EASTERN SICILY

TAORMINA

The place itself is great, extremely beautiful for arts, landscapes and sea.The only downside is the amount of tourists, let’s say it’s not an hidden gem anymore. We‘ll skip all the cultural bits, as you will find them easily e.g. the antique theatre is breath-taking, sitting there, enjoying the plays, you’re immersed in the nature, in front of the gulf and the Mount Etna; Palazzo Corvaja with its calembour of styles, from Arabic to Catalan-gothic, Norman; or Isola Bella, which literally translates beautiful island – you’ll understand why! We’ll focus on the life, indulgent tips. Breakfast

Leave the tourists behind and go to the Bar Turrisi in Castelmola (Via Pio IX, 19, 98030 Castelmola ME), it’s 3km from Taormina. You’ll have a breakfast as a Sicilian! Dinner MUST DO! Restaurant “Al Duomo”, AMAZING. Here you must book the private balcony. Food is outstanding, the place is elegant, traditional and contemporary at the same time. Restaurant Maffei’s. Must-do: crostini di bottarga e ricci di mare. This is more traditional, very nice Drink. Wunderbar, they fix good Martini’s (Piazza IX Aprile, 7 Taormina). Mocambo, very easy going, casual. You can go for a drink or for iced coffee. It seems that Truman Capote used to hang around. Re di Bastoni, for late night drink where all “Taorminers” go. It’s always fun for people coming from trendy big cities, to see how small villages approach the “late night drinking”.

RAGUSA

Astonishing baroque city. Ragusa is famous for its food. Modica’s chocolate > A very ancient recipe, every bite is an uplifting experience. Ragusano > Cow’s milk cheese typical of this region (caciocavallo Ragusano). Good as it is or cooked“all’argentiera”. It’s an antipasto, the cheese is stir-fried with garlic, anchovies and aromatised with white vinegar. Delicious - Cerasuolo di Vittoria > Red wine made out of Nero d’avola (original Sicilian grape from Avola, Syracuse) and Frappato (original Sicilian grape from Syracuse and Ragusa). Food is very good there anyway. Pachino (famous for its cherry tomatoes) and Bronte (famous for its pistachios) are not far. Eat everything you can, especially fish (like tuna fish!). When in Ragusa we would suggest you to treat yourself for dinner. Go to the restaurant Duomo, 2 Michelin-starts, owned by chef Ciccio Sultano. A real character. As a friend of mine once said “it’s relatively easy to get 2 Michelin stars in London or Milan, gain them in Ragusa in no-man-land”. Actually this is true, it’s a superb food experience.

​

SCICLI & NOTO

These two small towns don’t even need a presentation. The historical centers are listed as UNESCO’s WHS. They are both magical.  ​