Glamourama : Panasia Beach & Lounge bar

Chill out on sofa beds, sip a cocktail at sunset or dance 'till dawn at PanAsia Beach & Lounge Bar in Taormina's Mazzarò beach.
This is one of the most glamorous and original seaside establishment , where Sicily meets the Montecarlo party-scene.
Panasia is chic and exotic at the same time. All the interiors (and exterior) design comes directly from outstanding Milan hottest designers.
Crowd at Panasia is hip and trendy and mainly youngish - Cool chic is the unofficial dress code for this place.

Via nazionale-spisone
Taormina (ME)

Glamourama : La Giara club and restaurant

Sexy and stylish, La Giara club and restaurants perfectly resembles all the essence of the Sicilian "Dolce Vita" in Taormina.

A piano bar supreme, where locals and well-to-do tourists dress in their best to order fine wines and dine al fresco.

It is an elegant classy yet electric place, with its stunning terrace overlooking Taormina's bay. La Giara is steeped in history with a clientele that has over the years included the many millionaires just passing by...

Booking essential

+39 0942 233 60

Vico Floresta 1 - Taormina (ME)

Size matters for Sicilians

Caffe Turrisi is perhaps one of the most extravagant, original places in the whole world and deserves to be seen.

It stands on a lovely piazza in Castelmola, the highest peak on top of Taormina, huddled against a mountain overlooking two beautiful bays.

The owner Peppino, together with his wife Rosa refurbished the bar as it stands today, particularly concentrating on enhancing the interior. They recognised that their era was particularly happy and prolific. Having had three sons within five years, there was one particular symbol that could represent it all: the penis, vulgarly referred to in Sicilian as:

La Minchia.

The idea of the penis has definitely had a big impact on the population, especially on the priests from the neighbouring church. However, in the following years the symbol was accepted by everyone and became a important part of the bar. In fact, it is represented in different shapes, lengths and materials; in wood, ceramics, terracotta, worked iron, pasta and marzipan. The Minchia sets the tempo of the bar and the moods of all those within it. The penis is not a vulgar symbol and finds its roots in Greek culture, where the god Priapous represented fertility, freedom, fortune, life and beauty. Greek culture has had a strong influence our Sicilian culture for centuries.

Specialising in phallo-eccentric decors, even the restroom tap features "two balls and more!"

The Cafe develops vertically in a three storey building, dividing into smaller and smaller lounge rooms, balconies and alcoves, where, surrounded by handcrafted penises the visitor can relax, enjoying the local dishes and sipping the unique almond wine found only in this area.

How to get there:

This extraordinary place is definitely a hidden gem.

Coming from Taormina, you need to follow the road climbing up to the mountain. Castelmola is the highest peak so you cannot get it wrong.

Alternatively you can catch one of the frequent buses.

The starting place is for sure the parking piazza, because either if you come with the car or with the bus the stop is at the same place. Take the nearest stairs that lead you to Saint Anthony's square (Piazza di Sant'Antonio) where you'll see the arch that once ago was the old entrance of the town. The piazza offers the first taste of the gorgeous panorama you can find in this place. Carry on into the narrow street of the town following Pio IX street that leads you directly to the heart of Castelmola, Duomo's square (Piazza Duomo), where the Bar Turrisi is located.

http://www.turrisibar.it/

Palermo : The coolest city in Italy

Recently, the national magazine Panorama described Palermo as "the coolest city in Italy.
With wide avenues lined with palm trees, stylish shops, restaurants and nightclub where everybody dresses up, Palermo transpires style from every angle.
Think of Palermo and its baroque, opulent fashion. People like Dolce & Gabbana, Marella Ferrera or Fulco di Verdura, who popularised the use of coloured stones in creations for clients like Greta Garbo and Coco Chanel.
Palermo is really "Cool". Not exactly in the Milanese way, but in that reflection of pomp and grandeur that is in the air and above all in the Palermitani themselves.

Still do not believe me?
Wander around Via Principe di Belmonte, a pedestrian area right in the commercial district. Or enjoy an aperitif at La Cuba inside Villa Sperlinga.
Tanned, graceful girls in stilettos and stylish handbags, men in dark colour suit with wide silky ties and sunglasses enjoys their aperitifs and coffee breaks at the pretty outdoor cafes.
These are not Mafiosi, they just love to dress well.
Fare bella figura, which roughly translates to "cutting a fine figure," endures as one of the highest Italian virtues, on a par with making a pilgrimage to the Pope. As the Sicilians say, L'onuri è fattu a li robbi, Honor is measured by your dress.
Yes folks, it is all about appearances here.
It wouldn't be fair to i Siciliani to say their obsession with clothing springs from narcissism. Elegance in Sicily shows civic altruism: you are prettifying the landscape for the delight of your fellow citizens. As the old Sicilian saying goes, Mancia a gustu tò, càusa e vesti a gustu d'àutru;
Eat to please yourself, but dress to please others....

