Carloforte has a handful of good restaurants that make the most of the island's tuna tradition and the quality of Mediterranean seafood in these waters.
Al Tonno di Corsa on Via Marconi is the restaurant most associated with Carloforte's tuna heritage — the name refers to the running tuna (the schools of bluefin that once passed the island in large numbers during migration). The preparations are traditional: tuna in olive oil, ventresca (belly cut), tarantello (the back). Booking is wise in summer.
For something simpler, the harbour front has several restaurants and bars where grilled fish and pasta are reliably good. The local pasta speciality is cassulli — a short, rough pasta similar to orecchiette, traditionally served with tuna-based sauces.
Carloforte also produces a local red wine, Carignano del Sulcis, grown on the sandy soils of the surrounding islands. It is robust and goes well with the heavier fish dishes. Most restaurants serve it by the carafe.