Found this little spot recommended by a local for lunch. Good little menu. We had grilled swordfish…read moreand the swordfish pulpette (meatballs but made with swordfish not meat for those non italian). Had a glass of malvasia with small boscottinis to finish the meal. Service was very good. While it may not look like much the swordfish pulpette with the agrodulce sauce was to die for. They also had gelato for those needing a dessert.

Recommended by a local in Malfa last month, we sat on the patio for a bit of lunch. I had the…read moreswordfish, which is a very commonly used in Sicily, with a small portion of on the plate. Fresh, pure fish, with good olive oil and lemon. My daughter had the swordfish polpette (a "meatball" of fish) with capers in the well known sweet and sour sauce, known as aguadulce. These, I must try to duplicate now that I am home. The famous sweet wine, Malavazia, from the historic grapes of the same name perfectly finished the meal. The proprietor told us we must have the almond biscottini cookies with the wine to experience the best flavor profile, and brought us a plate of them gratis. He was so right. This simple lunch on the island of my ancestors was delicious, and just enough to hold us until dinner.

The Bar del Porto is my favorite place to hang out in Panarea and the closest thing to a…read moreneighborhood café the island has to offer. The name of the place - The Port Café" in Italian - is no accident. Getting off the ferry or the hydrofoil it's the first place you run into morning or night, and usually my first cappuccino breakfast of my visits to Panarea I have right here, just after we hand our bags off to one of the golf-cart taxis owned and operated by Angela and her family. The cappuccinos and croissants are good, the sandwich selection good enough, they know how to do basic cocktails well and they service is usually very efficient. At cocktail hour (aperitivo) they bring out a decent spread and they leave the loud music to The Bridge and the other 1st floor patio bars nearby. Like every bar or café along the tiny port the view is gougeous: sail boats, yachts and the islands of Stromboli, Basiluzzo, Dattilo and Lisca Bianca.. My favorite thing they serve are are the granite - the original Sicilian slush puppies - either "al caffe" for a second breakfast or other flavors after dinner after a stroll through town. Their granite seven years ago inspired one of my first blog posts (http://carbonara.wordpress.com/2008/09/14/slush-puppy-heaven/ ) although the guy with the cinnamon no longer works there.

This is sort of like an Italian Biergarten. An Aperitivogiardino! Meraviglioso. Here, one can sit…read moreunder lemon trees for drinks or at a table for meals, among a pleasant outdoor ambience enriched by a fantastic collection of music. I tried their pasta with eggplant and ricotta: It was savory and hit the spot at a reasonable price point. Friendly staff. Occasional live music. A retreat from the touristic island bustle!

From the owner: Il Giardino di Lipari is a lovely oasis hidden in the narrow streets of the historic centre in…read moreLipari Island. Here good wine, cocktails and local food meet high-quality music, art and culture.

Lovely, charming spot in Cefalu with reasonably priced, local wine (lots of varieties) and small…read morebites (buying a drink does get you a bowl of chips). Staff is very friendly and happy to give recommendations. We called ahead to reserve one of the 2 tables on the hidden balcony out back. It's lovely as the sun is setting as it is as if you are drinking wine in a private cave and looking out at the gorgeous sea. The hardest part was finding parking, so give yourself plenty of time to do that if you make a reservation. The other tables on the back had been reserved as well. If ever in downtown Cefalu again, I would definitely come back for a well-priced aperitivo in a stunning environment with friendly service!

Quaint little wine bar in town. We came here based on the recommendation of La Brace restaurant…read morewhile we were waiting for our 10:45 PM reservation. We started off sitting inside until there was availability to sit outside overlooking the water. The staff is very nice and friendly. I'd come here again.

Had a wonderful dinner here! Staff is warm and welcoming. The menu was not in English but the staff…read morewas able to understand our NY accents. They showed us a great time - asked what we did not like than brought out 5 dishes to share some great local flavor!

This place was fun! We had a lovely time dancing here. The bar is beautiful and well kept, and…read moredrinks are immaculate. The service was spot on, and we were given some snacky things with our cocktails too. One odd thing is how many people are there working; at times this was a little overwhelming to me, because we aren't people who need much. This is a pricey establishment with a slight tourist-trap vibe. I am not knocking them for this because this truly is the general nature of Taormina. We did have a great time; the dj also took requests which was so nice.

If you're in the mood for a swanky high end spot, come here. It's tucked away down an alley so it…read morecan be tricky to find. We got there around 9 pm and the minimum spend was 30 euro pp. As the night gets later, the minimum spend goes up. We were sat in the beautiful garden area. Cocktails range on average 15-20 euro. Along with drinks, they served complimentary snacks to your table. They have dancing but it doesn't start until late and stays open until about 2:00 am. It's a must go to