Granduca Restaurant Taormina

Me and my fiance ate at this restaurant to round off the final day of our holiday to Sicily. To start I ordered mussels and my fiance ordered a lasagne-like dish. Both of which were a good start to the meal. For our mains we ordered the steak and also a swordfish dish. The swordfish was light and had a lot of flavour. The steak however was a bit of a let down. We ordered it medium rare and it came well done. We overheard another table making the same observation so maybe the chef always cooks the steak this way. The steak also came with some vegetables which didn’t pair well at all with the steak. It felt like the same vegetables from the swordfish dish were lifted and shifted onto the steak dish. For desert we had the profiteroles, which were solid. Overall, the experience was good. I wouldn’t consider this restaurant the best we went to in Sicily but it was the more expensive. I would recommend others come to the restaurant to experience a flavour of fine dining in Sicily.

We had the pleasure of returning to the Ristorante Granduca in Taormina, and once again, the experience was excellent in every way.The setting is beautiful, offering an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by greenery with wonderful sea views. It’s the perfect place for a romantic dinner or a special occasion with friends.The service was impeccable: staff were courteous, attentive, and professional from start to finish, always ready with helpful suggestions without ever being intrusive. The dishes were beautifully presented, combining Sicilian tradition with modern creativity. From starters to mains, everything was well-executed, using high-quality ingredients and refined pairings. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the fish prepared with great skill, the meat delicate and flavorful, and the desserts well-balanced and satisfying. This is clearly a kitchen that knows what it’s doing and delivers with consistency. In short, Granduca is a safe choice in Taormina: professionalism, quality, kindness, and a beautiful setting make it a restaurant we would confidently recommend.

Just wanted to share my experience. Feel disappointed that I couldn't eat and enjoy that great restaurant and great view. However, the stuff was rude. To clarify 2 waiters, we were visiting toarmina, and we wanted to eat it was empty . The manager told us we could have lunch, maybe there was a break time for the waiters. However, they were rude. And honestly, for my friends and I. We were playing to spend 200€ with some rude waiters, but it doesn't work like that. Shame. However, maybe the management needs to know so they can work on it. Great place, rude waiters.

This is our 5th day in the area, and our 9th meal out and THE most unfriendly unwelcoming place we have visited so far. The view is the only thing that earns it any stars at all. We encountered 5 different members of staff and they were all miserable - one of them, a woman, honestly was the most miserable person I’ve ever seen in my life. I joked with my family that she couldn’t pay her bill here two years ago and they have kept her prisoner working here ever since. Seriously, if you do visit - try to guess which one this is!! I don’t think I’ve been anywhere where it appeared that the people eating there were an inconvenience. Looking back we perhaps did two things wrong ourselves - 1. We didn’t book in advance. The look of disdain when I said we hadn’t booked! 2. We didn’t order wine. The table next to us ordered wine and the waiter appeared to make a big fuss of them, bringing the Parmesan and offering to sprinkle it on their food. We just got the Parmesan placed on our table by the miserable waitress - no offer of sprinkling it for us. Just an overall odd experience and a place we wouldn’t visit again even if the food was free.

Fantastic food and beautiful views. An otherwise 10/10 experience was dragged down by rude and nonchalant service- mainly from this one Italian waitress who seemed to be some form of manager. Some of the waiters were nice and tried their best though.

We arrived late and hungry to Taormina and this place was recommended to us by the manager of our accommodation. It looks like an OG local place as most guests were older local groups. Some regional regional dishes we tried were interesting and we liked spaghetti alla bottarga (with dried fish roe) a lot for its fresh sea flavor and the balance of saltiness.

Walked in for lunch without a reservation but likely they could sit us in the covered terrace with a beautiful sea view. Enjoyed the Minestrone soup, a version of chickpea soup. The salmon pizza with truffle mushroom cream and salmon is also very delicious. Note: €4 pp "coperto" table charge added to the bill

Visited this place, because saw bloggers recommendations. However it is really overrated! The pizza was okay, but nothing special. We had a better one in Taormina. Limoncello spritz was the worst in my life. The service is awful, rude waiters. Also it was quite hot inside, no air circulation was on, the view was the only nice thing.

