A pizzeria inside a 17th-century villa

The group describes Pizzeria Villa Zuccaro as sitting in an ancient 17th-century villa in the historic centre of Taormina, surrounded by a green garden. That combination of old stone, outdoor space and pizza is unusual for a town where most eating happens in tight lanes.

The pizzeria follows the Sicilian kitchen, with typical dishes prepared each day according to what is available and in season. In practice the offer shifts through the year, and a first visit is best approached as a Sicilian meal with pizza in it, not a pizza menu with extras. The garden setting suits families and groups who want space around the table outdoors.

Where to find it, and where the group's other venues sit

Taormina's centro storico is built around Corso Umberto I, and the group's venues are spread across the centre. La Napoletana and Osteria Villa Zuccaro are both a few steps from Piazza Duomo and Piazza IX Aprile; Osteria Villa Zuccaro is at Corso Umberto I, 38, and San Michele sits near Porta Catania at Piazza San Domenico de Guzman 2B.

La Romana, the group's Roman-style pizzeria, has its own address at Via Dietro Cappuccini, 1, with a separate phone line. Treat the five as separate bookings with separate doors rather than one building with different rooms. If your evening is centred on Piazza IX Aprile, the Corso Umberto venues save a walk.

Walking the Corso is the practical way to compare: the group's venues sit along the historic centre and are easy to link on foot. Anyone planning a broader day in the town can look at our Taormina Attractions: 5 Visitor Guides for context on what else sits along the same streets.

Three pizza styles across the group

The group makes a clear distinction between its doughs, and matching the style to your mood is the most useful choice you will make. Villa Zuccaro is the garden-villa pizzeria serving Sicilian dishes; La Napoletana follows the old Neapolitan tradition with a soft, almost foldable dough and a raised rim the group calls the cornicione, with ingredients sourced from Sicily.

La Romana takes the opposite approach, with the Roman scrocchiarella, a thin, crisp-based pizza that stays light and crunchy outside and slightly softer inside. Its toppings combine Roman technique with Sicilian ingredients. If you want a crisp, snack-like base, that is your venue; if you want a puffy, foldable rim, La Napoletana is the one.

Osteria Villa Zuccaro is the sit-down Sicilian restaurant of the group, built around fish and meat dishes with a bright indoor dining room and a large outdoor terrace. Order a mixed antipasti, a primo (first course, usually pasta) and a secondo (main course of fish or meat) if you want the full Sicilian arc, or treat Villa Zuccaro as the pizza option when the table cannot agree.

Booking a table: the form and the confirmation rule

Booking runs through an online request form on the group's site, and the key rule is easy to miss: the request is not confirmed until staff reply. A submitted form is not a held table, so plan around the reply rather than the submission. Each venue has its own email address and phone number, so request the right one.

In summer, when Taormina fills up, send the request several days ahead rather than the same afternoon, and telephone the venue directly if you have not heard back within a day. La Romana's own line is +39 0942 892146, and its booking address is reserve-laromana@villazuccaro.com.

For a group, an earlier slot in the evening is usually easier to plan around than a late one. If the garden is what you are after, say so in the request notes so the team can match the table to the booking.

Nearby places to eat on the same streets

If the villa is fully booked, the surrounding lanes hold other options worth knowing for a second night. Osteria da Rita, Taormina is a straightforward trattoria choice within the centro storico, and Trattoria Tiramisù in Taormina is another sit-down option nearby.

For picnic supplies or a cheese course before dinner, La Bottega del Formaggio, Taormina on Via Bagnoli Croce works as a stop on the walk back from the villa. The Mercato di Taormina is the town's market, a sensible morning errand if you want to buy fruit and bread before an evening booking.

Practical notes before you go

The setting is a garden villa rather than a pavement table, so dress for an evening outdoors and wear shoes that cope with cobbles on the walk in. A meal of antipasti, pizza and a shared dessert is the natural pace here. Budget in euros and read the menu prices at the table.

Which Villa Zuccaro venue should you book?

Book Villa Zuccaro if you want a Sicilian meal in a garden villa with pizza on the table, and La Napoletana if a soft, foldable Neapolitan base is the point of the evening. Choose La Romana for a thin, crisp scrocchiarella, and Osteria Villa Zuccaro if the table wants fish and meat courses in a proper dining room. In all cases the booking is confirmed only when staff reply, so send the request early and keep the phone number to hand.