Restaurants in or around Ragusa

The idea of this post is to point out restaurants that you probably won't find in any guides, or don't look like anything special from the outside, but serve really good food or are just fun to visit...

Mexican/Latin American
La Cantinita
Reservations are a must on this lively, busy, self proclaimed latin american restaurant. A long time favorite for bachelor parties, birthday parties or just any kind of parties. In fact it’s the perfect place to party while getting wasted on tequila boom boom (*) under a Mexican sombrero. As for the food, it's good, but don’t expect authentic Mexican or Latin American dishes here. The décor is bright and colorful, but I’m sure people come here for the loud and fun atmosphere and don’t really remember much of the surroundings after a few drinks. Just take a look at the TV screen sharing images of customers in various grades of alcoholic intoxication. Try “el fuego della Cantinita,” a shot of kalua and tequila “on fire” (as seen in the picture).
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La Cantinita is located in Via Venezia 18, Marina di Ragusa.
Tel: +39 0932 616506.

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(*) Tequila Boom Boom: pour equal parts of tequila and tonic water in a shot glass, cover with a napkin or with your bare palm, and slam the glass down on the table twice. Make sure the drink fizzes. Drink in one gulp.

Sicilian/Local food
U Saracinu
Centrally located in Ragusa Ibla near the main church of San Giorgio, this restaurant serves typical sicilian food with a broad range of great home-made pasta and a good selection of local wines. I recommend the grilled ragusano cheese with honey. The waiter gives friendly service and good advice.
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Via Convento 9, Ragusa Ibla
Tel: +39 0932 246976

Seafood / Fish
La Falena
This restaurant isn’t really inviting if you see it from the outside or, for that matter, even from the inside. The fact that it’s located right next door to a gas station doesn’t help either, but… the seafood and fish are excellent. Try the “peppata di cozze” (mussels soup) or the “dentice al sale” dentex fish cooked in a salt crust.
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Via Porto Venere, Marina di Ragusa
Tel: +39 0932 239321

Pizza
La Valle
This unattractive neighborhood pizzeria, looks just like it looked back in the 70’s (and I mean the bad 70’s decoration). But the pizza is wood-fire cooked, with thin crust and, oh yes, really good. Besides it’s one of the few pizzerias that’s opened for lunch.
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Via Risorgimento 70, Ragusa
Tel. +39 0932 229341

Other food
Ibla bla
Built inside a beautiful ancient stone building (originally a mill) in the historic Ragusa Ibla, this two-story restaurant serves all kind of food from pizza to cous cous. Closed on Tuesdays.
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Piazza Republica, Ragusa Ibla.
Tel: +39 0932 651888.

Quick Bites
Food & Style
Nice, minimalist, modern white-ish décor, in an underground bar-cafè. They have a great selection of tea and iced-tea, decent coffee and the pizza was surprisingly good. I specially enjoy the delicious nero fondente or the cremino, 2 creamy cold coffee drinks topped with chocolate or hazelnut cream made by national chocolate producers Eraclea.
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Via G. di Vittorio 63, Ragusa
Tel: +39 0932 246477

This list will continue to grow and get updated as I keep eating out….

These are my top 5 romantic getaways in Sicily:

Ok so after Valentine's Day, and to continue with the romantic vibe, here are some special places in Sicily for creating the spark between you and your partner...

Taormina, love at first sight
Beautiful rocky cliffs overlooking a deep blue sea. Noisy streets full of charming boutiques, good looking people and, of course, vespa scooters buzzing around. A magnificently located, greek theater dating from the 3rd century, that has become one of the most famous Sicilian monuments, all surrounded by crystal clear water and bays.
Yes, it is kind of turisty, but definitely a must-see in Sicily because of the sheer beauty of the setting. You won’t regret…

Erice, a cozy retreat
This small town has been called by many “the pearl of Sicily.” Situated at about 4 miles from Trapani, it is definitely worth a visit. Wheter you are a honeymooner or you’ve just filed for your third divorce, Erice’s medieval appeal will charm the coldest of hearts. The narrow streets and the two beautiful castles are just breathtaking… seriously, after walking up the slope you WILL need to catch your breath.

