We found this unassuming little spot while looking for a restaurant that was off of the two main…read morestreets and less of a tourist spot. For some reason, it was empty, and we decided to take a chance on it! We're so glad that we did. The owners were sooooo nice and we were treated like true guests, even receiving one of their special appetizers as a gift. While everything wasn't 5 stars, my daughter and I both got the ravioli with sage and it was one of the best dishes we ate while in Sicily! We can still taste it! The chef has also been cooking in Taormina (or this restaurant...I can't remember!) for decades, so the whole experience felt more homegrown & authentic and less of a spot catering to tourists.

I'm really sorry to write a bad review, but my dinner here was really awful. The carbonara pasta I…read morehad here was the worst dish of pasta I had during my week in Italy. Low quality guanciale, little to no egg yolks, clumps of cheese, etc. I couldn't even finish it even though I was hungry. They also had promised I could get in and out in 30 mins--but took over 40 mins. Chef seemed more preoccupied with his phone than cooking.

Cute little place, in Taormina , with tasty pizza and a variety of cocktails and wine. Friendly…read moreservers, we sat on the patio shaded by umbrellas and enjoyed a very nice lunch which included pizza and wine. The very interesting fact about porta Messina is that you can take a pizza making class here or perhaps a cannoli class. If I were staying for a longer period of time I would have considered it.

I liked the atmosphere a lot, but the food taste was just not much expected. The fresh orange juice…read morewas not taste enough. The staffs were very nice and friendly.

Lovely garden dining area and very romantic setting. Great wine. Great pasta. Very attentive and…read morecordial service. Recommended by our hotel.

As with many restaurants in Taormina, you'll want to make sure you're not dressed like a tourist…read morewhen you show up. Consider long pants and a shirt -- or a nice dress vs shorts & a t-shirt. The proprietors will look at you funny, repeatedly, if you're dressed too casually. Fun fact - we ran into a couple on the main drag (Corso Umberto) as we were contemplating a place to eat. They stopped us, unprompted, as we were exploring the menu and said: "This is the best place to eat in Taormina, hands down. We come here every time." We weren't disappointed. Between the garden terrace and the food (especially the stuffed squid), and the live music, there was little to complain about.

We thought we had reservations but apparently not. Not a problem on a busy Saturday in Taormina…read more They were very kind and helpful, seated immediately even though they then moved several tables. Incredibly fresh fish prepared perfectly, great sides and immaculate service. Amazing wine list , vibrant street scene with music. A great meal in Sicily

This restaurant is located slightly away from the main streets so it's not your typical place…read morelooking to capitalize on the tourist street traffic but the clientele is still mainly tourists. Right off the bat they tell you this is a fish restaurant and that the menu changes weekly. You can see the fresh fish of the day as is is brought to you table side and is priced based on the kilo. My wife and I ordered a starter, pasta and fish to share which was more than enough food for the two. We also had a glass of wine which wasn't a house wine but essentially picked based on our preference. We ended up getting the raw starter which included raw shrimp, langastinos, oyster, amberjack carpaccio and white tuna tartare. Then we had a seafood pasta with finally a fillet of amberjack served with broccoli and some mashed potatoes. All in with wine the bill came to about $150 euro. Also the bread was excellent and freshly made in house, it's charged to the table but honestly worth the $3 per person.

If you're looking for something special and different--and Osteria Rosso Divino was the perfect…read morechoice. The restaurant came highly recommended by our Italian travel agent, and even without a reservation, we were warmly welcomed and seated right away. A lovely woman came to our table to walk us through the day's specials, especially the fresh fish options. She enthusiastically described how the catch of the day could be prepared, and we chose the red snapper served two ways: one half with toasted bread crumbs and orange citrus, and the other half Sicilian-style with olives, raisins, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Both preparations were absolutely outstanding--fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Later, we learned that the woman who so passionately described the menu was actually the owner, which made the experience feel even more personal and memorable. If you're in Taormina, do not miss this place. The food and service were both five-star, and it was a delicious, heartfelt way to start or end our trip.

KenScale: 8.0/10 Visit: June 2023…read more Last year, my wife Jun and I spent a summer vacation in Sicily. Sicily had long been on our travel wish list, and the recent White Lotus TV show only heightened that desire to check out this beautiful island. Just like the characters in White Lotus, our main base was in the resort town of Taormina (although we didn't stay at the exact same Four Seasons hotel, we were very happy with our choice of Hotel Villa Ducale with breathtaking views of the coastline and Mount Etna). It was truly a wonderful summer trip of beach club, wine tasting in Mount Etna and other stops in Noto, Siracusa and Ragusa following our stay in Taormina. On the other hand, maybe it was we were in mostly touristy areas or my faulty research but it is hard to say we had a truly memorable meal in some of the restaurants we had visited in Sicily. One restaurant we did like a lot (thanks to the recommendation of the hotel we were staying at) was Osteria RossoDiVino in Taormina. We visited the restaurant on our second day in Taormina after a full day at the beach club. The food was mostly delicious with one standout item that Jun and I can't stop thinking about. The restaurant is located away from the touristy center of Taormina in a hidden alley. Just like a typical Sicilian restaurant, the menu is focused on seafood, and our server brought a giant plate of fish that were caught that day. If there is one item that you absolutely need to try at RossoDiVino, it is the fried anchovies with white mayonnaise. Jun doesn't even like anchovies that much but the ones at the restaurant were rather large and fried to perfection. We would've been perfectly happy eating just these without anything else for the rest of the night. We also opted to split one of the pasta specials on the blackboard, linguine all'astice with lobster. It was somewhat pricey at 40 euros (especially with a rather modest portion) but a pretty solid dish. Among the catch of the day options, we chose a bigeye fish cooked Sicilian stew style using tomato broth that was simple yet well-executed. Since we were in Sicily, we felt compelled to try some cannoli with ricotta cheese and RossoDiVino's dish was not disappointing, especially with a glass of fortified Sicilian wine of marsala. The restaurant's outdoor space is not large so if you want to book for prime-time dinner during a busy touristy season, making a reservation in advance is highly recommended (the restaurant doesn't seem to have reservations available via one of the restaurant reservation websites but if you are staying at a hotel, you can ask them for help in securing a reservation by phone like we did). Sicily's wines have been getting worldwide recognition for a while and RossoDiVino's selection from a variety of regions in the island is excellent for exploring the versatile terroir of these wines. Thanks to the restaurant's location, we didn't feel like we were dining at a touristy trap and it was great to have a relaxing summer meal in a charming outdoor seating without all the noise coming from the main street of Corso Umberto. As beautiful as Taormina is as a vacation destination, its food scene may not be what you would the best from Sicily, but if there is one restaurant that is worth checking out, I would say RossoDiVino is one such place.

