Villa Zuccaro in Taormina: Pizza in a Garden away from the Crowds of Corso Umberto
Taormina has no shortage of restaurants built around views, terraces and tourist traffic. Villa Zuccaro offers a different advantage: a large garden hidden behind the streets of the historic centre, where pizza remains the main reason to book.
The restaurant occupies a seventeenth-century villa near Porta Catania. Once inside, the atmosphere changes quickly. Stone walls, trees and outdoor tables create a calmer setting than the crowded restaurants along Corso Umberto.
The menu is extensive, but the restaurant is most convincing when the order stays close to Sicily: caponata, aubergines, tuma, pistachio, tuna, capers and local cured meats.
When we visited in 2026, the garden made the first impression, but the simpler pizzas gave the clearest measure of the kitchen.
One of the Best Places for Pizza in a Taormina Garden
The setting is Villa Zuccaro’s decisive strength.
Tables are arranged through a broad internal garden that feels surprisingly secluded considering the central location. It works particularly well during summer, when eating outdoors is preferable to sitting beside the constant pedestrian traffic of the main street.
The restaurant is large and suited to couples, families and groups. It can still become busy and noisy, but the space absorbs crowds better than many smaller Taormina pizzerias.
This is not an intimate fine-dining terrace. It is a relaxed and attractive place for pizza after a day in the historic centre.
Begin with a Few Sicilian Antipasti
The Antipasto Zuccaro combines small portions of parmigiana, caponata, fried tuma and aubergine meatballs.
At €16, it is designed for sharing and provides a practical introduction to the kitchen. The caponata brings acidity and sweetness, while the fried cheese and aubergine dishes make the plate substantially richer.
For two people, one mixed antipasto is enough.
The individual caponata and parmigiana are better choices when the table wants to keep the beginning lighter. There is no reason to order several fried starters before pizza.
The Margherita Is Still the Best Test
The Margherita costs €9.50 and remains the most useful first order.
Tomato, mozzarella and basil leave no room for weak dough or poor baking. The pizza has a Sicilian identity rather than the exaggerated cornicione of a contemporary Neapolitan style.
The base is structured enough to support generous toppings, but the restaurant should still be judged on balance rather than quantity.
A simple Margherita or Bufala gives a clearer impression than the pizzas carrying cream, several cheeses and cured meat at the same time.
Norma Is the Most Natural Sicilian Choice
The Norma combines tomato, mozzarella, fried aubergines, baked ricotta and basil.
It is the pizza that most naturally connects the restaurant to Sicily. The aubergine provides sweetness, the ricotta adds savoury depth and the tomato keeps the topping recognisable rather than excessively creamy.
At €11, it is also one of the strongest choices for value.
This is the pizza to recommend to travellers looking for a local flavour without choosing one of the longer and more complicated ingredient lists.
Taormina Has the Strongest House Personality
The Taormina pizza uses mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, tuna, onion, raisins, capers, pistachio powder and mint.
The combination is distinctly Sicilian, moving between salt, sweetness and freshness. Tuna and capers provide the marine element, raisins soften the onion and mint keeps the topping from becoming too dense.
It is more adventurous than the Norma and will not suit diners who prefer a strictly savoury pizza. It does, however, explain the restaurant’s style better than a generic four-cheese or ham-and-mushroom option.
Choose it when you want the house pizza rather than the safest order.
Regina di Bronte Is Rich but Coherent
The Regina di Bronte combines tomato, buffalo mozzarella, pistachio cream and prosciutto crudo.
Pistachio pizzas are common throughout Sicily, but they are not always balanced. Here, tomato provides the acidity needed to control the fat of the mozzarella, cured ham and nut cream.
At €15, it is substantial and better shared with a simpler pizza.
The Mortadella, with stracciatella and pistachio, follows a similar direction but is even richer. Ordering both at the same table would make the meal repetitive.
The Menu Is Too Broad to Explore Completely
Villa Zuccaro offers dozens of pizzas, including truffle cream, salmon, burrata, purple potato, gorgonzola, honey and several elaborate combinations.
The range is useful for groups, but it is also the restaurant’s main weakness. Some toppings contain more ingredients than the dough needs and can make different pizzas taste similarly rich.
A better dinner compares:
one classic pizza, one Sicilian pizza and one richer house creation.
That is enough to understand the restaurant without treating the menu as a checklist.
Prices and Value
Prices are reasonable by Taormina standards.
Classic pizzas generally cost €9.50–12, while special pizzas range from approximately €13 to €18. Antipasti mostly sit between €9 and €16, and the cover charge is €2.
The best-value order for two is:
one Sicilian antipasto, one Norma or Margherita, one house pizza and drinks.
The bill rises mainly with cocktails, craft beer and several premium toppings rather than with the basic pizzas.
Part of the value comes from the setting. A quiet garden table in central Taormina is not a minor advantage.
What to Order on a First Visit
Share the Antipasto Zuccaro.
Choose the Margherita to judge the dough.
Add the Norma for the clearest Sicilian pizza.
Try the Taormina when you want the restaurant’s most distinctive combination.
Avoid ordering several pistachio, burrata and cured-meat pizzas together.
The Verdict
Villa Zuccaro is one of the best places in Taormina for travellers looking for pizza in a spacious and attractive garden.
Its principal strengths are the setting, the broad choice and the Sicilian toppings. The Norma, Taormina and simpler classics give the restaurant more identity than the heavily loaded pizzas.
The extensive menu can also work against it. Some combinations are unnecessarily rich, and diners looking for a strict Neapolitan pizza specialist may prefer a more focused address.
Come for a relaxed summer dinner away from the busiest tables of Corso Umberto. Share a starter, order one simple pizza and one Sicilian speciality, and let the garden remain part of the experience.
Our Rating of Villa Zuccaro
Pizza: 8.5/10
Reliable dough with a particularly broad range of toppings.
Sicilian identity: 8.7/10
Aubergines, pistachio, tuna, capers and local ingredients give the best pizzas character.
Atmosphere: 9/10
The garden is one of the clearest reasons to book.
Service: 8.4/10
Organised and accustomed to handling large numbers of visitors.
Value: 8.6/10
Fair pizza prices for central Taormina and such an attractive setting.
Overall score: 8.6/10
Practical Information
Address: Piazza Carmine 5, 98039 Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Telephone: +39 0942 628018
Email: [email protected]
Cuisine: Sicilian pizza, Italian antipasti and salads
Best dishes to order: Antipasto Zuccaro, Margherita, Norma, Taormina and Regina di Bronte
Best for: summer dinners, families, groups, pizza and outdoor dining in central Taormina
Less suited for: a quiet intimate meal, strict Neapolitan-pizza purists or diners who prefer a short specialised menu
Outdoor seating: large internal garden
Opening hours: Monday and Tuesday 12:00–23:30; Wednesday 18:00–23:30; other opening days generally from lunch through dinner
Booking: strongly recommended during summer and weekends
