Caffe Sicilia

Cafe Sicilia in Gloucester, MA was such a lovely find. I was in town on a quick business trip and wanted a good cup of coffee and something sweet for my drive home. I spotted this Italian bakery and café on the map and decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did. The almond biscotti was probably the best I’ve ever had – and I’ve made it several times myself at home so that’s saying a lot. I honestly wish I had their recipe. The coffee was smooth and paired perfectly with the pastry, and the overall atmosphere was warm, cozy, and exactly what you hope for in a small New England town café. Sophia, who waited on me, was incredibly charming and very customer-centric. Her friendly attitude and attention to detail made the experience even better and really stood out. I also picked up a lobster tail pastry for David to enjoy later at home. That one seemed like it might have been more than a day old, which was a bit disappointing, but it wouldn’t stop me from coming back. I’m actually excited to bring David with me next time so we can try more of their Italian pastries fresh in-house. If you’re looking for delicious Italian baked goods, great coffee, and genuinely kind service in Gloucester, MA, Cafe Sicilia is absolutely worth a visit. The pricing was very fair for the quality, and it’s the kind of local spot you’re happy to support and return to.

It had that authentic Italian but modern appearance. This place is where the locals go. I was vacationing for two weeks staying in Gloucester, my wife and I started each day at Sililia's. I would mostly get the house medium brew with an added shot of espresso. I also had on a couple of mornings 2x mocha latte with cream. Great pastries especially the Lobster. It is like a croissant type of pastry filled with cream. It gets it's name from it's shape. You can't go wrong the locals that congregate each morning are very friendly as well as the staff.

Italian pastries and coffee in a casual setting. Several tables inside and outside. Quick service, sometimes a line but it goes fairly fast. All I can say is wow... highly recommend. I had several items, including some not pictured... favs were the cannoli (filled to order) and the fig bar. Coffee was to die for. Great spot to relax with company and enjoy some desserts. Absolutely stand out.

Coffee and espresso as good as you can get anywhere. Pastries are all fabulous. I've traveled in Italy many times. This place is the real deal. Totally authentic.

My coffee was delicious! The employee that helped me navigate the menu brought my coffee drink idea to reality and helped pick the perfect snack to go with. The dining room looked like it was under construction, and the customer bathrooms were out of order.

Great service. Nice coffee and dessert

This place was recommended by a friend that lives in Gloucester, what a great hidden gem! Some of the best cannoli I ever had! Definitely will return.

Great local spot offering delicious, authentic Italian baked goods. Would recommend!

Pastry here is delicious and a big hit for dessert in our household. Particularly love when we can sit outside. Coffee is good too. Staff is very patient when explaining all the various cookie/pasty flavors. We always bring company here.

Great stop for pastries and coffee before walking around the shops or Gloucester Harbor. I enjoyed their delicious soup and Italian bread for lunch, too!!

Caffe Sicilia is a Cute coffee shop with delicious pastry. Order at the counter and bus your tables. The coffee was strong and the fig slice had less filling than a fig square so it wasn't too sweet. The pecan pie square was scrumptious. The lobster tails were huge. We'll have to return for one.

Caffe Sicilia togo box. A taste of Sicily in Massachusetts ! Fan-effing-tastic ! The ricotta in the cannoli cream is unbelievably delicious. Yum, yum, yummy yum! "I will be back" !

I purchased about 60 dollars worth of pastry for friends who had lost a loved one. Most of them were stale. I was so upset and embarrassed. I called to let the establishment, and they told me that the next time that I come in they would give me a credit. Seemed really unphased. So never went back again. I go to Coffee time or D'orsis to get pastries. Things are too expensive to throw good money after bad.

We were visiting the area from Rhode Island. A friend told us we had to stop here for the best Italian pastries and coffee. It was hot they day we visited so the only person who had anything was my husband. He said the espresso and Italian rainbow cookies were delicious. He said the espresso was smooth and made just right. The cases were full of many different pastries and they all looked wonderful. It smelled wonderful in here. They do have some seating if you want to stay and enjoy your items.

Still wonderful--the best lattes, the best Italian baked goods, and a ton of Italian men handing out chatting and having a good time in the mornings.

This is my hometown and it's been almost twenty years since I've been here. It's changed a lot. I didn't see any of the delicious Italian treats I used to love when I was younger and the cookies were not great. I asked for the Guiguilena cookies, a childhood favorite, and was told they were the anise kind, but they weren't and they were kind of dry to boot. I regretted not trying one before buying a dozen. The Pignoli cookies were cloyingly sweet. The woman who waited on me was unfriendly. While I didn't get the pane e panelli or arancini, I was hoping for, it was a joy hearing my native language spoken casually inside and outside the caffè.