Lost in a Taormina fairytale, we stumbled upon Taverna Al Paladino and what a find!…read moreTucked away on a charming little street, this cozy spot had beautiful outdoor seating and genuinely welcoming service. I was craving seafood and their menu delivered! I had the shrimp pasta--rich, decadent, and perfectly cooked. My husband ordered the rabbit, which was incredibly tender with a subtly sweet sauce that paired beautifully. Highly recommend if you're looking for a memorable, romantic meal in Taormina!

With a street filled with restaurants it's hard to tell the difference between one place vs…read moreanother. We ended up here based on a recommendation from on of the local wine shops. We came here for lunch and just ordered something to nosh on with a glass of wine. We ended up getting the tuna tartare which had a nice citrus and peppery flavor due to the seasoning and microgreens. The fish was fresh and the portion size was decent based on the $20 price. For a resort town the pricing is pretty comparable from place to place.

This place is incredibly beautiful! In the heart of the town, surrounded by a garden of real…read moreplants, authentic tables, and tons of space. It definitely gives elite dining vibes. We arrived with reservations on a very busy Friday night and our first impression was the manager/owner arguing with a member of the wait staff which should never happen in public view. It took a while to get us a table. When we sat, a local posteggiatori started playing and was nearly impossible to converse with our server. I asked him to course a meal with wine pairings with whatever the chef recommends. The food was okay. The courses never ended and about 2 hours later, we had to let our server know we're full. But wait... Our server said we still had space for one more course (I'm hoping it's desert).. He brought out the salted covered fish... for two! They were so busy they couldn't do the "presentation" for the fish we saw another party (of 6 people) receive. Just cut and put onto a plate. It took a while to get the bill (asked 4 times, but you learn this is normal in Italy). I felt like I was robbed from this place. The bill was just under 400 euro for 2 people. We weren't given what chef would recommend for a married couple exploring Taormina and La Botte for the first time, we were given the most expensive dishes for a party of 6. *Tourist Trap*

We came here after our first choice was not available. The good news for gluten-free folks like me…read moreis that they have plenty of options. The bad news is that there is nothing special here. The food was okay, but not great. The service was okay, but not great. With so many options in the area, I recommend checking out others before coming here. It was nice that they offered free Prosecco while we waited for our table. We also enjoyed the live music until it became clear that the musicians were not part of the restaurant. This place is fine, but there is better around, so do a little research before booking.

Stay away from this restaurant. The food was TERRIBLE. The appetizer "Sicily tour" was 19 euro and…read moreit was a tiny bit of capanata which tasted like left over Chinese food, reheated egg plant parm and a little cheese stick which tasted like bad breath. Pasta was barely cooked at all. The door boasts several past Michelin recognitions - don't be fooled. This restaurant is a scam; There are great ingredients available 100 meters away at the grocery store . This place doesn't use them at all. Don't do it.

I'll start by saying what any experienced traveler knows to be true, a place in the main square…read morewill be more expensive than Any other location. It's also usually also true that the food is often not that good. In this case the first is true but the latter is not. Last night we ate at Tischi Toschi that is graded highly (3?stars) by all the guidebooks as he best in Taormina. It was certainly amazing and holds its crown as best with me. This place mostly rated 2 stars in the guidebooks really holds up well VS Tischi but the cost is quite a bit more. In both places we had an appetizer a pasta and a fish entre. In 'Tischi we also had desert. There we had a bottle of red + 2 glasses of wine. Here we had one bottle of wine (an excellent white). The bill at Tischi around 100 euros here around 150. We ordered an appetizer of fresh small fish deep fried to perfection. This is similar to what the Spanish call boquerones. We then had a pasta a la Norma. That came which amazing homemade tubular noodles and where sprinkled with fresh goat cheese. This dish was a winner and better than the pasta we had at Tischi. They serve fresh fish by the kg and we had a small (about .5 kg) sea bass. This was broiled and provided a fresh, nice white fish filet. It was served with grilled veggies. The fish was brought out whole and then the server Filets it removing all the bones. He pours a nice olive oil and spice mixture over it. They also include a platter of breads baked in the premises. The restaurant is one flight up from the street and in the balcony you overlook the Duomo and the main plaza. It's a great view and nice to see all the goings on. The service was profesional and crisp. The fresh fish is by the kg so ask exactly what the aproxímate weight is and what it will cost and that way you won't be surprised. All in all this is quite a nice place with nice ambiance, sharp service a good kitchen serving well prepared food right on the main square.