Cefalù laid back romance
Sandy beaches, peace and quiet together with spectacular sea views. And if you miss good ol' city life, well you’re a short drive from Palermo. This seaside town has a charming historic center, an ancient Greek temple and many attractions including delightful restaurants overlooking the coast. People here seem to be on vacation all-year-round, it’s all about relaxing and having a laid-back beach attitude.

Castello di Falconara… if you like fairy tales
The Falconara Castle is nowadays a lodging structure that rents rooms and apartments or is available for receptions. As a matter of fact, the whole castle can be rented (not that I ever did). I usually don’t talk about hotels, but this place has such a dramatic setting, that I thought I should mention it. The castle dates from the 14th century and it seats on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea. It’s located near Butera in the province of Caltanissetta.


Pantelleria Island, a great place for kissing
Pantelleria is an island formed by a dormant volcano located in the Sicily Channel. You can describe it as a place where the Arab culture meets its Mediterranean counterpart; all over the island you’ll see ancient Arab constructions (dammusi) built with the local stone. A typical house in Pantelleria will be a square building with thick walls and a cistern on the roof to collect rainwater. The coast is rocky all around, so don’t expect sandy beaches. A good way to explore the island is renting a quad and just driving around the countryside or stopping along the coast in every spot that you like. For a romantic evening, I recommend sipping bellinis as the sun goes down on the terrace of the “U Friscu” caffè.

Some interesting facts about Italy:

1. Italians used to have large families, however Italy is now known for having Europe's lowest birthrate.
2. The average Italian family has 1.27 children.
3. Almost 20% of the population is over 65 years old.
4. The average Italian consumes 25 kilograms (56 pounds) of pasta a year.
5. Italy's contributions to science include the typewriter, the thermometer, the electric battery, nitroglycerin, eyeglasses and wireless telegraphy.
6. Not less important… the ice cream cone is also an Italian invention.
7. Leonardo da Vinci (1452- 1519) was one of the greatest inventors of history. His designs include (only to mention a few) parachutes, tanks, planes, water drills, swing bridges, bicycles and contact lenses.
8. The Italian flag is inspired by the French flag introduced during Napoleon's invasion of the peninsula.
9. Italy is the fourth most visited country in the world.
10. Italy has more hotel rooms than any other nation in Europe.
11. The average Italian consumes about 100 liters (26 gallons) of wine a year! ...now that explains a lot about Italian driving.
    
12. Italy is the world's fifth largest industrial economy.
13. The area around Venice is the wealthiest region in Europe.
14. Barely a third of Italy's land is suitable for farming.
15. Italy has a resident foreign population of 1.27 million.
16. 98% of Italians are Roman Catholic.
17. The colors of the Italian flag represent three virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).

Ragusa Ibla Walking Tour:

Hey there! It's been a while, but I'm back with my suggested Ragusa Ibla walking tour (click on the map to enlarge):

1- Take Corso Mazzini downwards towards Ibla. You’ll arrive to a small square. You’ll see the Church of the Madonna dell'Idria. Built in the 14th century, this church belonged to the legendary Knights of Malta (if you read Dan Brown and you’re drawn to templar-conspiracy theories, you’ll probably enjoy this detail). It’s name (from greek) stands for “She who shows the way”. The church was restored in the 18th century in the late baroque style that characterizes the entire Val di Noto.

2- Next to the church you’ll see Palazzo Cosentini with some interesting balconies featuring grotesque masks.

3- Keep going on Via del Mercato you’ll arrive to a square. On your right, you’ll see the Church of the Anime Sante del Purgatorio (Church of the Holy Souls of Purgatory) on top of a flight of stairs. The church's bell tower's has its foundations on one of Ibla's ancient Byzantine walls.

