Don Camillo In Siracusa

Don't let the name fool you and immediately forget the good Peppone of Guareschi's memory. The (Don) Camillo in question is Camillo Guarneri, great chef and founder. together with his son Giovanni who inherited his father's skills and expert touch in the kitchen and is currently the "soul" of the kitchens aided by a talented team. In the historic center of Syracuse, specifically in Ortigia, the enchanting and enchanted island colonized by the Greeks in 733 BC, on the beautiful Via della Maestranza site, full of baroque magnificence, the historic venue, in business since 1985, is housed on the ground floor of an ancient stately building; the interior is simply enchanting, for those who love classic furnishings, in a space that makes the most of it, putting the magnificent original vaulted structures in "naked" view made with local stone, Syracuse stone, the color of honey ; the furnishings are in harmony, sober and elegant, with fine furniture, exposed wine shelves, lighting fixtures and paintings in harmony with the room. The elegant tables are comfortable and well spaced, the background music is pleasant and at the correct volume, the toilets are impeccable. The welcome is the best (it may happen that Giovanni himself welcomes you), a very polite and elegant lady does the honours, the head nurse and the collaborators, elegantly dressed, are courteous and immediately put you at ease: professionalism is guaranteed . The beautiful menu, printed on fine paper (on the cover, a portrait of Camillo by Salvatore Fiume), offers some very interesting tasting itineraries and, obviously, the classic "à la carte menu". The proposals are not very many, and this speaks in favor of the restaurant, and are divided into a select choice of dishes based on sea and land, made with selected raw materials and brought in from the surrounding area which, in various respects, offers a lot . The dishes are well plated in quality services, the bread, of different qualities, is prepared in the restaurant kitchens; unmissable, in the opinion of the writer, are the Spaghetti delle Sirene with sea urchins and prawns: a masterpiece, conceived way back in 1989 and always proposed again (season permitting), whose smell alone reconciles with the world and with the smells and flavors of the generous sea Syracusan. This is just a suggestion: I invite readers to discover the other dishes, from appetizers to desserts. The selection of wines, including international ones, is vast and very satisfying, for every taste and for connoisseurs: the "by the glass" proposals are good, well balanced in the choice. What to say in conclusion? Surely Don Camillo is a safe "landing place" in Syracuse, and an absolute certainty of quality and a satisfying culinary experience: the price is absolutely reasonable for everything the beautiful place offers that, when I am passing through Syracuse (a city that I also love because it was my birthplace), I don't hesitate to visit.

It is not possible to give more than 5 stars as a sign of appreciation. It's a shame.... we went twice in a few days trying different dishes and nothing was extraordinary... absolutely not to be missed is the spaghetti delle siren, a rightly iconic dish.... excellent wine list with the right quality/price ratio, compliments to the owners and all the staff

Excellent food, service and organization.

Abbiamo scelto sia menù degustazione sia piatti a scelta. Tutti molto buoni e squisiti. Ristorante curato e servizio impeccabile.

Nice restaurant with fine cuisine. It's not cheap here, but it's worth it. Service at a high level. Huge collection of wines. There is a testing menu.

A cool, cave-like restaurant on a hot summer day. Well-cooked food expressed in art. A restaurant worth being proud of

Great experience here! We really e enjoyed the super plates here! Easy to memorize the dishes! Not like in many gourmet Michelin restaurants that you don’t memorise nothing! We tried some of them here in Ortigia, Taormina and Catania, but for my tastes, this was the best! And I can’t leave this review without writing how good was the service here! Really high class team! Il capo Della Sala, il sommeliere e tutti altri!

Nice place, not within everyone's reach, it's a pity that we were treated differently than the other customers who had chosen larger menus, wine etc, they received 2-3 courses while we were still waiting for the first, furthermore their tables were cleared in time excellent, ours left for last, as if we were second class customers, or that our money wasn't worth that much because it was less... normal food, we didn't get excited. However, the waiters were prepared and kind as usual.

Classy, ​​welcoming place with well-distributed spaces. Professional and friendly staff, however, some details are overlooked to make the service suitable for the venue. The food and wine list is well-made. Well-stocked cellar with interesting national and international offerings. Very creative cuisine, with interesting combinations, the flavor can be improved. Furthermore, a porcelain service of a single style suited to the room would be more suitable.

Sono ritornata in questo ristorante in Ortigia dopo parecchi anni e la qualità è sempre ai massimi livelli. Il locale è classico e accogliente, il menù vario ma non interminabile come accade spesso oggigiorno. Interessante uno dei meno degustazione che ripropone i classici del ristorante dalla sua apertura. La carta dei vini è degna dei migliori tre stelle Michelin, è strano che non abbia ottenuto nessun riconoscimento finora. Ho mangiato spaghetti ai ricci e gamberi degni di nota fra gli altri piatti. Tornerei domani solo per quelli! Conto adeguato.