Clubbing in Sicily

Sicily is one of the most lively places in the Mediterranean and provides lots of opportunities for night-time fun in dreamlike, exotic and eastern-style settings.
In these places where fashionistas can see and be seen, bars are chic, the drinks expensive and the atmosphere vibrant.
But beware that to find your way to the most über-cool bars you definitely need a local to guide you.
Here's my fav hot-spots :

PALERMO

Kursaal Kalhesa
www.kursaalkalhesa.it/

Foro Italico Umberto I n. 21

This is where Sicily meets New York's SoHo. An attractive crowd congregates at the bar, which is flanked by discretely lit stone walls and a bookstore-cum-lounge. You can read English-language newspapers, listen to live music, get online at the Internet cafe, or pick up tourist info at the travel agency.

Kursaal Tonnara Bordonaro

Via Bordonaro 9

www.kursaaltonnara.it/

This summer version of Kursaal Kalhesa is just another place to experience inspiring past and trendy present. Kursaal Tonnara Bordonaro is an ancient fishing warehouse (or tonnara) that kisses the picturesque bay of Arenella. It has only recently been "discovered"after being abandoned for many years. It features a spacious outdoor area where concerts and art exhibitions are usually held, within the confines of this beautiful night club.

La Cuba

Via Scaduto 12

http://www.lacuba.com/

Almost every VIP in Palermo stops by La Cuba, a private club furnished in Arabic style can be found in the garden of the amazing Villa Sperlinga, which is a luscious park found within inner Palermo. Here you can sip cocktails while listening to lounge, chill out music while marvelling at the thirteenth century domed arab building that houses the bar.

161 bar & lounge

Via Libertá 161

http://www.welove161.it/welove161.htm
A popular cocktail bar among the youngsters where you can sip a drink, be entertained by a fashion show or listen to the latest DJ sounds of international and local artists, all contained within a period, Liberty-style, palazzo.

Galleria Expa

Via dell'Alloro 99
http://www.expa.org/
A must-visit place for Art & design lover, if not for the innovative contemporary art but for the surreal rooftop experience. The juxtaposition of contemporary, modern art on the ground floor, with a WWII bombed-out top floor, that conveniently turns it into a rooftop bar where you can drink under the stars in the heart of Kalsa, the historical centre of Palermo

Baia del Corallo
Via Plauto 27/a – Sferracavallo, Palermo
Perhaps one of the most picturesque glam spots in town.

Set in a stunning wild Mediterranean garden by a rocky beach.
You can dine al fresco in the big patio area, caressed by the gentle Mediterranean breeze, or lay back in the cushion seating area by the water, enjoying the beautiful people who congregate at this bar by the sea.

Tribeca
Via Mariano Stabile 134.
New York Style glam spot.
Perfect place to enjoy Happy Hour in typical Sicilian fashion: a generous finger-food buffet with a glass of aromatic Sicilian wine while watching the hip crowd and listening to cool music.
Allegedly the best sushi in town.

Cambio Cavalli
Via Patania 54

Inside a seventeenth century building (an ancient stable, actually), where art and photography exhibitions by young artists are often held. Cambio Cavalli was a place where the city messengers used to change their horses during the middle ages in Palermo.

TAORMINA

Panasia

Via Nazionale - Spisone, Taormina

http://www.panasiabeach.it/

A piece of Montecarlo in Sicily.

über-cool glam spot to party, wine and dine or to simply chill under the sun at this beach establishment

La Giara

Vico La Floresta 1

Perhaps the oldest disco in fashionable Taormina. Stylish crowd, do dress up!

AEOLIAN ISLANDS

Club Raya

Panarea (Aeolian Island)
lounge bar and disco set in a hip boutique hotel.

Ensure you are at this place at sunset and you will never forget it. The truly unique experience of being on the broad, open terrace, watching the sun descend over the black smouldering volcano on the island of Stromboli, is something from a dream. The stunning terrace overlooks the blue sapphire waters of the Aeolian Islands.

Kals'Art

Unquestionably, Palermo is a marvellous city to experience at any time of the year, but the added attraction of Kals’Art makes this a great time to visit it.
Kals’Art is a two month long festival of music, cinema and theatre performances that takes place in various locations throughout the city of Palermo. The streets, parks and pretty piazzas in the former Arab quarter of Kalsa (from the Arabic Khalisa, "pure") are turned over to the event which includes a great line-up of entertainment ranging from theatre performances and film screenings to live music and arts exhibitions.
A huge variety of music is grouped into four sections : Kals'Art Maree offers performances by international talents and Kals'Art Riflessi is dedicated to minimalist, ethnic and jazz tunes. Kals'Art Wawe is all about Mediterranean music, while Kals'Art Mare Aperto showcases young talent.
Visitors can also take the opportunity to join some of the free guided tours and explore Palermo's cultural and architectural marvels, including the Palazzo Mirto museum, Catena and Magione churches and Chiaramonte Palace.
Theatre performances are usually held in the courtyard of Palazzo Bonagia, a historic building in baroque style; while films are shown in the evocative setting of the monumental complex of Santa Maria dello Spasimo, Italy’s first ever public theatre.
In the Kalsa you can dine on everything from pasta to couscous to sushi, and admire architecture embracing Arab, Gothic and Neoclassical, while the ambiance still seems distinctly Arab, with narrow winding streets typical of old cities in Tunisia, Egypt and Iraq.
Visit the website for up-to-date information. http://www.kalsart.it/ (dates are subject to changes every year)
When : 20 July - 26 August 2007