I went here last summer because I desperately needed a bathroom. Thank God my bladder hit capacity here because after I gave the restroom key back, I ordered lunch. I had a ham and cheese calzone that was delicious and an iced mocha that was also delicious followed by the best fruit tart I have ever eaten in my life. Really this fruit tart with red and black currants is the stuff that food dreams are made of. If you find yourself in Gloucester, aim you feet to Caffe Sicilia and let your taste buds be happy.

Cute little coffee shop with a large and yummy looking pastry selection. The iced latte was good and strong. The place was busy even on a weekday and the workers were very friendly and conversational. I didn't see pizza on the menu but everyone at the other tables had ordered pizza so next time I will definitely try it!

Love it. Look forward to this trip yearly. Best cannolis out there. Fresh and really delicious.

Worst espresso I've ever had. Tasted sour. Either the beans were bad or the machine needs cleaning.

This place is incredible. Arancini are to die for. The pastures are excellent. Ricotta pie, cannoli, and pistachio tart are excellent. Everything is very reasonably priced. I highly recommend going here.

It was 5PM, and I was looking for a place for coffee& something to tide me over. There was a place nearby that was closed. Then I looked across the street & see a place with a few tables & people sitting! Tired & hungry, I was happy to see this place. I ordered an iced mocha & 2 mini cannolis. The iced mocha is one of the better ones I've had and the cannolis are made to order, so that was a bonus. I'll definitely be back to try more of the desserts, they looked really good.

Delicious food, but the girl working there is so rude. We almost felt like we had to apologize for bothering her!

Such great pastries! We tried the lobster tail and a cannoli, an almond cookie, and the cassata. All were great but the cassata was out of this world: marzipan and rum in a sponge cake - whoever created this pastry was a genius. Great iced mocha too. A couple of cute tables outside in the part of Gloucester that feels like the North End. And a bathroom for customers. Thank you Caffe Sicilia!

We love stopping in at Caffe Sicilia all year round. They have a wonderful variety of yummy Italian pastries, and they sometimes have other Italian goodies like arancini, pizza etc. Their coffee is delicious, and they have gelato in the summer. Their fig bars are my all-time favorites!

Impeccable customer service, and amazing food. I am more than happy to drive across Massachusetts just to get their cannolis.

Caffe Sicilia is a hidden gem. You might accidentally walk by the small, corner space or figure it is just another coffee shop but they have the best Italian pastries, cookies, cannolis, etc. In fact, they did my wedding cake. Neither of us were that into traditional wedding cake and we wanted something different so they made us a four-tiered tiramisu "cake". It rocked. I had two pieces after the wedding. We also had yummy plates of Italian pastries at the wedding too. People raved. My mouth waters just thinking about it. Don't miss Caffe Sicilia if you are on the west end of Gloucester's Main Street!

This place is awesome. Gelato, authentic Italian pastries. It's just like Grandma made. They literally have all the traditional, old-school stuff and some delicious cake, lobster tails and stuff like that, too. The biscotti is amazing, as are the pastries. The prices are really reasonable and if they treat you like family, especially if you speak Italian. Definitely worth a stop while in Gloucester.

Ummm ... really just one thing to say about this place - the cannoli isn't just the best in the city its the best period. No trip to Gloucester is complete without picking up one or two of these bad boys. Don't get me wrong, the other pastries here are good - but they're nothing compared to the cannoli. The sfogliatelle is nothing to sneeze at either. But Don't just take my word for it - below are reviews from other sites I found: (1) "The Best Cannoli In America" Caffe Sicilia carubio1977 Boston, Massachusetts Aug 3, 2006 1/1 found this review helpful As a newbie to the Boston area, I've spent the last year just keeping from getting lost downtown. Having been all over Italy, I was generally disappointed with the North End's consistency of quality Italian food, especially confectionery and dessert foods. Over Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I took a day trip to Gloucester, and we ended our day with some fine food, including dessert at Caffe Sicilia. WOW! I can honestly, unabashedly say it's the best Italian dessert spot this side of the Atlantic. Phenomenal! The owner/operator is jovial, attentive, incredibly dedicated and proud of his product - and rightfully so. Swing by and have an espresso and cannoli...and some fantastic gelato. Ciao! (2) http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=255 (has pics) Paul Ciaramitaro, who operates Caffe Sicilia with his wife Anna, is a gentleman you need to meet if you come to Gloucester. A former fishermen, he is a huge guy with huge enthusiasms, and his presence fills the tiny espresso and pastry shop that is his domain down near the waterfront. He holds court behind the counter, where he makes espressos for friends who drop by for morning chats among the four small tables that barely fit in the store; and he loves to show off his cornetti to newcomers. Cornetti resemble featherweight croissants, but they have a ribbon of lemon filling inside and a dusting of powdered sugar. He also makes semolina bread, elaborate cakes, spectacularly colorful marzipan candies, and a Downeast/Italian "lobster tail" pastry - ultra-thin sheaves of dough shaped like a lobster tail, sugar-dusted and filled with cream. Mr. Ciaramitaro's gelati are delightful. He recommends the nocciola, which he tells us is hazelnut, and also the zuppa inglese, for which he has no proper English translation. "Marsala wine and fruit!" he rhapsodizes; and when we don't seem to understand quite how wonderful it is, he quickly dips spoons into the freezer case and offers us each a hearty taste. When we smack our lips and smile at its creamy sweet goodness, he beams with satisfaction, then, bursting with pride, he points us to a newspaper story displayed on the wall. "From the Financial Times ... OF LONDON!" he says, stepping over to run his finger underneath a line that says his pastries put those of New York's Little Italy to shame. "No more need be said!" - Michael Stern

