In Scicli, a small bistro, proudly Sicilian, managed by Fiorenzo who, once he retired, chose to live right in this small Baroque village, a UNESCO heritage site, and open what is “not a restaurant”, but his retreat of the heart.

A few steps from the main street of Scicli, famous for the church of San Giovanni Evangelista and the police headquarters of “Montalbano”, Le Gioie is a small bistro overlooking a small square with a dozen tables and the atmosphere of the village deli shops of the past.

It is here that in 2016 Fiorenzo, a Sicilian from Augusta, chose to live, after falling in love with Scicli to the point of deciding to retire here and give life to a small place of his heart, where he can meet friends and give vent to his passion for cooking and good wine.

I chose to move here, I fell in love with Scicli, its colours, its lifestyle and above all its flavors that I bring to the table, just like at home, every day.

(Fiorenzo, owner)

At Le Gioie, everything is “slow”, a prerogative, typical of Sicilian wisdom, of those who are well aware of life’s priorities and work hard to maintain them: such as the warmth of the family, the importance of conviviality and things properly done.

So Fiorenzo, every morning, goes around his suppliers and friends, small local artisan realities, to find the freshest raw material with which he prepares traditional Sicilian dishes, just as you would in your own kitchen. For him, life’s “unit of measurement” is not given by time, yet rather by the quality of life that is put into it, as well as in his recipes.

Not surprisingly, at the entrance to the small restaurant, a blackboard reads “This is not a restaurant”, and in fact Le Gioie is something different, a special place where Fiorenzo, helped by his grandson Gaetano, meets his guests like at home, with the good silver and china, daily fresh flowers and a glass of wine always ready on the bar counter, like in the taverns of the past.

The menu is written in pencil every day, varying according to the freshness of the raw material, focusing mainly on fish recipes of local origin: from raw prawns to fried anchovies, from linguine with tuna roe, marinated prawns and of lemon, to the fish of the day marinated and smoked with diced Pirettu lemon.

Among the desserts, a must-try is the fantastic homemade pistachio ice cream served with the coffee prepared with a steaming mocha, lots of biscuits and a good chat about life with Fiorenzo.

The joys (Gioie means “joys” in Italian) of life are really all here.

The Secret

Scicli is today one of the most popular destinations in Baroque Sicily and hides various “secrets” to visit such as the famous “Christ in a skirt”, a painting exhibited in the church of San Giovanni Evangelista (actually a tunic that resembles a skirt), or the ancient Cartia Pharmacy, dating back to 1902, a perfectly preserved Liberty jewel.

Useful Info

Le Gioie Posto Siciliano
Via Aleardi 5
97018 Scicli, Ragusa
Tel. +39 340 5479265

Starters: 8 — 10 euro
First courses: 13 — 18 euro
Second courses: from 13 euro