Val di Noto Essentials
Val di Noto Essentials Where to stay and eat in this charming region of Sicily pose for pictures at a desk with a stack of case files and a telephone receiver at my grin. Later that evening, we made our final passeggiata through Ragusa towards Duomo, the Michelin-starred restaurant of Sicily’s most celebrated chef, Ciccio Sultano. We were about to eat what was hands-down the best meal of our lives (savoury caviar cannoli, mushroom and oyster “cappuccino”, candied pistachio “couscous” scattered atop celery sorbet), but I didn’t know that yet. I was stuck on the sky’s glow, which lent a nearly psychedelic cast to the scene before me. Just outside the door, a young girl on rollerblades traced figures of eight and sang to herself with abandon. She and I locked eyes, one Sicilian princess to another. • Noto The three-villa property Jacques Garcia Noto (jacquesgarcianoto. com), run by the eponymous French visionary, is a private paradise of olive trees and ruins – real ones and replicas – set on rolling hills overlooking the nearby town of Noto. Seven Rooms Villadorata (7roomsvilladorata.it) is a collection of seven stunningly appointed rooms (think John Derian by way of old-world Italy) located in a corner of the 18thcentury Palazzo Nicolaci. A relative newcomer to Noto, San Carlo Suites (sancarlosuites.com) is a palate cleanser to the area’s maximalist stance where you’ll find white lace bedding and antiques. Anche Gli Angeli (anchegliangeli. it) in the centre of town is a sophisticated restaurant by day and a live music venue by night. A gathering point for young and beautiful tourists, Manna (manna noto.it) traffics in creative takes on traditional Sicilian fare. Try the fish special and order a gin and tonic made with local spirits. For a more hands-on experience, sign up for a class with Renée Restivo (soulofsicily.com), a food writer formerly based in New York who now lives full-time in Noto and leads culinary tours and cooking lessons in local villas. Niscemi A scenic two-hour ride north from Noto, Feudi del Pisciotto (pictured above; winerelaisfeudidelpisciotto. com) wine relais is the romantic – and delightfully remote – Sicilian hideaway you’ve always dreamt of: set in a lovingly restored 18thcentury baglio, guests sleep in one of ten rustic-chic rooms that blend fascinating handmade artefacts and rough-hewn stone walls with modern design elements, while noteworthy on-site indulgences include everything from the toothsome regional fare and the estate’s award-winning vintages at the Palmento di Feudi restaurant (which doubles as a cooking school run in partnership with NYC’s Le Cirque restaurant) and a serene pool area with stunning views of the rolling hills. Ragusa Ibla Opened in 2015 in a 19th-century stone home with walls so thick they block out wifi, Arturo Arezzo’s five-room bed-and-breakfast, Iblainsuite (iblainsuite.it), is a mix of modern Italian design with ceiling frescoes dating back to 1850. a.d. 1768 (1768iblahotel.it), a brand-new ten-room boutique hotel that punctuates its old-world interiors with surprisingly modern art, is set within the former palace of a grand Italian family. The Donna Teresa suite has a balcony that overlooks Piazza Duomo. A meal at Duomo (cicciosultano.it) is worth the trip alone. Located inside Palazzo La Rocca, where part of the Marcello Mastroianni classic Divorce Italian Style was filmed, this Michelin two-star restaurant offers refined interpretations of Sicilian standbys. For a more casual experience of Ciccio Sultano’s cooking, head to I Banchi (ibanchiragusa.it) his Pop Art– influenced bakery and eatery. CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 53
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