4- A few yards from the church you’ll see the 18th century Palazzo Sortino Trono, another example of local Baroque architecture.

5- Keep walking along Via Del Mercato and turn right on any of the narrow streets until you reach Via Capitan Occhipinti. You’ll find the main square Piazza Duomo ending in Ibla’s centrepiece, the Chiesa di San Giorgio (St. George’s Church). Built by siracusan architect Rosario Gagliardi. The church was built in the 18th century on the site where an older church stood before the 1693’s earthquake. The dome was a later addition of architect Carmelo Cultrari and was finished in the 19th century.

6- Turn your back to San Giorgio’s Church and keep walking towards Piazza Pola. On your right you’ll see another couple of interesting buildings: The Circolo di Conversazione (a sort of private gentleman’s club unfortunately not open to the public).

7- And the Palazzo Donnafugata.

8- On your left you’ll see another church (it seems you can never have enough churches in Italy) the Church of San Giuseppe

9- And the Palazzo Comunale (the City Hall).

10- Following Corso 25 Aprile and then Via Giardini, guess what you’ll see? Yup, yet another Church, the Church of Santo Tomasso on your left.

11- Keep going ‘till you find yourself in front of a gated park called Giardino Ibleo. The garden is very pleasant and it also contains… not one but THREE churches (I rest my case). The first one is the Church of San Domenico.

12- The second one is the Church of San Giacomo, originally built in the 14th century, the interior has a beautiful ceiling painted by Matteo Battaglia.

13- The third church inside the gardens is the Church of the Cappucini. All three churches had to be rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake.

14- Right outside the park, on your left, you’ll find Il Portale di San Giorgio (Saint George’s Doorway) built in Gothic style, it depicts St. George slaying the dragon. It’s all that remained of the ancient Church of Saint George, after the earthquake.

Enjoy!

For cheese lovers only

As promised, here’s some info about cheese:

Casa del Formaggio Sant'Anna di Dipasquale: (THE cheese house). Definitely one of the best places to buy cheese in Ragusa

I know they sell one of the best “Ragusano DOP” cheese in the area, and "Pecorino Siciliano" (made with sheep milk). Also I suggest you try one of the wine spreads they sell that you can eat with the cheese. I tried the Zibibbo and Pasito wine spreads (Zibibbo and Pasito are desert wines from Sicily).

Casa del Formaggio Sant'Anna di Dipasquale
Corso Italia 387, Ragusa - Tel: 0932 227485

The Azienda Occhipinti is is a rural farm that make different types of cheese, they might show you how they make their cheese if you call them in advance and ask when it would be best to come. I don’t believe they have anything organised like a tour or so, but possibly they will show you around anyway. They might not speak English though.

Azienda Agro-zootecnica Giuseppe Occhipinti
Contrada San Giacomo - 97100 Ragusa
Tel: 0932 231669

The Corfilac is a good place to see how cheese is made. Every 2 years the Corfilac organises a great event in Ragusa called Cheese Art, between June and July. The next one will be in 2008. They have cheese, wine and beer tasting and pairing, you can buy cheese, wine, salami and other related stuff. They have experts explaining the main features of different kinds of cheese from around the world and, of course, local ones. There’s also live music, plays, etc. Last year it was organised in the gardens of the beautiful Donnafugata Castle.

Corfilac Headquarters: S.P. 25 Km 5 Ragusa Mare 97100 Ragusa (on the street from Ragusa to Marina di Ragusa) Tel: +39 0932 660 411 • Cheese department: +39 0932 660 484/+39 0932 660 485. Call first for an appointment.

