Masseria degli Ulivi

Eating

It shows how much space there is at the Masseria when breakfast can be served in an entirely different room to dinner. Both rooms come off the main courtyard, which has outdoor seating as well as a cantina for wine tasting. The pretty dining room also has a large terrace looking across the countryside.

The fairly limited dinner menu offers traditional Sicilian food presented in a sophisticated manner - like a timbale of sardines and unusual little chickpea fritters. The wine list had a great range of Sicilian bottles. The service was formal and a bit slow, but as the atmosphere is generally laid-back this didn’t really matter.

Breakfast was a buffet which included cereals, cold meats, cheeses and lots of sweet pastries that the Sicilians just love to start the day with. There was even some cake and lots of fresh fruit. Coffee and tea was brought to the table. Lunch is only served on Sundays, and there is no room-service or out of hours snacking.

Restaurants in Noto

As there are no restaurants in the immediate area, you will want to drive down to Noto (15 mins away) for some culinary variety.

We adored Il Cantuccio, tucked into tastefully lit, vaulted chambers, where you get impeccably presented (and explained) nouveau Sicilian cuisine, including mini platters of local cheeses with pistachio sauce, fronds of grilled octopus and a perfect timbale of ratatouille which brought to mind the film of the same name.

We also loved the more down-to-earth fare and atmosphere in Trattoria Baglieri, also dubbed Crocifisso, being near the church of that name. Pasta portions come big and fresh and decidedly al dente, accompanied by fried fennel, artichokes or wild asparagus in spring, washed down with decent Nero d'Avola and capped with a deliciously melting chocolate mousse.

While you're in town, don't on any account miss Caffe Sicilia, which serves the island's best sweets at simple streetside tables on the main drag: creamy cassata and cannoli, iced coffee with whipped cream, moist cup cakes which redefine those childhood memories, and homemade gelati and granita bursting with the flavours of strawberry, almond and a dozen other fruit.