Headed to Taormina end of June. Any help on restaurants, good or BAD!!! Any fun places in town, nice shops, etc. Loved Corfu Town and are hoping to get the same experience. Any help would be great!!

I am currently doing research for restaurants for our trip to Sicily. I had been told there is no bad food in Sicily but Taormina might be the exception. All of my research has turned up only one place that many people like - Casa Grugna.

Thanks for the info

I searched a little for you too, trying to find the restaurant I really liked there, we ate there a few times it was so good. It was called Mama " " and I can't find it now, maybe Mama bit the dust?

If you want delux, go to the San Dominco Hotel, great food in a nice setting.

Those are the only places I remember in Taormina. Have fun, it is a wonderful place.

Just got home from Sicily a few days ago. In Taormina I would urge you to get off the Corso for most of your meals. Although we did like Vecchia Taormina for pizza, on Via Ebrai, which has excellent pizza. Al Duomo is good but kind of pricey...lovely terrace to sit on....reserve in advance. The other place we liked, which was more casual, was called (I think) El Giardino on Via Bagnoli Croce. The name may be a bit off but you will see it easily enough...it is opposite the public gardens. Another place I was sorry I did not try is DaLorenzo on Via Roma near the San Domenico.

I did a long post on Sicily hotels a few days ago but the search engine is not working....you can find it if you scroll back a few days,

Thanks so much for your replies. We are staying at the Victoria Hotel in town. Thanks so much. What is the prettiest beach around, I hear Naxos. Thanks again.

check out my web page about our trip to Sicily:

http://www.travel.stv77.com/sicily/sicily.htm

The best restaurant in Taormina when we were there (about a year and a half ago) was "Casa Grugno"

Just checked..the name of the restaurant I mentioned is Al Giardino, near the public gardens. Casa Grugno appears fancy and filled with tourists. But I did not eat there so cannot give a report. I would recommend again that you check out Da Lorenzo in front of the San Domenico, in addition to Al Giardino and Al Duomo. I did not go to the beach so cannot report, although the Naxos beach is long and looked nice from the road.

From my trip report from 2 years ago:

Ristorante/Pizzeria Mamma Rosa, Via Naumachie, 10. We had their delicious antipasti table and pizza. We had something that was so delicious from the table but I don�t know what it was- it looked like a small pancake, and I believe it may have consisted of broccoli, eggs and breadcrumbs.

Trattoria da Nino, Via Luigi Pirandello, 37A. They have a nice view of the sea if your table is facing the window. It was our best meal in Taormina. I had linguini with clam sauce, house wine, insalata and chicken cacciatore. Everything was delicious.

We were in Taormina last year and ate two nights in a row at Al Giardino. The food was delicious, the seafood really fresh, and the staff very charming. Be sure to check out the two man submarine in the park across the street, which by the way, is a lovely park.

Thanks to all we can't wait.

I've never had a bad meal in Taormina. Each of the 3 times I've been, the best has been at Maffei. Il Duomo also good. I think that if you like seafood, any of the places on the little alleyways off the corso, with a cabinet of fresh fish outside, will be good. Mamma Rosa good for pizza at lunchtime.

Yes, that is it, Mama Rosa. The antipasti was delic. and have a salad made right at your table to go with it, soooo goooood.

When we stayed in Taormina, our favorite seafood restaurant always offered somwhat of a view of the chef's cooking. I noticed that each chef would bend over and get something out of a large urn on the floor and put some on every plate. We made a point to check this out at the end of our meal - each plate was garnished with a big ladle full of olive oil before going out to the customer, whether it was fish or meat!! It was fabulous..