Another must while in Sicily is the Ricotta cheese. Ricotta is a fresh cheese made of sheep or cow’s milk. It’s name comes from the fact that it’s ingredients need to be cooked twice. In Sicily they have Italy’s most famous ricotta, and they use it in different ways: sweet ricotta (the ricotta cannoli are amazing here), dry ricotta (ricotta salata) used for pasta alla norma, or fresh ricotta with sun dried tomatos or alone. You can try it in any agriturismo or buy it in any supermarket, farm or cheese shop.

10 Tips for a tourist visiting Sicily

1- Try to rent a car and invest in a good map, more often than not places are not clearly indicated. Fortunately people are usually pretty patient, and will try to help you find your way.

2- Visit the amazing Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Tempi) with an impressive array of well preserved Greek temples dating from 400-500 BC. I strongly recommend that you avoid this visit in august. If you have no choice, you can take a few precautions: apply sunscreen, wear a hat and carry a bottle of water, you’ll be walking under the sun for a long time and the temperature can easily reach the 100º Fahrenheit. I recommend that you go on the first two weeks of February if possible, during the almond tree festival that celebrates Agrigento’s early blossom of the almond trees.

3- Have a "Granita" with "Brioche"... granita is a sort of sherbet made of a frozen mix of water, sugar and flavoring. Usually you’ll find such flavors as coffee, chocolate, pistachio, almond, lemon, strawberry and other fruits. The brioche is a sort of semi-circular muffin, that you can dip in your granita... If you plan to go to the city of Noto, don’t miss the best granita ever! Mandolfiore - Via Ducezio 2, Noto, Siracusa - Tel: 0931-836-615.

4- Visit the Villa at Casale, a Roman Villa dating from the 4th century located in Piazza Armerina. This villa represents an extraordinary testimony to the life in the roman era thanks to the lively scenes represented in the mosaic covered floors. These superb mosaics are really well preserved. Tel: +39 0935-680036

5- Some great cities include Palermo, Taormina with it’s impressive greek theater and dramatic sea view, Catania under the Etna volcano, and the cities of the Noto Valley (Noto, Siracusa, Modica and Ragusa) with some of the finest examples of late baroque architecture. While in Siracusa, make sure you visit the island of Ortygia, and while in Ragusa, the picturesque Ibla.

6- Let’s talk about food… it’s really hard to have a bad meal in Sicily. But each region has it’s specialties, so I recommend you ask in the restaurant about the typical food of that particular place and try it. Some examples include pane and panelle in Palermo (at the famous Antica focacceria San Francesco) Palermo, Via A. Paternostro, 58 - Tel. 091320264 - Closed on Tuesdays.

In the Ragusa area, I recommend you try the Ragusano DOP cheese with honey, and anything with the extra virgin olive oil from Giarratana. In Noto, the granita, (see number 3). In Catania, go to the kiosk in the main square and ask for "sgricchio" (SGREECHEEO) a sort of refreshing soda with different flavours, I like mandarina (tangerine). In Modica you should try the chocolate, any of their typical pastries and my favourite, the chocolate-chili liquor. In Bronte, the pistachio… and I coud go on and on for days since every place preserves it’s own traditions and flavours.

7- For a full meal, I would start with an antipasto (starter) of anything with eggplant (melanzana) or seafood. A first course will have to include at least a pasta dish, like pasta alla norma (again pasta with eggplant and ricotta, two of the icons of Sicilian cooking). The second or main course often includes fish or meat. I found the red meat for the most part disappointing, they also eat horse meat (it has a sweeter taste but can be quite though). If you are a carnivore, I believe the pork is a much better choice. If you can live without meat, have any of the excellent fish and seafood, often cooked with mastery.