We loved this place and came twice during our stay. The view is breathtaking and we found the service friendly and competent. We were not rushed and could have stayed until breakfast. The local pasta special with sardines is delicious. Cooked perfectly and not overbearing. The pizza ( four cheese) was so tasty with Gorgonzola cheese being the highlight. Go with the wheat crust. Ample selection of wines to complement a varied menu too. Prices are average for Taormina. Enjoy!

Ambiance and view was nice and the food was decent. The service however was horrible. They charge you $4 per person cover charge but didn't even bring us plates after we asked for them four times. We kept asking for more water they ignored that too but made to sure to add to our bill the water that they DIDNT bring.

This place is excellent, the sea view is beautiful, and the service is great. The food was delicious!

Came to eat here for lunch after the tour we took in Taormina. It was recommended to u may need reservations but we got lucky didn't need them. Place is hidden away and downstairs when u get there you have the view of the ocean bc you on a cliff. Service was ok they were just under staffed. Pizza was delicious and so was the Cannolo as they call it here. I recommend this place but only if you have time bc u will be there for a while.

This place is for the views. Honestly, I did not think the food was that fresh or good. My wife got sick from the shrimp. Taormina is one of the best cities in Sicily and with many restaurant options to choose from, I would not come here. I would only come here for the view and a drink maybe.

Okay, we are likely typical ugly Americans. So we thank Granduca for confirming that to us. Too bad, really, because the view is something. And the pizza and apps were good. Particular shout out to the fellow with the hard gel hair for his contempt. Go to TreQuarti just down the way, and up a cute side avenue for a far better dinner, and much better service. Unless you prefer contemptuousness, in which case this is the place for you.

Upon arrival we requested drinks only. We were told, by the manager, there was a cover charge if food was not ordered. We ordered two large pizzas, three bottles of water, and drinks. We were charged for four bottles of water and cover charges for seven people. The manager refused to refund the charges, and apparently had no recollection of the earlier conversation witnessed by our entire group! Very disappointed in the service when everyone else on the island has been so kind.

Food was average. Service was sub-par & pricing was a bit more than other restaurants in Taormina, due to the view. They became agitated when questioning my bill.

Good for large groups and that's about it - we ordered a variety of appetizers - all mediocre by Sicilian standards. I did enjoy my entry - fish fry - and the decor of Sicilian carts and puppetsz

Service was slow. Food was horrible. I would not take my worst enemy to this place. Run away.

Our group of ~60 had a terrific experience at Granduca. Few restaurants excel when dealing with groups ... Granduca significantly over-achieved my expectations. Not a single problem with food, wine or service. Due to the size of our group, the menu was pre-arranged and extravagant - many courses. An amuse bouche, antipasto, pasta, fish, shellfish, meat, salad - there was something for everyone.

This was remarkable! 10/10 for their food, wine & atmosphere. If you make it to Sicily, this is a must see restaurant! It's like you've traveled back in time

Food was tasty but the staff seemed unhappy and stressed. The service was fast and prices reasonable.

Horrible food and horrible service. The people working here seemed angry, I mean everyone. The waiter who took our order to the people who cleared our plates. I think they were mad because they were working for such a shitty restaurant. We had a party of five and everything from the pizza to the fish was bland. I think they forgot how to use salt and pepper. The pizza was soggy and greasy, I thought I was at a pizza place in NYC. Ohh wait, I'm in Italy, the land of pizza. Don't waste your time and money on this place. They should change there name from Granduca to Grand-Dookie.

After being seated, we had to ask to get a menu, after not having received one and waiting for 20 minutes, the waiters and waitresses seemed to have forgotten about us as they had five other tables with louder guests. My husband ordered pizza, I ordered a mix plate of "frutti di mare" and a tagliatelle bolognese for our three year old. My husband's pizza arrived after about 10 minutes while my son and I had to wait a very long time before receiving ours. Roughly 30 minutes I would say and we had to ask for our food... As I ordered seafood, it's really essential that it is served directly and I could tell by the swordfish and prawns that it had been sitting for a while. The fish was completely dry and and luke warm... my sons pasta had begun to stiffen... Not exactly what I expect from a restaurant with this rating on Yelp! When we addressed this to the head waiter, he seemed more annoyed with us addressing it rather than with the staff...nobody appologized, tried to make it better or even say goodbye when we left. But they of course still changed us for the seating (cover) cost of three people.

