Last Updated on 31/07/2026 by Ting Dalton
Eating out in Taormina is not cheap, and there is no point pretending otherwise, especially with a family in tow. But a local pointed us towards the right tables, and it changed the whole trip. We learnt that you can eat brilliantly here at almost any budget across the restaurants in Taormina, Sicily, from €3 arancini eaten standing up to a swordfish dinner with Mount Etna smoking on the horizon.
We spent a week here in late May 2026 with two pizza-mad boys, so this is a guide built on actual meals, queues, doggy bags and one too many cannoli. The town sits high on the cliffs above the bay of Giardini Naxos, with restaurants ranging from grand hotel terraces to tiny family osterie tucked off the main street, Corso Umberto. I have split it by how you might actually eat across a week: the sit-down restaurants, the cheap eats, the sweet stuff, the beach clubs, and the famous names worth knowing about if you fancy a splurge.
A quick taste of Sicilian food in Taormina
Sicily grows much of what it eats, and you taste it in everything. The soil around Mount Etna is rich and fertile, which is why the island overflows with lemons, oranges, pistachios, almonds and tomatoes that actually taste of something. There is good olive oil on every table, and the best restaurants in Taormina, Sicily, lean hard on seasonal ingredients rather than dressing things up. Food is woven right through the culture, and for a family of food lovers like us, that made every meal feel like part of the holiday rather than a break from it.
A few things you will eat a lot of. Arancini, the tear-shaped breadcrumbed rice balls, come stuffed with everything from ham and cheese to pistachio, though I kept going back to the traditional ragù. I had roughly three over the week. No regrets. The pizza is light and crisp-based, and while it is not Naples, Sicilians do a seriously good version, with toppings like bresaola, rocket and truffle that I still think about.
The gelato is everywhere, and the boys averaged one or two scoops a day. And the fresh pasta is the kind that calls for an elasticated waistband, whether that is a plate of spaghetti in a deep tomato sauce or pasta con le sarde, the island’s classic with sardines and wild fennel. This is not the place to watch what you eat.
Seafood is a constant, too, given the ocean is right there. Expect plenty of fresh fish on every menu, from sea bass to swordfish, usually grilled simply and left to speak for itself. My drink of choice was a Rosé or a Hugo spritz, while my husband worked his way through the local Messina beer.
Where to eat in Taormina: my favourite restaurants
These are the sit-down dinners that stood out, from a tiny osteria by the town gate to a terrace halfway up the mountain.
Liolà Osteria, near Porta Messina
We ate here on our first night, on a recommendation, and it set the bar high for the week. Liolà is a small family-run osteria just outside Porta Messina on Viale San Pancrazio, and for such a tiny place, it packs out fast, so book ahead. My spaghetti carbonara was loaded with bacon, and my aubergine parmigiana was full of flavour, but the standout was my husband’s scampi ravioli, which gave me serious food envy.
What I liked most was how many locals were eating alongside the tourists. Prices sit on the higher side, but noticeably less than the places on the main drag. If you want a signature dish, the linguine Liolà, with prawns, Sicilian oranges and pistachios, is what the regulars rave about.
Good for: a dinner that feels authentic. Book ahead: yes, the room is small.
Osteria da Rita, for the queue worth joining
We were told to come here for honest Sicilian cooking at fair prices, and warned about the wait. The first time we found it, the queue was at a standstill, and my husband flatly refused to stand in it for the 30 to 40 minutes we were quoted. I came back the next day with my eldest, queued out most of it, then texted my husband to come and meet us at the front.
Worth it? Completely. Osteria da Rita has run since 1991, and it shows in the details, from the photos on the walls to the menu and even the tableware, all stamped with its name. This is traditional Sicilian cooking in the heart of Taormina: the complimentary bruschetta and tomatoes were excellent, the boys demolished the calamari, and the pasta arrived in little metal saucepans. My ragù was one of the best I have ever eaten. We could not finish it all and left with a doggy bag, which tells you about the portions.
You cannot reserve, and it does not matter what time you turn up; there is always a wait. We did not get a table outside, which made no difference at all.
Good for: the best-value sit-down meal in town. Tip: there is no booking, so come early or come prepared to queue. You will get a table – eventually.
Al Saraceno, for dinner with a view
We wanted somewhere special without the eye-watering prices, and Al Saraceno delivered. It sits up on Via Madonna della Rocca, partway between the town and Castelmola, just below the old Saracen castle. You come here for the view, and it is sublime: the sun setting behind a smoking Mount Etna, Naxos Bay spread out below, and the lights of Taormina beginning to twinkle.