8- If you want to stay in a more “authentic” way, there are Bed & Breakfasts everywhere, sometimes built in old houses that can let you experience the construction, furniture and decoration to have a closer look of local culture. If you are on a budget and you travel with a group of 3 to 4 people or more, you could try a vacation house, usually available on weekly basis. This is always a cheaper and less commercial way to stay. Another alternative can be an Agriturismo, italian farmhouses in or around a rural area, that produce their own food and sometimes offer accomodation so you can live the whole farm experience. The room type can vary a lot depending on the facility (private or shared bathrooms, etc). It is always wise to ask first... Some interesting websites: http://www.insidesicily.it, or http://www.agriturismo-sicilia.it/

9- As for the climate, I guess I've all been spoiled by L.A's perfect weather. Ragusa has a not-so-great climate, here winter is cold and (very) humid, specially by the sea, and summer is warm and sunny, but can get REALLY hot... luckily you can forget all that by consuming large amounts of creamy gelato. Anyway, I think good food, great beaches and a calendar full of holidays make up for the weather, which is probably still better than in many northern European countries. As for the rest of Sicily, it has reportedly better weather than Ragusa. So don’t worry too much… just remember to pack your sunscreen... or an extra pair of gloves!

10- Sicily offers, countless historical monuments, many natural wonders from sandy beaches with warm water to natural parks like the “Reserva dello Zingaro,” the "Gole del Alcantara" or the Etna park. You also have any of the smaller islands like the Aeolian islands on the north east or the islands of Ustica (great for snorkeling) and Pantelleria (with clear influence of arab culture). Sicily is a place where the landscape, the tradition and the people show a different sensibility than the rest of Italy. A place whith it’s own personality and many options for tourism (beaches, landscapes, art, architecture, food and history).

Agritourism / Farmhouses / Agriturismi

The agriturismi are italian farmhouses in or around a rural area, that produce their own food. They cultivate their own produce and raise their own farm animals. Many agritourisms offer accomodation so you can live the whole farm experience, and others offer a restaurant, where you can taste typical regional food cooked with ingredients fresh from the farm. From the wine to the cheese to the bread, everything is done in-site and thus is very genuine.

I highly recommend that you eat in an agritourism at least once. They serve a fixed menu with a very reasonable price per person, but be warned that they serve a LOT of food. Usually you would start with appetizers, at least two first pasta courses and two second courses (fish or meat), dessert and probably abundant house wine. After all that you can have some coffee and a glass of some highly alcoholic liquor like grappa or amaro. You must book in advance as they normally have limited seating and might also have specific seating hours, so they can serve the whole restaurant at the same time.

There are a lot of agritourisms around Ragusa, I’ll mention a few I’ve been in:

At Azienda Agricola Magazzè it’s all about buffalo. This is actually one of my favourite agriturismi in terms of food quality. Maybe because I just love mozzarella… life without mozzarella is impossible.

Our menu included buffalo mozzarella cheese (made daily from buffalo milk) with prosciutto ham, pan fried breaded buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomato-basil salad, and pizza with buffalo mozzarella for starters.
Meat dishes included grilled buffalo meat served with rosemary potatoes and buffalo meat stew.
For dessert we had cannoli with cream (made out of buffalo milk of course) and fruit.
Coffee, house wine, water and amaro were also included in the very reasonable price of €20.

Via Piemonte 38 - Cda. Magazzè, Ragusa (see map)
Tel +39 0932-664034 / +39 338-719-0914 / +39 349-3321181
Pre-fixed menu €20 per person.

Monsovile: on the old street from Ragusa to Donnalucata. They have a small zoo where you can see their own farm animals. Via Savonarola 3 - Donnalucata, Ragusa. Closed on Mondays - Tel +39-338-523-6025. Pre-fixed menu €16 per person (last time I was there). (see map)

Rosa Cambra: if you are staying in the seaside, you can try this agriturismo in Santa Croce, near Marina di Ragusa (Km. 0,800). Closed on Wednesdays. Tel: +39-0932-821238.

Al Casale: they mainly serve meat and fish. Marina di Ragusa (Km. 11.500) – Closed on Mondays – Tel: +39-0932-66-4009 (see map)

Agriturismo Lago Santa Rosalia: this agriturismo has a nice view to an artificial lake by a dam. Tel: +39-0932-227-544. (see map)