After our Messina tour, we wanted to have lunch so this spot was nearby and recommended. Also…read morefound out they have locations all over the world. Arrived around 12:30 on a Thursday and we sat outside. Empty inside but filled up by the time we were done. Good mix of menu options from salad, pasta, pizza, main entrees including burgers. . We started with the Ruoto di Bufalo- a good mix of fried veggies, Arancini, fried cheese and dough. All delicious except the fried dough was a bit bland and that was the biggest portion. For main, Spaghetti alla Nerano with fried Zucchini and cheese was tasty and enjoyed. Based on recommendation, also ordered pizza fritta-a monstrous calzone that is fried and filled with tasty buffalo ricotta and pork cracklings-enough for two. A Naples dish and they did it right. We finished with a couple of Macchiatos which hit the spot. Service was attentive and friendly. They have been ranked top 50 artisanal pizzerias in the world for the last 5 years. Close to the port and definitely worth a visit.

Outside of the tourist areas, in a working class city, this is what Sicilian cooking is. Very…read moredelicious food, and good service. The pizza and everything we had was very good.

I think it's the place we had sandwiches at.It was good sandwiches and good prices.The service was…read moregreat.The ambiance was nice.

Antonino, Antonino, you have stolen our heart and our taste buds. We have never been so pleased…read morewith such personalized service and attention. Plus the food and drinks were fantastic! Scialati is a very small unassuming establishment with local favorites. Some options include pizza, salami, sandwiches lasagna and cake. It is geared more to the crowd that wants to grab and go, but there are a few seats available if you want to enjoy the ambiance of the neighborhood. The owner is so sweet. We can't wait to visit again as we now have a life long friend.

The most popular restaurant in all of Taormina does not disappoint. Be prepared for long lines with…read moreno reservations. The atmosphere is lively, the hospitality unlike any restaurant we visited. Very family forward. Ladies kept kissing my daughter's head. The men kept tapping it. They love children. The food was very good. Mixed seafood pasta and the pasta Rita had unique flavors I've never had. Very touristy but experience felt very local.

Osteria da Rita lives up to the reviews (a 4.5 rating for me)- delicious, traditional Sicilian…read morecuisine, welcoming and efficient staff, good energy. We had lunch there two days in a row and the meals were consistently good and the best we had in our two days in Taormina. There seems to be a good social media buzz about the place. Let's start with seating. As all the reviews convey, there are no reservations; first come first served and always a line to get in. For lunch, when we arrived at 11:45 for the line, we were able to get an inside seat when they opened at 12 noon. In the second day we arrived at 11:40 and were able to get a prized outside seat. My observation for lunch is that if you arrive between 11:50 and 12:00 you may risk not getting in the first seating and I heard the staff communicate it would be up to an hour or 90 minutes before the second round of seating. For the food, on the first day we ordered bruschetta (a single piece is complimentary on the house but if you want more should order off the appetizer menu): fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil. One of the best bruschetta's I have had. We also ordered caponata which had whole garlic cloves and traditional elements; would also recommend. Ordered a bottle of the house white which was solid. We both had the braciola (rolled meat) because my wife had a recipe for it from her grandmother and we wanted to compare; it was a good portion and hearty for lunch. We shared a tiramisu for dessert, very rich and creamy and we like that the lady finger cookies still had a bit of a crunch. Next to us a couple from California had the grilled sardines and tuna which they said they really enjoyed. On the second day, we both ordered spritzes (Aperol and Limoncello) and started with the fried calamari; it had a good taste and was very lightly battered and fried. I was expecting something with a bit more batter and maybe more crunchy but glad we tried it. We also ordered a fennel and orange salad which was the highlight of the lunch - so refreshing and a perfect balance. For entrees, I had the spinach and ricotta ravioli which I would absolutely recommend and my spouse had the pasta with a ragu sauce - equally delicious. We decided to hold on dessert and save room for granita later in the afternoon. While sitting outside, many passers by commented to their companions that "this is the place to eat in Taormina". From our experiences there, we would certainly agree.

This place was alright I have to say.. my coworker was craving some American food since we've been…read morein Europe since oct 20th and he found this spot so we gave it a try. My thing is... idk why in Europe it's so common to have bbq sauce on burgers and chicken wings in Europe I guess it's like a staple here lol I really don't care for bbq sauce that much so I already was expecting the food to be alright. The beer on tap was good tho I will say and the place was packed! I ordered a burger with some fries and onion rings I'll say that the burger was good but it started to break apart because of the amount of grilled onion and the type of bread they used. I'll give the burger a 4/5 for flavor and just all around experience at this spot. Would I go here again? Yeah I would why not I'll try something different next time !