The coffee at this cute Italian café is phenomenal. We had a latte and an iced latte, and both were strong and delicious. We tried the tiramisu--decent but a bit dry--and a chocolate mousse, which was not too sweet and quite good. Their credit card machine wasn't working, so our food was on the house! The barista was so sweet about it. This place is adorable and well worth a stop when you're in Gloucester!

Oh my goodness I am addicted to their lemon ricotta cookies! I am going back this week to try other items and of course more cookies!! The pastries are so fresh and delicious!

Great espresso, served like in any cafe/pasticceria in Italy. I have to say, Italians in Italy are a LOT friendlier than the vicious minx who served me my $2 dose of perfection. I gave her two Washingtons and told her to keep the change. Thank God for body armor!!! Seriously, their pastries are expensive, but authentic! For a little backtalk and a ticket much much cheaper than Logan-Fiumicino, take a little trip to Sicily without leaving Gloucester!

I love this place. I can't explain. The store itself is small, honest-looking, and is not garish in any way. It's a friendly atmosphere where you occasionally hear beautiful Italian conversation sparkling up the place. I had a plain black coffee (my typical beverage) and an almond cannoli, and both were delicious.

Very nice people with kickass cannolis and treats. We're spoiled here in the land of never ending Italian food, but I'm not complaining.

Hugely disappointed, Never again! Ordered a casatha/ricoota cake for a very important 80 yo birthday, specified ricotta. $35. intended to be ricotta , only to cut into to find multi layered vanilla cake! Nothing about tHhs cake was ricotta/casatha. To everyone's disappointment, especially the Italian guest of honor. The person, initially taking my phone order also offered to add chocolate shavings, which were Not added, ..only to find topped whipped cream and cherries, did Not want. When called nxt morning to state my huge disappointment, woman apologized & told me to come in and would be given the correct casatha cake I intended . Upon arrival, taking the trip there, was told I would not be provided the correct cake, as it was "not their mistake", that I should have stipulated casatha PIE. I guess I used the incorrect terminology.?!?! However, I had specified the ricotta/casatha. Nothing about the cake was ricotta. She offered to sell me a casatha pie for 1/2 price ?!?! "not our mistake". I used the wrong terminology?!?, Horrible customer service, why have me come all the way there with the promise of providing the correct item only to be told upon arrival, no, "not our mistake", that I could Buy another !?!. She had my ph #, should have called to tell me she was not going to replace as promised. She should have made good as she promised, that is what is good / smart / appropriate customer service. I told her so many family/fiends, are hugely disappointed, not just at not having casatha at the party, that everyone was looking forward to, but also at the horribly poor & disrespectful customer service, blaming the customer. Never again!!

Came here as part of an office break to get the cannolis. We got a bunch of mini cannolis and they fill them after you ordered them. My favorite was the mini chocolate chips. The bakery is a family owned place where it's located in a cute little town/village in Gloucester.

Eccellente. Amo questo posto Which roughly means I love this place. Not to sound cliché but it feels like another piece of the North End was lifited out of Boston and placed deep on Cape Ann. I will say the cappuccino is basically the same as if I was on Café Victoria on Hanover St. which to me is just fantastic. This place is another post surf stop for me and the vibe in there mirrors any authentic Italian Café. If you go there try the 'Crostata' they are to just fantastic with a good coffee. The place is small and tight but a lot of places like this are. It's just makes it that much cooler to me, and is a great place for mellow first date during the day.

Cannoli were sooo nice, and ricotta pie, mm :))

Just returned from Sicilia and wanted to continue our experience by coming to one of our favorite authentic Sicilian cafes north of Boston's North End. Great cappuccino with a nice sprinkle of cinnamon! We were looking for their Cornetti, which are so similar to what we had in Sicilia. But you have to get to the caffe early before they are sold out.