The terrace is large, and the menu is grown-up, but when the kids could not have pizza that night, the manager came straight over and offered them breaded chicken and chips or tomato spaghetti instead, which they were delighted with. I had swordfish wrapped in pastry that was tender enough to cut with a fork, and a saffron and prawn risotto I wanted to lick the plate clean of. The tiramisu was light, not heavy or over-creamy.
We walked back down to town afterwards via Madonna della Rocca in the dark, phone torches out, which turned into a little adventure and happened to be the quickest and cheapest way down. You can also walk up, or take a taxi (ours was a steep €20).
Good for: a sunset dinner that feels like an occasion. Book ahead: yes, and ask for a terrace table.
Villa Zuccaro, the prettiest pizzeria I have been to
Set inside a 17th-century stone villa wrapped in a garden, near Piazza del Duomo, Villa Zuccaro is a lovely spot at night when the lights come on. The relaxed atmosphere drew a real mix, dressed-up couples, families and groups of friends, and it is the kind of unfussy Italian food you want on a warm evening. The pizza menu runs to dozens of options, so we all needed time to choose, while the boys were transfixed by the huge rotating pizza oven.
I went for truffle, mushroom and ham, and I will say it: one of the best pizzas I have ever tasted. Good value, too. If you are short on a table, it is worth knowing that the same local family runs nearby La Napoletana as well.
Good for: a relaxed pizza dinner with atmosphere. Book ahead: recommended in the evenings.
Pizza Romana, a quiet terrace find
A lovely little terrace with a short menu and no fanfare. I had pasta, which was tasty, but the headline came from my eldest, who declared their margherita the best pizza he ate all week. From a boy who ate his bodyweight in pizza that holiday, that is high praise. Reasonable prices, just a good, honest pizzeria.
Good for: an easy, well-priced meal away from the crowds.
The best pasta in Taormina
If you are here for one thing, make it the pasta. A quick steer based on a week of working through it: for the best ragù, queue for Osteria da Rita, where it arrives in a little metal pan and tastes as if someone’s nonna made it. For something more refined, Liolà‘s scampi ravioli and its signature linguine with prawns, orange and pistachio are the ones to order. And if you want pasta with a view, Al Saraceno‘s saffron and prawn risotto is worth the trip up the hill alone. Across all three, the thread is the same: fresh local ingredients, generous portions, and sauces that taste of the island.
Cheap eats in Taormina: how to eat well without the big bill
Here is the good news for anyone worried about the prices. If you are happy with a pizza and a drink, or you eat the way the locals do, you can keep costs right down. These were our go-to cheap eats.
Da Cristina, for Sicilian street food
Tucked down Via Strabone near the Duomo, Rosticceria Da Cristina is where I got well and truly hooked on arancini. You take a number and wait, and most things hover around €5. I had one arancino, possibly two, and that was that. Cheap, cheerful and a brilliant introduction to Sicilian local cuisine, with traditional dishes like arancini and focaccia and locals filling in alongside the visitors, which is always the sign you want.
Good for: a quick lunch or snack for a few euros. Order: the ragù arancini.
Pizza Mania, the best takeaway pizza
I cannot write a Taormina food guide without Pizza Mania. As takeaway pizza goes, this is the best I have eaten anywhere. Made fresh to order, with slices bigger than my head, and the kind of light base you do not get from the cheese-laden versions back home. A large margherita, and I mean large, came in around €12. The man behind the counter kept checking that we understood quite how big they were, and we kept laughing and telling him we are a greedy family.
Good for: feeding a hungry family for very little. Tip: one large between two is plenty.
Self-cater your breakfasts
One easy saving: we shopped at the local Coop for breakfast, picking up fresh bread, cured meats, fruit, and some wine and beer to enjoy on our terrace. It is a small thing, but over a week it adds up, and a balcony breakfast looking out over the Ionian Sea is no hardship at all.
Gelato, granita and cannoli: the sweet stuff
You will not walk far in Taormina without passing something you want to eat. These were the sweet stops we kept coming back to.
La Pignolata Guinness, for cannoli
We were told that if we had cannoli in only one place, it had to be here, and whoever told us was right. I do not have a sweet tooth, yet I devoured a chocolate-coated strawberry cream cannolo in minutes: light, not sickly, with a crunchy, crisp shell. The boys went for rich chocolate cream ones. The traditional ones come filled with pistachio.
