Sicily!...Where to eat?

[RDMcG]

Am going in May, driving the old Targa Florio Route, (bought the Richard Meaden book recommended here by a kind PH'r). Will be there for a week, and among other places going to Taormina, Palermo and Siracusa.

The web is full of warnings that you need to be careful about expensive but rip off places. Does anyone have any recommendations for places to eat, (expensive or cheap) which are fairly authentic?. My personal preference runs towards informal, friendly paces that serve local wine and food, but I have never been there, so am a neophyte.

I would be most grateful for any tips or advice.

[Puggit]

Taormina and Giardini Naxos is tourist land, with tourist fare. It's many years since I was there, but I can't remember any ripoff style joints.

[Stephanie Plum]

We did that the September before last - drove all the way down there in two Elises. Don't underestimate how big the island is, and how bad the roads are - it will take you much longer to get anywhere than you think..... I hope you've got a hire car and are not going down there in anything low and expensive? The driving standards in the cities are also an experience

Foodwise we stayed at a little farm with rooms and the food was so fab we didn't move out in the evenings so can't help on that front - sorry.

[RDMcG]

Stephanie Plum said:

We did that the September before last - drove all the way down there in two Elises. Don't underestimate how big the island is, and how bad the roads are - it will take you much longer to get anywhere than you think..... I hope you've got a hire car and are not going down there in anything low and expensive? The driving standards in the cities are also an experience

Foodwise we stayed at a little farm with rooms and the food was so fab we didn't move out in the evenings so can't help on that front - sorry.

Definitely a rental!...A Fiat 500 by the looks of it. I have driven in some fairly strange places like Cuba and India, so have a sense of the road conditions.

[The Tea Boy]

cant overly remomed anywhere other than if your passing Capo san vito (otherwise called san vito lo capo in sicily) stop off for the best icecream ever at the square on the main drag to the beach. Also can recomend Sicily in general, been twice now and loved it, always stayed in the north west (San vio lo capo and Palermo)
done lot of driving there, never really had any problem. dont rely on your satnav as it wont have most places and roads on it and some roads it does have will be dirt roads

Matt