I'll start by saying the food is really good... but the staff (namely the owner - elderly man who takes your order) is VERY rude. We have never felt more rushed to order and the amount of times he rolled his eyes at us was shocking. We speak Italian and not even that got us any respect (given we are tourists and sometimes that in itself rubs staff the wrong way). Wouldn't return no matter how good the food was... 8 out of every 10 restaurants in Italy is good, so if I were you, save yourself the stress (especially if you're on holiday) and go somewhere else...

Went in for lunch on our first day in Taormina. Food wasn't bad but the service was awful. I understand the Sicilian mindset of long carefree lunches but being ignored for 25 minutes after being seated without even a drink of water? After waiting on drinks and then the food, it was almost dinner time when we departed

Worst experience in Taormina. Some of the food was good, but the service was terrible. Even with ordering $60 worth of wine for 2 people! We were rushed and served the wrong food. Primi came out with secondi. Granduca stands for big shit!

Good ingredients make even the simplest meals tasty. The rude italian waiters make it more authentic as the menu is translated in German and English. The food is good, not great, and the establishment demonstrates the large flux of tourists Taormina receives.

Such a wonderful experience at this hidden gem! The staff is so warm and attentive, the views are spectacular. Now for the food, delicious. The pizzas are to die for. I had the it with artichoke, mushroom and olives. They make it homemade in the front of the restaurant, you can see for yourself! Also their seafood selection is the best. I had a delicious sea bream for dinner that they de-boned beautifully. Also, their wine selection is grand! Love love love!

Some of the food was excellent but some was merely passable. The service was awful. Drinks weren't brought until I raised an issue after the appetizers arrived. No apology. Staff was indifferent and arrogant. Bill not brought until after I demanded it twice. Evidently has a great view during the day but there is no view at night. In sum, an unhappy experience at a premium price. There are some very nice restaurants in Taormina, but this isn't one of them.

Definitely book a table as this place is very popular. The food is good but not for the price especially given the service was disappointing. Maybe because we didn't speak italian, we were ignored much of the night having to refill our own wine glasses and waving down waiters for attention. Also sensed a bit of "attitude" when doing our best to order in italian. We much preferred the service and food of the restaurants off the main drag but this is an easy option with nice water views if you don't feel like venturing beyond the Main Street

Being a seaside (cliffside, actually) town, one would expect good seafood and great views. Well, Granduca wraps both of those up in a neat little ribbon and delivers on a silver platter. I'm not a high end guy. I don't really do fancy. This place toed the line ever-so-politely fancy as I can stand... And passed! Its located along the main shopping street in Taormina. Smack dab set against the cliff with panoramic ocean views, this place is definitely a romantic surprise. It's not snobby, not hoity-toity like it could be. It's beautiful. It's delicious. It was wonderful. Being on the water, I recommend the local seafood. I had a swordfish steak and it was great! Apparently July-August is the busy time for all of Sicily. I'd avoid this time.

Very good price / quality. The staff is really friendly and gave us good advice in regards to the local specialties and wines. We started with a antipasti which was really big and very good. Take the local cheese and meat plate! After that we had local meatrolls, very good! Nice view over the bay!

