220 Best Restaurants in Sicily, Italy

Run by the charming and dynamic Davide di Salvo, nephew of chef Giuseppe of nearby Nangalarrini fame, this rustic, convivial spot does tasty plates utilizing the best meat, vegetables, and seafood of the Madonie and coast. The name alludes to the Unione Volontari Alcolizzati, and the restaurant has a well-rounded wine cellar and ethos fit for relaxed dining and friendly chat.

Book a table on the cobbles by the empty river basin or in the sleek dining room and let talented chef Roberta's inventive seasonal dishes take you to new culinary places. The young, friendly staff are happy to talk you through the seasonal menu of exquisite pastas, fresh seafood, steaks, and imaginative veggie creations.  

The brainchild of La Madia chef Pino Cuttaio, Uovo di Seppia is a combination restaurant, cooking school, shop, and bar where you can buy exquisite fresh and stuffed pasta, handmade bottled sauces, biscuits, cakes, and other gastronomic goodies to take away. The chef hosts seasonal events---check their Instagram page for more details. 

Street food meets small plates at this ode to the flavors of Sicily. Located on a foot-traffic-only street, this compact, vaulted bistro serves chef-style iterations of the island's greatest "fast food" hits. And they make arguably the best arancini in the region: full of meaty ragù and saffron rice, fried to-order, with a crunchy crust that crackles as you break into it. There is also a good line in burgers.

Warm, inviting, and unassuming, one of Taormina's best pizzerias makes use of traditional grains to produce deliciously seared crusts with fresh, well-balanced toppings, plus fresh fish in summer, all paired with Sicilian wines. If a Nutella pizza doesn't appeal, there are a host of ice creams and granitas for dessert. You cannot fault the view.

This unassuming little spot tucked on a side street between Via Umberto and Piazza Verga consistently underpromises and overdelivers. It portends to be a little neighborhood eatery, but it's a destination in its own right with chef-owner Ivan Siringo serving classics like pasta with squid ink, roulades of stuffed chicken, and salmon carpaccio with tropical fruits. Every dish has a subtle elegance and ingenuity to it that transcends the plate as pure joy in your mouth.

For some of Taormina's best granita, with changing flavors depending on the season, try Bam Bar. It's so popular that it's likely you'll have to queue, but it's worth it.

Delicious ice creams—and the granita di mandorla (almond granita), available in summer—make for a must-try treat.

No marzipan devotee should leave Taormina without trying one of the almond sweets—maybe in the guise of the ubiquitous fico d'India (prickly pear) or in more unusual frutta martorana varieties—at Pasticceria Etna. A block of almond paste makes a good souvenir—you can bring it home to make an almond latte or granita.

On your way to the Archaeological Park, stop in at this bar-cum-pasticceria for some great Sicilian cakes and ice cream. It's popular with the locals, so you may have to line up for your cakes during holiday times.