Locanda Gulfi

Locanda Gulfi is the restaurant of the Gulfi winery, set amid the vineyards near Chiaramonte Gulfi in the hills of the Ragusa province, in the heart of south-east Sicily's Iblei country. It offers one of the island's most complete agritourism experiences: serious regional cooking and the estate's acclaimed wines, taken in with sweeping views over the surrounding countryside. Gulfi is best known for its Nero d'Avola wines, vinified to express different terroirs of the south-east, and the restaurant is built to show them at their best alongside the robust Ibleo cuisine of the area. The kitchen specialises in the slow-cooked meats and legume dishes of the inland tradition: pork from the local Nero dei Nebrodi heritage breed, game, hearty pastas such as pasta alla carrettiera, and seasonal vegetables, all rooted in the produce of the hills. The dining room is handsome and contemporary, with large windows framing the vines, and the atmosphere is relaxed but considered, geared to a leisurely lunch or dinner with wine at its centre; smart-casual dress is appropriate. Because the locanda is a winery restaurant in the countryside rather than a town-centre spot, booking is essential and best done well ahead, particularly for weekends and the busy spring-to-autumn season; the estate also offers accommodation and tastings, making it a destination in its own right. A car is effectively required to reach it. The setting pairs naturally with a wine-focused exploration of south-east Sicily, between the baroque towns of Ragusa, Modica and Scicli and the coast. For travellers who want to taste the estate's wines at source with cooking that matches them, Locanda Gulfi is among the most rewarding tables in the Ragusa hills.