The owner was a delight, talking me through how you choose your shell, then your filling, then which he would pick and which is his own favourite. He showed us a photo of his father holding a Guinness World Record for the largest cannoli, shaped like Cape of S. Alessio, weighing a whopping 464.25kg. When I joked that he should try to beat it, he laughed and said, ‘Only if someone breaks it first!’ The shop has been going since 1978, and they fill the shells to order, which is why they stay so crisp.
Good for: the best cannoli in town, made in front of you. Tip: they do travel boxes if you want to take some home.
Pasticceria D’Amore, for gelato
After a week of rigorous testing, the boys crowned Pasticceria D’Amore the best gelato in Taormina, on the strength of the Nutella chocolate and Madagascar chocolate, their words, “the best in the world”. The lovely lady serving gave them extra scoops, and one evening even held off closing so they could have theirs. That kind of warmth is half of why we remember it.
Good for: the family’s favourite scoop. Order: the chocolate flavours.
Bam Bar, for granita and brioche
You will see Bam Bar all over social media, partly thanks to its White Lotus-era fame, and it is the spot everyone names for granita with a warm Sicilian brioche. We did not queue up ourselves, but it is still widely held to be the best place in town to try the classic granita-and-brioche breakfast, with almond, coffee and pistachio among the flavours people rave about. Be ready for a wait at busy times.
Good for: a traditional Sicilian breakfast. Tip: go early to beat the queue, and you can usually mix two flavours in one glass.
Beach club dining near Isola Bella
Down at sea level, a couple of spots gave us lunch with our toes near the water.
Mendolia Beach, by Isola Bella
After descending the steps to Isola Bella and walking along the front, we wanted shade and a cold drink, and Mendolia was doing a brisk trade, always a good sign. Mendolia Beach Hotel sits right by the seafront with its own beach, and the service was excellent. My Hugo spritz was large and cold, the boys tucked into salty fries, and I had a light tomato and burrata that hit the spot. The menu is big, with plenty of seafood and salads. The location is the real draw, looking straight out over Isola Bella and the bay.
Good for: an easy lunch with an Isola Bella view. Tip: bring beach shoes, the bay is pebbly.
Lido La Caravella, on Spisone Bay
Over on the quieter Spisone Bay, La Caravella is a beach club where you hire sunbeds and umbrellas for the day, and they will even run a shuttle to collect you from where you are staying, which we made use of. Blue tablecloths, yellow umbrellas, the sea right there: it feels like a real holiday. The menu leans on seafood. My spaghetti vongole was light and tasty with tender clams, and my husband’s cod was excellent. You pay for the setting, and this was our priciest meal of the trip, but it was a lovely one.
Good for: a slow, sunny lunch by the sea. Worth knowing: it is a splurge, so save it for a treat day.
The big names: Taormina’s famous splurge restaurants
We did not eat at any of the high-end places this trip, travelling with two young boys, but they are worth knowing about if you are a couple after a special night. I have not tested these myself, so treat them as the famous names rather than personal picks.
La Capinera
What it is: Taormina’s one Michelin-starred restaurant, run by chef Pietro D’Agostino since 2003, down at Spisone with a terrace over the Ionian Sea.
What you eat: creative Sicilian tasting menus (the “Mare e Aria” and “Terra e Fuoco” menus among them), built on top Sicilian produce like Bronte pistachios and Modica chocolate, with seafood at the heart of it.
Good for: a special-occasion dinner. Address: Via Nazionale 177, Spisone. Book: well ahead, only 35 seats.
San Domenico Palace (Four Seasons)
What it is: the former 14th-century convent turned Four Seasons that played the hotel in The White Lotus. Rooms run into four figures a night, so dinner is the affordable way in.
What you eat: fine dining at the Michelin-starred Principe Cerami, seafood at Anciovi, or Italian classics at Rosso, the room by the piano bar you may recognise from the show.
Good for: a once-in-a-trip splurge with a view. Book: essential, well in advance.
Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo
What it is: Taormina’s first hotel, perched beside the Greek theatre, and a piece of the town’s history. You do not need to be a guest to eat or drink here.
What you eat: Sicilian cooking at Ristorante Timeo, or the Michelin-starred Otto Geleng, which seats just 16. Even if dinner is out of reach, a sunset cocktail at the historic Bar Timeo, once a haunt of writers like Truman Capote and D.H. Lawrence, comes with a view over the Bay of Taormina.
Good for: a special drink or dinner with a slice of glamour. Book: essential for the restaurants; the bar is more relaxed.
