The dishes to try, the sites to explore, and the clubs to dance the nights away
6 April 2024
Alessandro Florio
Taormina, on Sicily’s east coast, is one of Italy’s most sought-after summertime resort towns. However, for tattoo artist and painter Alessandro Florio, it’s simply home. The town’s tight lanes and vivid natural environments have long influenced his work, perhaps more so in the cooler months than during any other time of year: “For us natives, winter is when we are able to do what the tourists do all summer,” he says. Read on for his insights on the dishes to try, the sites to explore, and the road trips around the region that make the offseason the best time to be there.
What time of year do you think Taormina shines?
Taormina shines brilliantly during November, December, and January. Bars, restaurants, and ateliers remain open, but with fewer guests, they create a genuinely enjoyable atmosphere. In summer, I avoid Corso (Corso Umberto, the town’s main street) due to the crowds. However, during winter, I love walking around, sitting with a coffee, and admiring the Baroque architecture lining the road.
Christmas during my youth was magical because we’d wander around the village streets all day long, carefree. The town feels alive and welcoming during the festive period, almost belonging solely to us. For me, this atmosphere is ideal and inspiring.
Christmas lights up the streets of Catania
Cous alla Trapanese with scampi and house broth made with rock fish at Nunziatina
Who do the locals share the streets with at this time?
It would be inaccurate to say there are no non-natives, as I refer to them, around. People from all over the globe have homes here and often avoid high season, choosing to stay longer during other parts of the year. They enjoy mingling with us locals, forming a tight community where we run into each other on the street, engage in chit-chat, and meet for aperitivi or a meal. In winter, the pace slows down. I often visit friends in their studios or they drop by mine while I’m working. We exchange ideas and speak in dialect.
Where do you find yourself dining most often during this off-season time?
I love dining at Nunziatina’s, a retro-looking restaurant adorned with vintage furnishings. For me, choosing a restaurant goes beyond just good food; it must be a lovely place as well. My eyes always seek strange and fascinating sights, and I find them there.
Is there a specific dish you associate with this time of year?
Osteria da Rita is a typical Sicilian family-run restaurant in the historic centre. It’s simple but substantial. I always order the same dish: spaghetti with sun-dried tomatoes, pecorino cheese, toasted breadcrumbs, and anchovies. I’m addicted to it.
Where else around this corner of Sicily should we visit?
I often venture to Catania, a vibrant, youthful city just half an hour from Taormina. My destination is always Via Santa Filomena, a pedestrian street filled with breweries and restaurants. My top choices for drinks are Gloriole, Vermut, and Pamochà, which serves an irresistible combo of bread, mortadella, and champagne. Occasionally, I visit friends living on the East Coast in Syracuse and Puerto Palo, a fishing village in Sicily’s extreme south. It always feels authentically Sicilian: simple and free of pretense.
Moorish heads in colored ceramics on the terrace of Casa Cuseni, a historical villa that also hosts a guesthouse
For late-night dancing over Palomas and wine, head to Morgana.
Are there any specific places that come alive during the winter months?
Our climate is wonderful year-round, allowing us to enjoy pleasant weather without the crowds. One captivating location is Casa Cuseni, an early 20th-century villa built by Robert Kitson, an English painter who moved to Sicily for love. It now operates as a house museum and bed and breakfast, where some of the most important 20th-century intellectuals and artists once stayed, such as Dalí and the futurist Giacomo Balla—a fountain in the eclectic garden is attributed to him.
It’s the weekend, the sun has set—what’s your plan?
My wife and I typically go for an aperitivo and dinner at Medousa Bistrot or Osteria Santa Domenica, where we linger until it’s time to continue the night at Morgana, our favorite club. There, everything becomes a fantasy. People lose all inhibitions, and we enjoy bottles of wine and Palomas with mezcal throughout a lengthy night.
What can people most likely find you doing during this part of the year?
I’m dedicated to my work, which is also my passion. I paint every day, but doing so in winter possesses an entirely different charm.
