Restaurants in Ionian Coast
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Nievski Pub
Popular with Catania’s alternative crowd, this place serves affordable food and alcohol with a slightly arch attitude (one sign at the bar translates as, ‘we don’t serve minors, and we don’t serve Red Bull or other crap like that’). Cuban revolutionary posters adorn the walls, while the menu is an eclectic mix of salads, vegetarian fare and fish brought in daily from La Pescheria market. At night the beer flows freely as students gather on the steps outside.
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Metrò
This Slow Food–recommended eatery prides itself on stylish presentation and innovative adaptations of traditional Sicilian specialities. Their tonno in cipuddata (tuna steak smothered in caramelised onions) is fabulous, as is the dialogo fra il cioccolato e il pistacchio (a slice of sinfully dense chocolate cake topped with a thin layer of cream and accompanied by a dome of pistachio flan).
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Tiramisù
This stylish but unpretentious place hidden away just outside Porta Messina makes fabulous meals, from linguine cozze, menta e zucchine (pasta with mussels, mint and courgettes) to old favourites like scaloppine al limone e panna (veal escalope in lemon cream sauce). When dessert rolls around, don’t miss their trademark tiramisu, a perfect ending to any meal here.
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ZenZero
Set on the roof terrace of an old palazzo that overlooks a peaceful square off the main road, ZenZero is the young people's eating place of choice in Catania. It's a welcome change from the world of pasta, serving international dishes like tempura or Argentine steak. It's also a good place for an aperitivo, and the flower-laden terrace is divine.
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La Giara
This stylish Art Deco restaurant and piano bar serves grilled fish and delicious pasta with inventive sauces such as lemon and shrimp. It has a well-heeled clientele (Ava Gardner used to dine here) and the sniffy maître d' will turn you away if you're not dressed appropriately. Reservations are required.
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Ambasciata del Mare
A tiny restaurant on the side of Piazza Duomo (right by the fountain), this is a great spot for the fish market offerings, so tuck into the sardines, or the swordfish cooked in sea water (amazing). If you can fit in a cannolo, go for it, they are delicious. Another Slow Food champion.
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Al Duomo
This highly acclaimed restaurant with a romantic terrace overlooking the cathedral serves a mix-and-match menu of antipasti, first and second courses. Choose your favourite two or three items for a fixed price, or go all out and indulge in the chef’s comprehensive tasting menu.
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Marrakesh
A North African eatery and bar near Piazza Bellini. Serves couscous, makluba (a spicy chicken stew with aubergines, tomatoes, onions and almonds with rice) and tagine. In summer tables are set up outside and there is nearly always live music or belly-dancing.
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Granduca
Eating delicious oven-baked pizza on the spectacular terrace of Granduca is an experience not easily forgotten. It also has a wide-ranging international menu. It's very popular so a reservation is highly recommended if you want to be sure of getting a table.
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Grand Cafè Tabbacco
An old-style pasticceria (pastry shop) with outdoor seating at the lively junction of Via Etnea and Piazza del Duomo, this is the perfect place to people-watch during the passeggiata. Try a selection of mini-tarts filled with fresh fruit.
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La Cisterna del Moro
Affordability and aesthetics don’t usually go hand in hand in Taormina, but this restaurant down an alley off Corso Umberto I is a welcome exception. Enjoy pizza, sandwiches or full meals as you contemplate the view from their pleasant outdoor terrace.
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La Siciliana
Considered one of Catania's best restaurants, La Siciliana serves traditional fare cooked to perfection. Try the breaded cutlets, roast lamb or the huge selection of seafood. Reservations are required and you will need a taxi or car to get here.
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Osteria Antica Marina
This rustic-style trattoria behind the fish market is the place to come for seafood. Try the local favourite, a raw anchovy salad (tastier than it sounds!). Decor-wise think solid wooden tables and rough stone walls. Reservations are essential.
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Via Coppola
The best thing about this place is its atmospheric setting in a quiet street, where the tables are covered by a canopy and surrounded by flickering candles. It's popular with Catanians for its good pizza and is great for a low-key dinner.
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Trattoria Casalinga
A homely, family-run, Slow Food-awarded restaurant presided over by patron Nino, this is a good place for a simple Sicilian dinner of pasta with seafood, tuna steak or a seafood platter with a hearty green salad. Finish with some fruit.
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Duck
This noisy bar/restaurant is about the most authentic pub in Sicily, with a well-priced menu and a long wooden bar crammed full of young professionals. Steaks are the big thing here; it is a mistake to order anything else.
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Da Piero
A classy restaurant frequented by well-heeled Messinese. It’s an excellent place to try the typical swordfish agghiotta, flavoured with pine nuts, sultanas, garlic, basil and tomatoes. Reservations are essential.
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Maffei's
A small restaurant with a pretty courtyard garden and some of the best fish dishes in Taormina. Here you can enjoy a cornucopia of fish, cooked to your liking, however, it is always a good bet to go for the house special.
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Fiaschetteria Biscari
In the former stables of Palazzo Biscari, this wonderfully atmospheric wine bar and restaurant places a high value on quality; the menu is built around ultra-fresh ingredients from the nearby fish and produce markets.
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Al Cortile Alessi
Catanians of all ages flock here on weekend evenings, drawn by the excellent pizzas, draft beer and relaxed atmosphere. The outdoor courtyard is especially fun, with its banana trees and overhanging silk tapestries.
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Pasticceria Caprice
An old-style pasticceria, this café is highly recommended. Located on Via Etnea it is the perfect place to come during passeggiata. Try a selection of minitarts filled with fresh fruit.
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Osteria del Campanile
This cosy hostelry with its warm wooden interior is a good choice if you are up near the cathedral. In summer, tables flood the outside area. Again, swordfish is the highlight of the menu.
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Casa Grugno
Despite the Austrian chef in the kitchen, the cuisine is modern Sicilian – and sublime. This is Taormina’s most fashionable restaurant and has a walled-in terrace surrounded by plants.
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Spinella
This is probably Catania's most famous pasticceria; one taste of its produce - especially the ricotta-filled cannoli (cream horns) - will tell you why.
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Trattoria da Mario
Opposite the Ustica Lines hydrofoil dock, this fish restaurant is popular with locals. Antipasti are laid out buffet-style – a delicious mixture of fish and vegetables.
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