cost 30 euros
closed Wednesday
restaurant. Vastedda del Belice cheese and caponata, spaghetti with squid ink, baccalà and tripe, cinnamon jelly dessert: these are only a few of the best flavors from Giovanni Cilia’s kitchen a few steps from the Duomo. Respect for his excellent ingredients, both fish and meat: that’s the key to his personal interpretation of this splendid zone, where nature is sometimes wild and romantic.
Di Pasquale
c.so Vittorio Veneto, 104
tel. 0932 624 635
www.pasticceriadipasquale.com
closed Monday
caffè&bar. This is the oldest pastry shop in Ragusa. Their house specialty is fiocchi di neve, powdery almond biscotti. In summer, try fragolata, an icy strawberry granita. At lunchtime, cooked food, including arancini (fried risotto balls) and focaccia.
Duomo
loc. Ibla
via Cap. Bocchieri, 31
tel. 0932 651 265
www.restaurantduomo.it
cost 110 euros
closed Sunday and Monday at lunch
restaurant. An extraordinary interpreter of the cultural riches and interwoven traditions of this region. Baroque and autobiographical, Ciccio Sultano’s cooking transmits a nostalgic fresco of his Sicily. The menu varies with the season. Gelato panino with truffles and petals of porcino mushroom, timballo del Gattopardo (layered pasta, squab, tiny meatballs and cheese pastry), duckbill fish with saffron breadcrumbs, fish wrapped in lettuce and thyme, herb crust-baked Sicilian lamb, sheep ricotta cannolo, coffee jelly with chocolate and whipped cream. Vast wine list, impeccable service.
La Fenice de l'Hotel Villa Carlotta
c.da Annunziata via Gandhi, 3
tel. 0932 252 070
www.lafenicerestaurant.com
cost 55 euros
closed always open
restaurant. Ancient and modern, regional traditions and oriental influence: these contrasts frame Claudio Ruta’s kitchen. Taste, for example, the duck foie gras stuffed with bitter chocolate, the warm ricotta with vanilla scented bread chips, the Mediterranean fish with olive oil and wild fennel zabaglione. Wine list featuring the region’s best labels, among other bottles.
Gelati DiVini
loc. Ibla
p.zza Duomo, 20
tel. 0932 228 989
closed Monday; from May to October, always open
gelateria. In the Ragusa Ibla piazza, delicious traditional gelato flavors and Sicilian specialties such as carob and Moscato Passito di Pantelleria (dessert wine).
Locanda Don Serafino ****
via XI Febbraio, 15
tel. 0932 220 065
Ragusa (RG)
www.locandadonserafino.it
cost double 148/170 euros
hotel. Located in the heart of Ragusa Ibla, the most picturesque part of the city, this elegant hotel is in an attractively renovated antique building. Each room is different, but all are tastefully furnished, sound-proofed and well-equipped. Breakfast served in the bedrooms, a reading and TV room, two restaurants belonging to the same proprietor, private beach in nearby Marina di Ragusa.
Locanda Don Serafino
loc. Ibla
via G. Ottaviano
tel. 0932 248 778
www.locandadonserafino.it
cost 40 euros
restaurant. Vincenzo Candiano’s kitchen is one of the memorable destinations in the zone and the new location is suitably romantic. Fine ingredients are treated with a sure and light hand, for example his spaghetti di Gragnano, presented with the simplest of savory local cheese and pepper toppings. Memorable desserts, among them a ricotta mousse with chocolate fondue. An olive oil list and a well-supplied wine cellar.
Montreal ***
via San Giuseppe, 8 [corner corso Italia]
tel. 0932621133
Ragusa (RG)
www.montrealhotel.it
cost double 80/100 euros
hotel. This centrally located, friendly hotel is in a fascinating zone of Baroque palazzi. Comfortable, quiet, well-maintained rooms and bathrooms. Good service. Restaurant, bar, laundry service, garage.
Peccati di gola
v.le Europa, 116
tel. 0932 255 569
closed Monday
caffè&bar. Everything in this pleasant pastry shop is tempting: breakfast brioches, flaky ricotta pastries, cakes of every kind. Excellent coffee and cappuccino.
Caffè Sicilia
v.le Sicilia, 12
tel. 0932 682 160
www.caffesicilia.com
closed always open
caffè&bar. Elegant place for coffee, pastry and prepared hot dishes, rosticceria style. Artisanal ice cream made with a classic Carpigiani gelato machine.
Trattoria al Castello
loc. Donnafugata
viale del Castello
tel. 0932 619 260
Ragusa (RG)
www.alcastellodonnafugata.com
cost 20 euros
closed Monday
trattoria. Tradition and local dishes in this picturesque trattoria. Specialties include lemon chicken, lamb stew with saffron, roast lamb, braised beef, rabbit with vegetables. Courteous service and a good selection of wines.
