Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in Italy (including Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice)
Start New ThreadI am looking for restaurant recommendations in Palermo, Siracusa and Taormina. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
By estarae
on Mar 24, 2008 04:10 PM
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Doesn't anyone have any ideas? If you were only going to be in Sicily for 5 days in your life where would you eat??? Any place not to be missed? Thanks!
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Grotto Azzure in Taormina.Spaghetti with swordfish and pasta con sarde, also great spaghetti with vongole. THere is another restaurant in Taormina that is also great for pasta and pizza but I have to try to find the name of it. Found it, it is Trochero. Have the pasta with garlic, oil and peperocino. Mama Rosa for pasta con sarde, risotto with seafood and great antipasto. In Palermo, Casa Del Brodo on Emanuel, just past Via Roma and the Vucceria. Have the calamaretti, risotto w/mare and spaghetti with vongole.
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thanks so much!
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You don't say when you'll be going - we'll be in Sicily in September. I hope you'll post your restaurant findings (an anything else food-related) when you get back. I'd love some tips.
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we're going in two weeks and I will definitely post when we return
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Have a fantastic trip. I look forward to reading your report. We haven't made many plans beyond arriving in Palermo and renting a car, so we're open to anything and everything.
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Sant'Andrea, Oinoz, Vicolo Stretto.
One in each town! Details of all of them should be on my previous Sicily posts. Sant'Andrea is reason enough to go back to Palermo - that and I need a new pair of boots, mine have worn out, hmm next winter perhaps!
Nyleve, if you make it to Modica I'd go to fattoria delle torre, and in Ragusa Locanda don serafino - their olive oil is divine. I'll be going back to both in September this year!
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Thank you! Very excited. We always follow our noses and stomachs on these trips.
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The places I mentioned would probably be described as the top end for Sicily with prices to match - just a warning! We go self catering as I love to cook and it's nice to have such good fresh ingredients, so we tend to make up for it when we eat out there!
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It's funny, I almost never eat out at home so when I travel I do not want to cook. But it kills me to visit markets (an obsession) and see all that incredible stuff that I can't buy because I'm not cooking. But thanks for the warning about the prices. I admit I prefer to stick with more modest restuarants, but we may do one or two splurges if it looks worthwhile.
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Do you know the phone number for Oinoz, It's not popping up when I google it. Thanks
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I took one of their cards so I should have it at home, will have a look and let you know if I find it! It's been 18 months since I ate there so I guess there's always the chance that it doesn't exist anymore, will see if I can find the card. (The olive oil they use was delightful...)
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Via giudecca, 69
96100 - Siracusa (SR) Italia
Tel. 0931.464900
I had a mooch about the www and found it, looks like it's oinos with an s not a z, they used a very silly font on their card which is why I thought to check. Sorry 'bout that.
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In Palermo, for lunch there's one place that's a must. It's commonly called Basile and is on the via Bara all'Olivella, a street almost directly in front of the Teatro Massimo. Grand food at a pittance. Another spot that can be inexpensive and superb for dinner (pizzas and prepared plates) is Cibus on the via Emerico Amari. Cibus also serves an excellent formal dinner in an adjoining space. It's a major import/export enterprise and wine warehouse.
More high end and superb dining at Cavaliere di Malta and Nabucco (particularly fine) both behind the church of San Domenico on via Roma. Just ask. A bit further off is Cin-Cin off the via Liberta. Again, ask rather than plotting it out for yourself.
Actually it's hard to strike out in Palermo but some places don't quite hit the high point for me, for example SantAndrea, again near San Domenico. Very good but not great.
In Taormina, definitely go to La Griglia on the main drag. Al duomo (obviously, near the cathedral) is also a good bet.
Siracusa as a town leaves me cold so I can't really suggest anything. If you ever get to Catania, go to Ai Tre Bicchieri. It's almost worth the trip for the five course fish degustation. One of the great meals of a lifetime.
Buon' Pranzo!
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In Palermo, try I Grilli, near Piazza San Domenico. It's on the second floor and you have to be buzzed in, but don't let that scare you. It is run by a very friendly family and the food is excellent and the price reasonable.
In Taormina, Maffei's for an expensive seafood meal, and Osteria Nero D'Avola for an incredible meal at a reasonable price and a romantic setting.
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Three years ago we spent a restful week at Marina di Ragusa, about an hour SW of Siracusa. One day, after a visit to the Cava d'Ispica, we swung through Modica, because Fattoria delle Torre had such great writeups. Lunch was fantastic. So good that we went back for dinner the following night.
Take a day trip from Siracusa, maybe for lunch.
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We went to Sicily last September. Here is my list (as far as I can remember)
Monreale: La Tavola del Pavona - wonderful little restaurant great place to have lunch while the church is closed. (Also be careful about seeing Monreale on Sunday - boy was I stupid in going Sunday morning)
Palermo: Went to Sant-Andrea near the Vucceria market. Very good restaurant, horrible view, unless you like seeing garbage piled high. But restaurant definitely worth it.
Cucina Papoff - We did lunch here. Like it, but not as much as Sant-Andrea
Osteria del Vespri - Excellent, truly a gem. Near Piaza Croce.
Taormina:
Ristorante al Duomo - I thought overrated but seems to get good reviews.
You probably will want to have a drink at Wunderbar, a famous bar.
Ragusa Ibla: Il Duomo - Definitely the finest restaurant in Sicily. I can't say enough good things here, 2 star Michelin trying to get his 3rd star. (Locanda Don Serafino is also recommended, but we only went to Ragusa for Il Duomo).
In Syracuse - we went to Jonico - did not like it. We stayed in Ortyga and honestly cannot recommend anything here.
In Agrigento we went to Trattoria Templi - ok, nothing special. Just a regular restaurant, we could not understand why people were excited about this place.
We also stayed in Castellemare del Golfo, and again could not recommend anything exciting.
In Erice Maria Grammatica's pastry shop is famous. They will make you a canoli fresh. Nothing in the window, so you have to ask. I bet you can't eat more than 1. They are huge!
We also accessed Mario Batali's website for his Sicilian recommendations. I cannot understand why he recommended some restaurants. We tried at least 4 of his recommendations and we were terribly disappointed.
I hope this helps. There are other older threads in this area that I used for my research. I truly found chowhound to be the best site for quality restaurant reviews.
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I just been sent to Sicily Trapani - mazara del vallo area for work. Anyone know any decent restaurants in the area ?
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In Mazara del Vallo I suggest LA TAVERNETTA, and do not miss fresh tuna if it will be the correct season.
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In Trapani go to Cantina Siciliana. Wonderful, very authentic little place with delicious fish couscous and pasta trapanese, among other things. Loved Trapani - very charming town.
If you happen to be there for lunch, there's a good buffet at Ai Lumi (restaurant and B+B). The restaurant is supposed to be good for dinner too, but we were only in Trapani for one night, so didn't get to try it.
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Ai Lumi, Cantina Siciliana, Le Mura, Caupona' and then Trattoria Garibaldi and Il Gallo e l'innamorata in nearby Marsala
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You have to try De Fiore in Catania. They had the most unique pasta sauces I ever had, and great house wine and desserts. Plus, rather than charge you 20 euro for a spaghetti dish they charge 5 euro! They aren't trying to rip you off, and Mamma Rosanna, the owner and chef even comes out a speak to you.
De Fiore is on Via Coppola 24/26 Te. is 095 316283. It is in Catania, Sicily
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