On
our second day, we walked down Via Principe di Belmonte several times and there
were plenty of restaurants down that street and the surrounding ones to choose
from - the majority being pizzerias or trattorias serving traditional Sicilian
cuisine. As I'd chosen our meal at QuattroVenti the night before, I let Ashley
choose where we ate - and he suggested Pizzeria La Duchessa. This was perfect
as we'd spent the day exploring the city and nearby town, Monreale, so were
dressed in casual daytime clothes, but the restaurant is informal and we even
ate al fresco.
As
we ate outside, I couldn't comment on the restaurant, but the outdoor area was
nice enough - we were sheltered from the sun and thankfully the street wasn't
too busy so we didn't feel interrupted at any point. We ate a bit earlier than
typical Italian dinner time, so there were only two other couples eating - most
likely, also tourists - so the service remained consistently good.
Being
predominantly a pizzeria, there were so many options to choose from - three
pages of the menu, in fact - and this wasn't just toppings... you could have a traditional
base, Sicilian base or stuffed crust. Both Ashley and I chose the same pizza
and as soon as we ordered, realised we should have probably chosen two different
ones and shared. Believe me, it was hard making a decision; there were about
four different varieties I had my eye on - but the one we chose was very good.
We
chosen Sicilian style Sicilian: a
thin crisp base, topped with mozzarella, mushrooms, tomato, salami and red
onion. There was even some crisp Parma ham in the middle! Now, I absolutely
love pizza in Italy and once you've had it, pizzas at home (whether homemade,
takeaway or shop-bought) do not compare! I've had pizzas in both Lake Garda and Verona and this was just as good as then (maybe even better than the one I had
in Verona!). Of course, being Italy, there's no scrimping on the portion size
and the pizza was huge, with plenty of toppings. Needless to say I struggled to
manage it all and ate about three-quarters before giving the rest to Ash.
We
accompanied our pizzas with a really gorgeous local wine. As well the standard
wine menu, there was a separate card showcasing local wineries. We opted for a
rosé, which was fruity but not too sweet - and complemented the meaty toppings
well. It was also reasonably priced at about 16-18€.
For
a casual lunch or dinner, I'd recommend La Duchessa. The pizzas were great,
local wine went down a treat and the service throughout was good. I don't think
any of the waiting staff are Sicilian, but nothing was too much trouble and we
were well looked after. Their English was also excellent. We had seen online
about there being a little dog, who sat outside the restaurant without
bothering diners or passers-by - he was very well behaved and not a nuisance at
all. It's a shame we weren't staying longer, as I am sure we would have
returned - especially as there were so many pizzas to sample!
Love,
Lucy xx
This sounds fab. You definitely can't beat pizza in Italy and I still think it's the best place I've ever been for al fresco dining - nowhere else comes close x
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