CHIARAMONTE GULFI (RG)
Pianogrillo
c.da Pianogrillo
tel. 3388 193 102
olive oil. Lorenzo Piccione came back to his Sicily to make olive oil. Organic Tondo Iblea olives, the typical cultivar of the zone, is the oil in his famous cru, Particella 34. This specific grove produces oil renowned for its aroma and flavor, much sought after by top chefs and gourmet shops. Call ahead for visits and tastings.
MODICA
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto
c.so Umberto I, 159
tel. 0932 941 225
www.bonajuto.it
chocolate. A well-known, long-established pastry shop. Try the cinnamon or vanilla-scented chocolate and even the biscotti made with chocolate and chopped meat.
Bristol ***
via Risorgimento, 8b
tel. 0932 762 890
Modica (RG)
www.hotelbristol.it
cost double 80/95 euros
hotel. Pleasant small hotel with courteous service. Quiet rooms, simple décor, but all the essentials. Bar open 24 hours a day, laundry service and parking available.
Caffè dell'Arte
c.so Umberto, 114
tel. 0932 943 257
www.caffedellarte.it
closed Tuesday
caffè&bar. Full-flavored ice cream, superb granita and the best of traditional Modica sweets. Don’t miss mulberry granita in the summer.
Fattoria delle Torri
vico Napolitano, 14
tel. 0932 751 286
www.fattoriadelletorri.it
cost 50 euros
closed Monday; always open in August
restaurant. Tucked away in the narrow streets of Modica, Peppe Barone’s charming restaurant offers a menu anchored in the territory and based on a scrupulous choice of ingredients. Gnocchi piacentinu – a sensational local cheese – with butter and sesame, pork fillet, blancmange with strawberries. Interesting, well-stocked wine cellar.
Palazzo Failla ****
via Blandini, 5
tel. 0932 941 059
www.palazzofailla.it
cost double 69/129 euros
hotel. A hotel in an aristocratic palazzo in the upper part of Modica. Pleasant common rooms. Beautiful bedrooms, each one different but all comfortable and well-equipped. Caffè Blandini open 24 hours a day for sweet and savory snacks.
La Gazza Ladra dell'Hotel Palazzo Failla
via Blandini, 11
tel. 0932 755 655
www.restaurantlagazzaladra.it
cost 55 euros
closed Sunday evenings and Monday
restaurant. In the heart of Modica Alta, Accursio Craparo’s famed restaurant continues to win fans. Pleasant atmosphere with a quiet garden in good weather. Creative but linear dishes, such as bruschetta with seafood salad, tomato, mozzarella and basil; swordfish with spinach, potatoes and lemon - an elegant sandwich in reverse; boiled egg with an almond center and grated almond for sprinkling. Attentive service and fine wine list.
Martin Café
c.so Umberto I, 173
tel. 3339 161 829
closed Sundays; always open in summer
caffè&bar. Café, yogurteria and wine bar, all connected. A pleasant outdoor zen-like space. Many special coffees, including one with shavings of Modica chocolate. Excellent gelato, light meals at lunchtime, aperitifs and nibbles in the afternoon.
Wine
Cerasuolo, aroma and elegance
The key wine in this zone is traditional Cerasuolo di Vittoria, based on red grapes, frappato and calabrese. Frappato is the more important, often blended with nero d’avola, which lends heft. Frappato is often blended with other grapes as well, as it confers fragrance and elegance. The color and fruity aromas of the wine resemble cherries, which accounts for its name (cerasuolo means cherry-red).
Wineries
Avide | c.da Mastrella, 346 | Comiso (RG) | tel. 0932 967 456 | www.avide.it
COS | s.p. 3 Agate-Chiaramonte km 14,300 | Vittoria (RG) | tel- 0932 876 145 | www.cosvittoria.it
Curto | s.s. 115 Ispica-Rosolini, km 358 | Ispica (RG) | tel. 0932 950 161 | www.curto.it
Feudo di Santa Tresa | s.da Comunale Marangio, 35 | Vittoria (RG) | tel. 0932 513 126 | www.santatresa.it
Gulfi | c.da Patria | Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) | tel. 0932 921 654 | www.gulfi.it
Occhipinti | c.da Fossa di Lupo | via dei Mille, 55 | Vittoria (RG) | tel. 0932 868 222 | www.agricolaocchipinti.it
Poggio di Bortolone | via Bortolone, 19 | Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) | tel. 0932 921 161 | www.poggiodibortolone.it
Riofavara | c.da Favara | s.p. 49 Ispica-Pachino | Ispica (RG) tel. 0932705 130 | www.riofavara.it
Terre di Giurfo | via Palestro, 536 | Vittoria (RG) | tel. 0957 221 551 | www.terredigiurfo.it
Valle dell'Acate | c.da Bidini | Acate (RG) | tel. 0932 874 166 | www.valledellacate.com