Caffè Sicilia

Caffè Sicilia is among the most celebrated pasticcerie in all of Italy, a historic café on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Noto, the baroque jewel of south-east Sicily, where it has been making sweets since 1892. Its present fame is bound up with Corrado Assenza, the master pastry chef whose intellectual, ingredient-driven approach has drawn international attention, including a memorable appearance on the Chef's Table documentary series. Assenza's philosophy treats the sugar and fat of classic confectionery with restraint, letting the extraordinary raw materials of the surrounding countryside speak: the almonds of Avola, the lemons and oranges of the Noto plain, the wild herbs, the honey. The granita is justly legendary — almond, lemon and seasonal fruit versions of silky texture, traditionally eaten with a warm brioche col tuppo for breakfast — as are the cassata, the candied-fruit and ricotta confections, and the torrone. The café is at once a counter for a quick granita and a sit-down room for a leisurely sweet and coffee; the atmosphere is busy and unpretentious despite the global reputation, and prices remain remarkably reasonable for the quality. Because Noto is a magnet for visitors exploring the UNESCO-listed late-baroque towns of the Val di Noto, Caffè Sicilia is busy throughout the long season, with queues forming in the morning for granita and brioche. Arriving early, before the tour groups, is the way to enjoy it at its calmest. No reservations are taken; visitors simply join the line or grab a table. The café sits at the heart of Noto's golden-stone main street, steps from the cathedral, making it the natural start or finish to a wander through one of Sicily's most photogenic towns. For serious food lovers, a visit here is little short of a pilgrimage.