Bars & Cafes

I consider myself a coffee person, that’s why I can write extensively about this topic since I think I pretty much covered all the bars and cafes of the Ragusa and Marina di Ragusa areas.

First of all, it might be good to know that in Italy a bar is a place where they serve coffee, croissants and perhaps some drinks, but it definitely does not match the sports bar type and it doesn’t involve a lot of drinking. If you like your beer, then you should head to a pub instead. I’ll be posting about pubs soon.

A word about coffee…

Espresso coffee and all its possible combinations is the only kind of coffee served in Italy. So beware, if you walk to a bar and ask for a coffee, espresso is what you’ll get… and it tastes nothing like filter coffee. You’ll notice that espresso it’s served at the bar in small cups, and people drink it while standing. Mmmmh espresso… express… maybe that’s why they drink it like a tequila shot?

If you're looking for an alternative to decaf, you might try this italian invention: the caffè d’orzo, which is a decaf drink made out from barley that can be served like an espresso in a small cup or with steamed milk (cappuccino d’orzo). This is not really coffee, but it’s found in any bar and a lot of Italians have it specially in late evenings.


Caffè delle Rose: My ideal day would have to start with breakfast at this modern café located in a 20th century building. Good cappuccino, friendly service, but my favorite part are the amazing croissants (cornetti). You can have them filled with cream, ricotta cheese, almond cream, pistachios, chocolate, peach jam, whole wheat with honey or just plain. They are delicious fresh out of the oven. Once you experience them… you’ll be back for more.

In summertime I recommend you try the “caffè shakerato” (blended coffee with ice cream) it’s creamy, it almost melts in your mouth and it’ll give you enough caffeine to run the New York marathon in twenty minutes.

If you don’t like coffee, or even if you like it, they have a decent selection of gelato offering varieties such as pistachio, hazelnut, coffee (did I mention I like coffee?), chocolate, and the usual fruit flavours.

Caffè delle Rose is located right across the main square at Marina di Ragusa. Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi 25. Closed on Mondays.

Zizzi's Caffè: this little laid back bar in Piazza Libertà has the great tasting, if not creatively named, caffè barocco (coffee with cinammon). Worth a try while you are in upper Ragusa. There are three bars in Piazza Libertà, this one has tables outside and it's right under the Cammera di Commercio, next door to a fotocopy shop.

Ibla Caffè is a cozy cafè at the entrance of Ibla that offers paid internet access, so it can be handy to get your caffeine fix while deleting all that Viagra spam from your inbox.

Pasticceria Di Pasquale is the oldest pastry shop in Ragusa. A lot of people will tell you they have the best fresh-baked cakes, and pastries. The couple of times I was there I found the staff and owner unfriendly, but I’m pretty forgiving when it comes to profiterols. Corso Vittorio Veneto 104.