private dining room referenced in available data, but the spacious layout and garden configuration mean that larger groups have physical separation from the main room by default. For the kind of occasion where a fully enclosed private space is non-negotiable, that is worth confirming directly when you book. What Li Lioni does deliver without question is the informal, generous-table atmosphere that works well for celebratory meals that do not require white-tablecloth formality.
Order the porceddu , suckling pig , when you book, not when you arrive. This is not a dish that can be prepared to order on the day; it requires advance notice and is the single most discussed item on the menu across the venue's reviews and Michelin recognition. If you arrive expecting to order it on the night, you will not get it. The frattau bread is another traditional Sardinian dish worth requesting , a layered preparation of pane carasau, tomato sauce, and pecorino that also comes in a vegan version, making it one of the more flexible options for mixed groups.
For wine, the house red is specifically recommended in the venue's Michelin notes as well-structured and intense , useful guidance in the absence of a published wine list. At this price tier, the house pour is likely your most reliable choice rather than a reason to spend time on a longer list.
Reservations: Book in advance and use your reservation to pre-order the porceddu , this is the single most important logistical step. Booking difficulty: Easy overall, though weekend lunches and summer dates will fill faster given the venue's garden appeal and local following. Budget: €€ , mid-range Sardinian pricing; expect to spend less than €50 per head for a full meal with the house red, though this is an estimate given the absence of a published menu price. Dress: Informal , the venue's own atmosphere actively discourages over-dressing. Getting there: Not walkable from central Porto Torres; you will need a car or taxi given the address on the SS131. Leading for: Groups of four or more, families, long lunches, anyone serious about traditional Sardinian meat cookery.
See the comparison section below for how Li Lioni sits against other Italian destinations.
Within Sardinia, Fradis Minoris in Pula and Bacchus in Olbia give you a more contemporary take on island ingredients if you want something closer to modern Italian fine dining. Li Lioni is the better call if you want the traditional format executed with genuine commitment and at a price that does not require justification.
For broader context on eating and staying in the area, see our full Porto Torres restaurants guide, our Porto Torres hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li Lioni | The highlights of this restaurant just outside the tourist centre of Porto Torres are its informal atmosphere and spacious garden. The cuisine here focuses on meat, with a superb selection (most of which is from grass-grazed animals) and carefully aged options. If you want to taste the restaurant’s legendary porceddu (suckling pig), you’ll need to order this ahead of time when you book. When it comes to choosing wine, we recommend the well-structured and intense house red.; The highlights of this restaurant just outside the tourist centre of Porto Torres are its informal atmosphere, spacious garden and traditional cuisine. The frattaubread is well worth sampling (also available in a vegan version), as is the legendary porceddu(suckling pig), which must be ordered when you book. When choosing wine, we recommend the well-structured and intense house red.; Michelin Plate (2024) | €€ | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Osteria Francescana | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Quattro Passi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Reale | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
Comparing your options in Porto Torres for this tier.
Order the porceddu — suckling pig — but flag it when you book, not when you arrive; it must be arranged in advance. The frattau bread is also worth having, and a vegan version is available. For wine, the house red is the default recommendation: well-structured and intense.
Li Lioni does not have a documented tasting menu format. The focus is à la carte Sardinian meat, with porceddu as the centrepiece dish. If a structured tasting progression is your priority, Osteria Francescana or Reale will suit you better — Li Lioni is a grill-and-garden meal, not a multi-course tasting experience.
Yes. At €€ pricing, Li Lioni sits in mid-range territory and the Michelin Plate recognition (2024) confirms the kitchen is cooking at a level above its price point. For the quality of aged, grass-grazed meat and traditional Sardinian cooking in a relaxed garden setting, the value proposition is strong.
Bar seating is not documented for Li Lioni. The venue is known for its garden and informal atmosphere, so the experience is geared toward table dining. If counter or bar seating matters to you, confirm directly when booking.
Book ahead of your visit — and use that reservation to pre-order the porceddu, since suckling pig cannot be ordered on the day. Given its location just outside the Porto Torres tourist centre and its Michelin Plate status, the garden fills up; leave-it-to-chance walk-ins risk missing the signature dish entirely.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