Trattoria da Nino
What it is: a 50-year Taormina institution run by three generations of the Nicita family, on Via Pirandello near the upper cable car station. More honest classic than splurge, with a panoramic terrace.
What you eat: Sicilian home cooking, housemade pasta (the gnocchi alla Norma with aubergine and ricotta is a favourite), simply grilled fresh fish, and a strong Sicilian wine list.
Good for: traditional cooking without the fine-dining bill. Book: reservations taken for groups of six or more; smaller tables walk in.
A few more local tips
Places we were pointed towards but did not get to this time, passed on so you have the options.
Il Barcaiolo
What it is: a tiny family-run seafood spot tucked into a cove at Mazzarò Beach, going since 1981, reached down a flight of steps. A bit of a hidden gem, away from the crowds up in town.
What you eat: the daily catch and Sicilian seafood classics, from raw fish antipasti and swordfish alla messinese to seafood pasta and risotto, finished with homemade cassata.
Good for: a romantic dinner by the water. Address: Via Castelluccio 43, Mazzarò. Book: yes, seating is limited.
La Napoletana
What it is: a relaxed pizzeria with a pretty outdoor terrace, run by the same local family behind Villa Zuccaro.
What you eat: Neapolitan-style pizza, the obvious order.
Good for: an easy, well-priced pizza night.
Caffè Forastiero
What it is: a café near the piazza that locals flagged for breakfast and aperitivo.
What you eat: morning coffee and pastries, or a drink and a snack at golden hour.
Good for: starting or winding down the day.
The Greek Theatre Café
What it is: the little café perched inside the ancient theatre, with one of the best views in Sicily.
What you eat: cannoli, arancini, salads and panini, at far gentler prices than the setting suggests. We had eaten already and still regretted not ordering.
Good for: a view-with-a-snack break while sightseeing.
Aloha Mare
What it is: a well-rated seafood spot and pizzeria with a sea view and an outdoor patio, in Santa Teresa di Riva, a coastal town about 20 minutes south of Taormina. Worth the short trip if you have a car.
What you eat: seafood-led Sicilian cooking, from spaghetti coi ricci di mare (sea urchin) and linguine allo scoglio to mixed grilled fish, plus wood-oven pizza. Reckon on around €45 a head.
Good for: a seafood dinner away from the Taormina crowds. Address: Via Giovanni Falcone 102, Santa Teresa di Riva. Book: yes, it is popular.
Is eating out in Taormina expensive?
Yes, broadly. This is a glamorous cliff-top town, and the prices reflect it, particularly along the main street and at the beach clubs. But it is very manageable if you mix it up. Self-cater breakfast, lunch on street food like arancini or a Pizza Mania takeaway, and save the sit-down dinners for places like Osteria da Rita that deliver real value. Do that, and you can eat well all week without the bill spiralling.
Frequently asked questions
Where do locals eat in Taormina?
Look for the places with Italians in the queue. Osteria da Rita and Da Cristina both pulled in plenty of locals alongside visitors, and Liolà had a good mix of regulars too. As a rule, the further you step off the main Corso Umberto, the better value and the more authentic the cooking.
What is the best pasta in Taormina?
For ragù, Osteria da Rita is hard to beat, served in a little metal pan and worth the queue. For something more special, Liolà’s scampi ravioli and its linguine with prawns, orange and pistachio stood out, and Al Saraceno’s saffron and prawn risotto comes with a Mount Etna sunset thrown in.
Where can I eat cheaply in Taormina?
Da Cristina for arancini and street food at around €5, and Pizza Mania for huge fresh takeaway slices, with a large pizza around €12. Self-catering breakfast from the local Coop is another easy saving over a week.
Do I need to book restaurants in Taormina?
For the sit-down dinners, yes, especially Liolà (small) and Al Saraceno (terrace tables go fast). Osteria da Rita is the exception, as it does not take bookings at all, so you queue. The street food and takeaway spots are walk-in.
Is Taormina good for families with children?
Very. The pizza alone keeps younger ones happy, gelato is on every corner, and most restaurants we tried went out of their way for the boys, including Al Saraceno offering an off-menu plate when the kids’ options were thin. Portions are generous, so sharing works well.
What Sicilian dishes should I try in Taormina?
Arancini, pasta alla Norma and anything with the local ragù, plus fresh seafood near the water. Save room for cannoli, ideally filled to order, and a granita with brioche for breakfast. Wash it down with a Sicilian wine from the Etna slopes or a local Messina beer.