Scrumpdillyicious: November 2019

Located in the heart of Marina di Ragusa, Lido Azzurro da Serafino is quite possibly the most sumptuous beachfront restaurant in all of south-east Sicily. Founded in 1953 by Serafino La Rosa and now managed by his sons, Antonio and Giuseppe, Lido Azzurro is the hip beach club sister of celebrated Relais & Châteaux Locanda Don Serafino in Ragusa Ibla, one of the finest hotels with an acclaimed Michelin starred restaurant. The cuisine at Lido Azzuro is as excellent, and located on the beach in Marina di Ragusa overlooking the sparkling blue Mediterranean, the combination is magical. Arriving early for a day on the beach at Lido Azzurro beach club, we set up "camp" on two of their umbrella-topped sun lounges, and enjoyed the morning swimming in the wonderfully warm sea. Having brought my Inspector Montalbano novel 'Gli Arancini di Montalbano' by Andrea Camilleri, I felt fully immersed in Sicilian life by the sea.

Marina di Ragusa is also where the fictitious detective resides — I would too. In keeping with the fictitious detective's love for good food, we lazed up from the beach to Lido Azzurro da Serafino for lunch, anticipating their outstanding menu which specializes in local fish and seafood, as well as sensational homemade pasta dishes. In true Sicilian fashion, we started with a bottle of cold Etna Bianco to enjoy with our first course, chef Termini's signature Selezione di Crudita del Mare, a selection of raw fish and crustaceans, and Selezione del Mare Don Serafina Crudi e Cotta, a sea selection of raw and cooked seafood. The pastas, all homemade, are not to be missed as we had learnt before, especially the Spaghetti di Gragnano ai ricci di mare, an outstanding pasta with fresh sea urchins which was absolutely delicious. Falling in love with the food, wine and sensational location, we spent the rest of the day on the beach, and promised to return the next day for yet another Lido Azzurro lunch and celebrate our last day in Marina di Ragusa before driving to Palermo.

The glorious warm azure blue Mediterranean was just perfect for swimming

Just steps from our beachfront loungers to the restaurant was the most magical combination

Gli Arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri

The ever so inviting Ristorante Don Serafino Lido Azzurro

Our lovely Lido Azzurro server opening a delicious Etna Bianco

2014 Tenuta di Fessina Erse Etna Bianco

The wine and water nestled in a bucket of ice

Lido Azzurro chef Jerry Termini

Homemade sesame grissini

La Soste di Plisse is a prestigious Sicilian extra virgin olive oil

Delicious fresh squishy and crunchy bread

Ristorante Da Serafino Lido Azzuro fabulous menu of fresh local fish, seafood and handmade pasta

Selezione di crudita del mare: Selection of raw fish

Fresh local sea urchin

Fresh sea urchin in the shell

Wonderful plump oyster

Red sea prawn with the roe

Sliced raw swordfish with flying fish roe

Selezione del mare Don Serafina - crudi e cotta: Don Serafina sea selection - raw and cooked

Special seafood utensils for the pasta shells

Tagliolini freschi Don Serafino alle vongole veraci, cozze, gamberi e polpo: Don Serafino Tagliolini with clams, mussels, shrimp and octopus

The colour of shells are always captivating

Spaghetti Damigella ai Ricci di mare: Spaghetti with sea urchins, but a better translation is 'uni bliss'

www.locandadonserafino.it/lido-azzurro-una-lunga-storia

Ragusa is one of the most charming towns in Sicily. Set amid rocky peaks, it's a town with two souls. Sitting on the top of the hill is Ragusa Superiore, a busy town with all the trappings of a modern provincial capital, while etched into the hillside further down is the old town of Ragusa Ibla, a sloping area of tangled alleyways, grey stone houses and baroque churches on handsome squares. The historic centre of Ragusa, Ibla is one of the best preserved in Sicily and is absolutely magnificent. One of south east Sicily's UNESCO-listed Baroque towns, Ragusa was destroyed like the other seven towns of the Val di Noto, by the terrible earthquake in 1693, which were then rebuilt on or beside towns existing at the time of the earthquake.

Together, they represent a considerable collective undertaking, successfully carried out at a high level of architectural and artistic achievement. Keeping within the late Baroque style of the day, they also depict distinctive innovations in town planning and urban building. The Duomo di San Giorgio is the heart of Ibla. With an imposing exterior staircase, it's a architectural jewel. An intrigate maze of stepped streets, exceptionally fine Baroque churches and wonderful cuisine, we bee-lined for Monsù, a delightful French restaurant run by husband and wife team, Heloise and Salvatore. Monsù is the contracted from the French 'monsieur', a title given to 18th-century French-trained Sicilian chefs during the French occupation of Sicily. A culinary crossroads of different cultures, the menu at Monsù blends Sicilian and French cuisine, just like Heloise and Salvatore — she's French and he's from Sicily. Conquered by Salvo's cuisine, and pampered by Heloise's gracious hospitality, lunch at Monsù was a highlight of our day in Ilba.

Giardino Ibleo is a serene public garden built in the 19th century at the eastern end of town

With majestic views over the valley below, the quiet park is a popular spot

Flowers in bloom in the park

Reclining figure of Poseidon beside Chiesa di Sant'Agata

Sicilian Pyracantha with yellow berries

Chiesa di San Giacomo Apostolo

The false dome in trompe-l'oeil style

The bell tower with high-relief of San Giacomo represented as Matamoros with his sword drawn, and depicted on an horse while trampling a dragon

The long avenue is flanked by tall palms and opens up to a wonderful well-tended park, with carved stone benches, columns and an elegant panoramic balcony

Local painters set up their easels in the park on a quiet Sunday afternoon

Brush in hand in the tranquil gardens

Local Café on Corso Italia

Fresh squeezed pomegranate juice is enormously popular in Sicily and in fact contains more antioxidants than any other fruit juice

The Baroque-style Chiesa di San Giuseppe dates back to the 1700s and was constructed atop an earlier church, which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1693

The oval-shaped elaborately stuccoed interior dates from 1793

Corsa Italia is the main street through Ragusa Ilba

We stopped for a cold Birra Messina in Piazza Duomo

Salted peanuts and a cold beer — lovely

A little girl exploring the piazza with her anxious father just a half step behind

Duomo di San Giorgio is one of the greatest expressions of baroque–style sacred architecture

The extravagant convex facade rises like a three-tiered wedding cake, supported by gradually narrowing Corinthian columns and punctuated by jutting cornices