Principe Cerami

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Restaurant Rooted in History

Principe Cerami takes its name from Prince Domenico Rosso di Cerami, the Sicilian nobleman who inherited the ancient San Domenico convent around 1866 — setting in motion the sequence of events that eventually turned the building into a hotel in 1896. Today the restaurant occupies that same storied space within San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel, on Piazza San Domenico in the heart of Taormina. The setting is grand without being stiff: perched on a rocky promontory above the sky-blue waters of the Ionian Sea, with Mount Etna visible on the horizon and Taormina's coastline spreading out below.

The Chef Behind the Plate

Executive Chef Massimo Mantarro was born in Piedimonte Etneo, on the slopes of Etna, and raised in Caltabiano — his roots are as Sicilian as the ingredients he works with. After training at a local catering school and academies in Venice and Paris, he built his career across Turin, Campania, Palermo and Ragusa before joining San Domenico Palace. In 2003 he opened Principe Cerami, and in November 2022 the restaurant earned its Michelin Star.

His philosophy is direct: "There is no innovation without tradition. Tradition fuels my thinking in the kitchen, and I innovate through cooking technique." That balance plays out on every plate — deceptively simple compositions that draw on a carefully built network of Sicilian and Italian producers. Freshly foraged herbs meet antique legumes; the sea, the land and the volcanic soil of Etna all find their way onto the table. The menu rotates every ten days, keeping pace with the season.

Head Sommelier Alessandro Malfitana oversees a wine list that has earned the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, a recognition that underlines the kitchen's commitment to pairing Italian cuisine with equally serious bottles.

What to Expect on the Menu

The à la carte Gourmet Experience lets guests compose their own meal — three courses or four — while the six-course Principe Cerami tasting menu offers a more complete portrait of Mantarro's cooking. Dishes from the current menu illustrate his approach well: red shrimp with tomato, buffalo mozzarella and lemon; artisanal spaghetti "Mount Etna" with tomato, salty ricotta and black breadcrumbs; squid with Gallo Carnaroli Gran Riserva rice, basil and cuttlefish ink; black piglet belly with tenerumi leaves, apricot and Interdonato lemon. Desserts lean into the island's larder — pistachio, Etna hazelnut, candied orange and 72% dark chocolate among them.

The Experience

Dinner is served with panoramic outdoor seating looking out over the Ionian, making the setting as much a part of the meal as the food itself. The atmosphere is refined but not remote — the elegance of the historic building, the warmth of the Sicilian cuisine, and views that are simply difficult to match anywhere else on the island.