Page 286 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

from pasta with swordfish and mint to beef in a Nero d’Avola wine sauce; mains

range €16–22, though fresh fish is sold by weight (around €6 per 100g). There’s a
small terrace for eating al fresco. Daily lunch & dinner.

A’Zammara Via Fratelli Bandiera 15 0942 24 408, azammara.it. Romantic
place where you sit in a garden of orange trees eating the likes of home-made
tagliolini with prawns and pistachios, the latter grown in nearby Bronte (€12.50); or
involtini di pesce spada, swordfish wrapped around cheese and breadcrumbs (€16).

Expect to pay around €40 for a full meal including wine. Daily lunch & dinner; closed
Wed Oct–July.

CAFÉS AND BARS

Arco Rosso Via Naumachia 7 (no phone). This proper little old-fashioned bar is quite
a rarity. Tucked down steps just off the Corso, it sells wine by the glass or bottle and

doesn’t charge the earth for it. Scrummy bruschetta and sandwiches too. Mon–Tues &
Thurs–Sun 8am–8pm.

Bam Bar Via Di Giovanni 45 0942 24 355. Taormina’s no. 1 spot for ice cream and
granitas, coming in a lip-smacking range of flavours – recommended choices include
watermelon, coffee with almond and nutella. The owner will show you photos of all
the celebs who have dropped by. Daily 9am–late.

Daiquiri Lounge Piazza Duomo 0942 625 703. Specializing (as you might guess) in

daiquiris, this pleasant, perfectly located bar makes a nice place for an aperitivo
(served with a generous selection of nibbles) or an after-dinner drink. Daily 7pm–late.

Al Grappola d’Uva Via Bagnoli Croce 6–8 0942 625 874. Friendly, unpretentious
wine bar – a good place to sample Etna wines with olives and local cheeses as you
sip a good glass of wine (€4 including nibbles). They can also organize tours of Etna’s
vineyards. Daily 11am–late.

Morgana Bar Scesa Morgana 4 0942 620 056. International party place off Corso
Umberto I, for serious cocktail consumption. Sexy violet velvet inside, a cool outdoor
space, and nightly DJ sets. Daily 7pm–late.

Re di Bastoni Corso Umberto I 0942 23 037. Funky, Bohemian pub that is quite
alternative for Taormina, and attracts a lively crowd. Daily, usually 6pm–late; closed
Mon in winter.

Wunderbar Café Piazza IX Aprile 0942 625 302. Once the haunt of Garbo and
Fassbinder, this remains Taormina’s favoured spot for the see-and-be-seen brigade,
with outdoor seats beneath the clocktower and a determinedly elitist pricing policy.
The piano is wheeled out every night for ivory-tinkling beneath the stars. Go for an