As I swam back to the surface of our undersea bed, taking care not to step on the tentacles of my companion whose beak snapped at me all playful in sleep, I knew that I had to find decent coffee somewhere in Gloucester. Crossing the sand and brushing the salt from my wounds, I recalled that look of disappointment -- anger, almost -- in reaction to the muddy waters we had been offered at some dive the day before. I didn't have the heart to stand to see that expression again. But suddenly, as I became human again and entered the working streets of downtown, pretending it wasn't Monday morning and that we didn't have to pack up soon, I came upon it: Caffe Sicilia, the solution. Inside, its fulsome pastry cases looked like something out of the prototypical Victorian tale, the place waifs press their noses against the glass and see the manifestation of want satisfied, all the sweetness that life could contain. More even. Ahead of me in line, a Chinese man was being upbraided by the German woman behind the counter. When it was my turn, she explained that he had been on holiday recently, and had not done his "homework" (she was teaching him to speak German). I ordered two Americanos, and she briskly pulled two clean, dark, delicious cups. I smelled them. They were perfect. There was no maple syrup as a sweetener, but my companion always carried a flask of it, so there were no worries there. "Danka?" I said hesitantly to the woman behind the counter. "'Danke schön,'" she corrected. I headed back over the sand to go down one more time before our departure, the surf licking at my toes, cradling the cups in my hands to keep them hot before I made it back to the depths.

Nice place in the central street of Gloucester. The coffee is so good here that you'll thing you can live it & skip lunch & dinner entirely. Pastries are delightful. Everything is is flavored just right. A must-do in Gloucester

There is nothing fancy about this place. BUT this is what Cappuccino is supposed to taste like!!! Enough said... :)

I live in Gloucester, so every time I drive down Main Street, I have to avert my eyes when I get to Caffe Sicilia or I'd be as big as a house. While I've given up candy n my old age, I have fallen in love with Italian pastries. They are the best here, and believe me I've sampled all of the bakeries in town. The lobster tail brings yo to your knees and the ricotta pie is exquisite. Yes, the young lady with the dark hair is fearsome unless you're a guy and she wants to flirt with you, but the other servers are much nicer. Virgilio's can't hold a candle to Caffe Sicilia. Get a load of the old guys hanging out and speaking Italian -- that's what I love abut Gloucester. It's one big family.

Perfect stop for a little taste of Italy in Gloucester - quick and delicious afternoon espresso and pignoli cookie pick-me-up.

We hit this place up each time we're in Gloucester. Incredible Italian pastries and coffee! Only place I have found a Cassata Siciliana like the ones I've had when visiting Sicily!

Great little spot, I feel like was just dropped off in Italy. Good espresso, delicious ricotta cake. If you're in Gloucester it's definitely worth stopping by.

Best tiramisu I've ever had- hands down. Having moved back to Florida, I miss my apartment within walking to the best little Italian bakery I've ever set foot in.

Home made gelato and pastries. About as good as it gets. I had the nutella gelato with a almond horse shoe cookie. Owner served us and was very friendly.

Traditional bakery ; Great coffee. But what I go in for is the forcacia sandwich. Fresh focacia split and layered with thin slices of italian meats, cheese and tomatoe. The slice is almost big enough to split with your Honey....but I don't.

Amazing bakery also great people working. Very friendly and helpful. We really enjoy the cappuccino

Small bakery and eating place-excellent cookies, cakes, lemon squares, pasteries, cappuccino and the like. Great place to stop in between shopping or after dinner. The strawberry whipped cream birthday cake is scrumptious!

nasty old men clog up this place for hours we could not even get a seat bad parking staff could be nicer by FAR! pricey

This place is amazing. The cookies, especially the macaroons, are the best. We grab a box when ever we're invited to friends houses. This place is a must in Gloucester.

I love this place - they have a big selection of Sicilian and Italian pastries and cookies, much more so than I expected. The cannoli are excellent, and so are the ricotta pie and the rum cake. I found the staff pleasant and helpful and I thought the prices were quite reasonable. I will be back for sure!

I come to this place for the pastries. If you are looking for an amazing Italian cookie then this is one of the places to go. The Italian pastries at this place are incredible but I knocked off 2 stars because the prices are absolutely through the roof, especially considering this cafe is located across the street from Virgilio's bakery which is just as amazing and much less expensive. $14.50 for a small box of cookies that wasn't even full. At Virgilio's I paid $7.00 for the same exact amount of the same exact cookies. It is a great place and seriously worth trying out, but I won't do it all the time.

For the life of me, I can't remember what the name of what I ordered. It had shaved chocolate, mousse, amaretto sponge cake...and it was heavenly. I could have eaten 10. My dad got some apple thing which he thoroughly enjoyed. The owner was very happy and friendly. My parents did mention that the coffee was sub-par, however. But since I don't drink coffee, I don't care if their coffee stinks...so a solid five stars from me!!! I'll be back whenever I'm on Cape Ann, that's for sure.

Excellent coffee/cappuccino.. With a few pastries (pear tart).