When in Sicily, Do as They Do

Source: The New York Times - Travel

Dolce & Gabbana is as synonymous with Sicily as old ladies in veils and young Romeos on scooters. Since founding the label in 1985, the designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have mined the island for inspiration with the zeal of latter-day Viscontis. They have made stylistic allusions to its sartorial traditions - ecclesiastic and aristocratic - named one of their fragrances after it and used it as the backdrop for some of their most memorable advertising images. They have also frequently vacationed there, spending two weeks every summer de-stressing on the secluded island of Stromboli and dancing under the mirrored balls in the bustling resort town of Taormina. "We love Sicily," says Dolce, a native Sicilian. "It is the perfect place to just relax - eat, read and not worry about the stress of work. And we always come back with so many ideas. It is very magical."
Gabbana's account of a typical day in Taormina certainly sounds enchanting. "We like to rent scooters or stay on the beach or meet friends in Mazzarò Bay," he says. "In the afternoon, you can go antiques shopping in the center or have a granita and brioche at a bar."
But it's at night that they come alive. "We meet our friends at around 10 in the piazza in front of the Chiesa Santa Caterina," Gabbana says. "We go to a restaurant or to a pizzeria if we want a light dinner. Then we might scooter over to a club. We usually finish very late, with a good cornetto in some small pub, or watch the sunrise."
So, who better to play travel guides than the men who helped put Sicily on the style map? The images on these pages were shot at some of Dolce and Gabbana's favorite haunts in Taormina. Given their passion for Italian cinema - Anna Magnani and Sophia Loren are their perennial muses - we cast two emerging stars of Italian film, Valeria Solarino and Adriano Giannini, as our models. Solarino appeared in the critically acclaimed "La Febbre" and "La Felicità Non Costa Niente." She was born in Venezuela and raised in Turin, but her heart belongs to Daddy's home. "To me, Sicily is my father," she says. "He lived there, and I would visit him every childhood summer. Going there to work felt weird."
Not so for Giannini, who is the son of the actor Giancarlo Giannini and who starred alongside Madonna in "Swept Away." Before acting, the younger Giannini spent several months as a cameraman's assistant on the island, which has often been mythologized in Italian neorealist films. "The image of Sicily in the movies is valid up to a point," he says. "There are definitely towns that look like they are stuck 40 years ago, but it's obviously evolved beyond the cinematic cliché. It's a really strange place, even for us Italians, but it has to be seen to be believed."

When in Sicily, Do as They Do

Seasoned travelers know about Taormina's gardens and palazzi - not to mention the Caffè Wunderbar, where Liz and Richard drank the locals under the table. Here are Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's favorite spots.

Hotels

Hotel Sant'Andrea (Via Zara 36; 011 39 0789 65205). "This place is great, especially in summer," Gabbana says. "It's an old villa facing the sea with a nice private beach and a good restaurant. And it's close to the market."

Grand Hotel Timeo (Via Teatro Greco 59; 011 39 0942 23801). "Beautiful views of Mount Etna, beautiful people, beautiful gardens and very close to the Greek theater," Dolce says, referring to the town's famous second-century auditorium, which holds the Taormina Arte festival in summer. "Bellissimo."

Restaurants

Gambero Rosso (Via Naumachia 11; 011 39 0942 24863). "I especially like the fried fish and spaghetti with ricci di mare" (or sea urchin roe), Gabbana says. "It's a little restaurant, not trendy, but very good. Il Delfino, near the Hotel Sant'Andrea, serves mainly seafood and is also worth trying."

Il Baccanale (Piazzetta Filea 1; 011 39 0942 625390). "The food in Sicily is fantastic, especially the fish," says Dolce, who is a particular fan of swordfish rolls, a local specialty. "But if you want meat, try Il Baccanale. It's really, really small, the size of a pizza."

Lighter Fare

BAM Bar (Via di Giovanni 45; 011 39 0942 24355). "For me, one of the simple luxuries in Sicily is to take granita" - flavored, crushed ice - "and brioche at the BAM Bar," Gabbana says.

Pasticceria Minotauro (Corso Umberto 8; 011 39 0942 24767). "The other great thing is to have Sicilian cannoli at an old pasticceria near Etna," Dolce says. "They're delicious, and the view of the volcano is unbelievable."

Bars and Clubs

La Giara (Vico La Floresta 1; 011 39 0942 23360). "There are so many great places for an aperitif or after-dinner drink," Dolce says, "but we like the bar at La Giara. After 7 p.m., it's possible to get a good cocktail surrounded by cute young people, but it doesn't get crowded until at least 10."

Marabù (Via Iannuzzo; 011 39 0942 653029). "For late-night dancing on the weekend," Gabbana says, "we scooter down to the Giardini Naxos to Marabù, a beautiful, open-air discothèque. But that's only when you want to have a late night."