Restaurants in Taormina

The decor leaves something to be desired, with harsh lighting and a green-and-orange color scheme—to avoid it, choose a table near the large window overlooking the Duomo, or better yet in good weather, on the side terrace. Fortunately, the food takes no such liberties in taste,…

Glossy, airy, and reminiscent of Rome during the heyday of Gina Lollobrigida, La Giara evokes a warmed-over la dolce vita. Views sweep from the veranda's outdoor tables over the bay of Taormina. The Art Deco ambience is also inviting, with marble floors and columns shaped from stone…

Maffei's is very small, with only 10 tables, but it serves some of the best fish in Taormina. Every day the chef selects the freshest fish at the market, and you simply tell him how you'd like it prepared. I often choose the house specialty, swordfish alla Messinese, braised with…

Taormina needs more easygoing eateries like this pleasant little place tucked away between the Corso and Villa Communale. Pizzas, sandwiches, salads, omelets, and a few pasta dishes—including heaping platters of spaghetti carbonara and pasta alla Norma—are served in a small, plain…

Perched precariously between the coastal road and the cliff that drops vertiginously down to the sea, this restaurant enjoys a view that sweeps over the peninsula of Isola Bella. The glassed-in dining room is simple and airy, accented with blue tile floors and very few adornments…

A warm-hued yellow room facing a little piazza and decorated with old ceramics is the setting for creative takes on old Sicilian classics. Even pasta alla Norma (with eggplant and ricotta) seems like a work of art here, and is topped with a grilled eggplant. Venture further into some…

Good, no-nonsense Sicilian cucina casalinga (home cooking) is the recipe for success in this unpretentious, brightly lit room (with an airy terrace in warm weather) across from the upper station of the cable car. Pastas are housemade (deliciously delicate gnocchi, little potato…

One of Taormina’s longtime favorites keeps a steady stream of regulars happy with what are reputed to be the best pizzas around. The pizza alla Norma, the ingredients of the classic eggplant-laden pasta on a flaky crust, makes good on the claim. The kitchen also does nice versions of…