I am not in a white wine drinker, but this wine from this restaurant, which was the table and it…read morewas so delicious, fruity, and crisp. I wish I had the option to take it with me to the US. It's a local one. They had a lot of vegan options at this restaurant. The pulled pirk plant burger was good. Everybody was very happy with the food selection. I did not eat because I had a big lunch. I regretted it not being able to try.

Very rude guy at the register. We had a granita which was enjoyable. However, when I went to pay…read morewhat he had just rang up at the register, he quickly changed the price. He more than doubled the original price of the Granita.

You'd be hard pressed to find some mediocre gelato in Italy, but you don't always get great service…read moreand a place to sit down. Shaker Bar has all of the above and free WiFi to boot. I had some delicious melone gelato that my husband and baby were both coveting. It was so refreshing on such a steamy day in late June. We shared the gelato and my husband had a beer, and midway through the cup the owner (I think) brought my baby some complementary fragola (strawberry) gelato in an adorable little cone! It was a lovely experience.

Dined at Trattoria Il Mare while in Catania, and it may have been our most truly authentic Sicilian…read moremeal of the trip. The atmosphere was cozy, with a small streetside feel, and the service was genuinely traditional -- it honestly felt like dining in someone's home. We enjoyed a full plate of alici fritti, Insalata Pantesca, pasta con vongole, and scaloppina al Marsala -- everything was perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and paired beautifully with the vino di casa. Overall, a fantastic spot and a definite trip highlight. I only wish we had more time for repeat visits. Saluti

Wanted seafood so tried out Trattoria Il Mare for dinner. It was packed outside but no wait for a…read moretable inside. Menu and ordering is straight the QR code. Coperto was 2,00€/person. - White wine (1,50€ for 1/4L) - Red wine (1,50€ for 1/4L) - Mixed platter (12,00€) - mix of octopus, oyster, squid, sardines, baby shrimp and mixed fried seafood. Favourite was the octopus. Came with a fried fish fritter (surprisingly tender). - Mix grilled seafood (15,00€) - swordfish was dry. Seafood wasn't grilled. Platter was better - Red peppers (4,00€) - cold, marinated style. Meh - Grilled mushrooms (4,00€) - cold, salty porcini mushrooms. Skip it

You will find this upscale Italian restaurant off of the main square which overlooks the beautiful…read moreIonian sea. I visited in the off season so I can't attest to what the normal staff is like but on my visit it appeared that the chef's father was working the front of the house and the son was the executive chef working his magic in the kitchen but humble enough to have come out 3 or 4 times during our dinner to talk to the patrons and make sure everything was in tip top shape. I will caution that they were fairly strict to trying to maintain in appetizer 1st 2nd 3rd course type of experience and asking for things out of order or making substitution irritated the father in the front of the house. The wine selection was excellent with a collection of local wines and a beautiful house table wine that was served in the bottle. With fish that was grilled fresh from the ocean I almost felt like it with still wiggling on the plate but it was perfectly charred on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside. I had a soup that was absolutely delicious and I'm glad I ordered it even though the father was resisting me because I had already also ordered a set of appetizers. On a cold night mostly it was expats or tourists in this establishment but clearly this was not touristy food but high end Italian for tourists and for wealthy locals. There are a set of tables available on the patio area overlooking the Ionian sea which would be full and busy on a warmer day during a brighter season. The main charm is the insides of this restaurant with the candlelight lighting effect that they achieve in what would otherwise be a dungeon of an old castle cellar that is brought to life by light, decorations, nice table settings and wonderful wonderful food.

It pains me to write a negative review here. But I had two dinners, March 7 and 8, 2023. The first,…read morewhile I'm not nearly as enthusiastic as the first two reviewers, was good enough for me to return. Of course it was March and almost everything in Troipea was closed. The seond time, though, was odd. I made a small mistake in ordering an extra salad. I told the owner/chef the mistake was mine and offered to pay for it. For some reason, this set him off, and from that point he and the female server were completely passive aggressive. For example, they left plates on my table, offered no dessert etc. The fish is good, albeit uneven. I ate grilled whole orata, quite small and boney, fresh and flavorful. Appetizer size. The chef/owner seems not to realize he's in the service business.