The restaurant has a beautiful terrace facing the sea, unfortunately that is where the charm stops... We arrived at 7:30 for our reservation, there was no queues I waited patiently to be served while a flock of waiters wazzle around looking busy (but not really doing much), occasionally I get a glance but not a shilling more. 10 minutes pass... We get seated, a lovely spot at the front of the terrace. We wait patiently again while another 10 minutes pass... More wazzling by the waiters, checking the glasses are straight, etc. The restaurant was at around 25% capacity and there is a harem of staff, we finally got seen to after 30 minutes to be told we cannot order pizza (in the menu) if we sit at the front of the terrace. To cut a long story short, we said "we are happy to move to back it's not a problem, or order 1 pizza and something else from the menu, the table behind us are having pizza". He didn't listen and sent us down to a lower outdoor terrace, by this time ladies and gentlemen it was around 8:30 and getting cold, and the service was no warmer. I wouldn't go back to this place if it is free, un-organised and pretentious management. The one star goes to the Pizza chef. Grand-Poo-Ca.

Skip this tourist trap. The waiter who seated us and took our order was very rude and snobby (I think he was the Maitre d'). We would have ordered more but we were all so put off by his attitude that we cut the order somewhat short. We also noticed him being condescending to people at the surrounding tables (who were people of several nationalities) so it was not just us. He didn't come to the table again, and we actually were happy about that because the rest of the servers were very polite and charming. The food was ok, but French fries with veal Cotoletta was surprising to my father. My mother had a bland, unremarkable swordfish with a runny tomato and caper sauce. I had a fresh breaded sardine dish that was quite good. The house antipasto plate "Sicilian fantasy" was very good. The view is spectacular during the day, which is the only reason to go there. It was quite beautiful when we were seated but it was dark soonafter and even though there was a full moon you couldn't see anything at night. (Taormina faces east, so no sunset either). The total came to $127 for 4 people with one 750ml bottle of wine 4 second plates and 2 antipasti. Not so expensive but a little more than other places with comparable food. This was the only bad dining experience we've had in Sicily.

Wow ... Please as an American that travels a lot .. The food was above average but omg .... The service !!!! No matter what nationality you are ... Service is service ... These guys are so below average .. I mean even the french are better .. We walked in as party of 3 .. The tables by the terrace which are much coveted we're not available ... I asked but because one of the ladies I was with asked about pizza .. The hombre immediately said " you can go below" ... Wtf ????!!! .. After that we were still seated but to a non view table ... After dinner was served ... We were never asked about our opinion of food " was it good ? ... Anything else ?... " it was the worst service ever ....I highly don't recommend... !!!!

This restaurant is located in the quaint village of Taormina. It is perched on a hillside overlooking the water. A wonderful setting. The meal is just as spectacular. The pastas are very fresh and the seafood is the best I have had. The catch of the day is brought out by the waiter for you to select your fish, which can be prepared several ways. i had the fish wrapped in salt that was extremely moist and tender. The desserts are also very good. I would highly recommend this restaurant for the food, ambiance and views.

Make reservations and ask for a view of the sea. The food is very good, the service is better, and the place definitely on your list of where to eat when in Taormina.

A little Italian goes a long way...and reservations. Granduca has a way of making [prepared] patrons feel bourgeois, but in a good way. When my guests and I arrived for our 9:00 p.m. Saturday reservations, we were greeted by the maître 'd and he truly wanted to seat us along the rail with the best view of the Mediterranean. The tables were filled with diners, but he asked the server to move them along. They were going to be a while, so he found us another nice table that had a great view...of the entire terrace and with a side view of the sea. Lovely. Our server, Giuseppe, was wonderful! He took great care of us. We ended up having 4 people wait on us, from the manager, to two servers that brought out all of our dishes, and Giuseppe. The wine was superb--Nero Masso, a lightly effervescent variety--and came in at 18 euros a bottle. Rockstar! Our food was too. We had two antipasto platters that were beautiful and fresh. The mains were the true stars though. I had spaghetti with clams and tomatoes, and it was soooooo amazing! I couldn't finish it. I didn't even have room for gelato, and there is always room for gelato. I would recommend this handsome spot for a romantic dinner or a special evening with friends. Use some of your Italian basics, and you will be greeted and served by friendly staff. The food and wine will just be an added bonus.

Party of 7 people went here last night and was amazed by the attention the staff gave . We were allocated a table with a sea view , the food/service was excellent. It was extremely busy people queuing for tables but we were not rushed in anyway. We would definitely return - it was a great choice for our last night in Taormina .