Caol Ishka

Eating

The hotel's restaurant, Zafferano ('Saffron'), is a grey-walled barn with square black tables, unshaded designer light bulbs and, to poke fun at its own austerity, 3 ornamental gold doors and a Baroque gilt mirror. The food, likewise, is presented with an eye for aesthetics - wavy white plates, colourful mini-towers of food, a dot and a dash of pesto - but without taking itself too seriously. Ingredients are local (sage from the garden, fish from Siracusa's market), recipes are classic Sicilian with an occasional oriental twist, and service is slick without being supercilious. You might start with sesame'd spring rolls or swordfish millefeuille and move on to chunky paccheri (local pasta) with scorpion fish, before finishing with a light sponge hiding a molten chocolate heart.

If you prefer to eat out, there's a wide choice of restaurants in Siracusa, including some touristy fish places on the sea-washed headland of Ortigia, and some less touristy eateries hidden up its narrow medieval lanes. Of the former, Lunga La Notte, the last place on the seafront before the castle, was the best we found: try the grilled prawns, the salty mussels and clams, and the swordfish roulade stuffed with pine nuts and breadcrumbs. Or splash out on a fresh triglia (red mullet), whose delicate and slightly antiseptic taste is locally prized. Of the latter, Taberna Sveva (Piazza Federico di Svevia) comes recommended for its grilled meat, gnocchi and delicate pistachio-based sauces. Also worth trying is La Volpe e l’Uva on Piazza del Duomo - as much for its romantic setting opposite the cathedral as for its extensive menu of pizzas and pasta.

Come morning, breakfast is laid out at the hotel and includes a beautifully presented rosette of seasonal fruit (perhaps kiwi, lychees, pineapple and blood tangerine), an irresistible platter of pastries, and all manner of biscuits and cakes. The freshly squeezed juices and cappuccinos were among the best we had in Sicily, and in summer you can eat on the decked terrace watching Emanuela and Gareth's friendly dogs bounding across the garden.