Ciambra - MONREALE

Sometimes life presents you with special gift and blessings. Eating in this temple of Sicilian gastronomy was one of them. The restaurant is perched on top of a... read more Sometimes life presents you with special gift and blessings. Eating in this temple of Sicilian gastronomy was one of them. The restaurant is perched on top of a hill with an incredible view of Palermo. A very modern and welcoming atmosphere, Ciambra Restaurant is a special place. As the President of the Harvard Wine Cuisine Society, we are always looking for unique restaurants that are off the path and the road less traveled. Ciambra is one of the best restaurants we have visited over the past ten years. An incredible level of sophistication and simplicity at the same time. We stared with some amuse bouche that were made out of Bree from Monreale toasted With arugula spuma and some crispy raspberries. A fish presented as chips with black ink squid mayonnaise of anchovies and sweet ricotta cheese. Then some small fish balls of tuna with a hint of Teriyaki sauce and black sesame. Their risotto is simply out of this world. By far the very best I ever had. Made out of carnaroli type of rice with light pumpkins cream and some delicious red prawns from Mazara del Vallo. Without forgetting the Speck from sud tirol(north Italy). Then at the end some smoked creamy cheese. A must try! The roasted Prestige prawns from Mazara del Vallo are simply delicious in their natural taste and with your side pasta dish you are close to heaven. Chef Billetta Rosario Ivan is an artist who goes to the essence of Italian and Sicilian cuisine surrounded by a great young team of professionals. All pasta are freshly made and delicious. This is not your next door trattoria it is a real gem in Montreal- Sicily. Remark they also have beautiful modern toilets which is worth noting! Mille Gracie Chef!

This restaurant provided the most wonderful dining experience I've had in many years. To begin with the room is designed beautifully tasteful, modern, and artfu... read more This restaurant provided the most wonderful dining experience I've had in many years. To begin with the room is designed beautifully tasteful, modern, and artful. Then the meal that I and my partner had was one beautiful, tasty, and creatively designed dish after another. For example, the seafood appetizer was plated to look like the clams, muscles and octopus were sitting in a curve along the side of a blue sea and each of the items was cooked and flavored uniquely and perfectly. The caponata, made with locally caught swordfish pieces, was awesome. The squid ink ravioli was to die for and came out looking like a beautiful blossom on the plate. Chef Ivan is a genius.

Wonderful lunch in Monreale after visiting the church and cloisters. Beautiful setting when seated outside with a view of Palermo. Delicious pasta with fresh cl... read more Wonderful lunch in Monreale after visiting the church and cloisters. Beautiful setting when seated outside with a view of Palermo. Delicious pasta with fresh clams and fresh fish over vegetables. Fabulous fresh fruit tart dessert!!

The fresh amberjack was the best we have ever had! Service was excellent , a very good Grillo wine and Julia’s desert recommendation was spot on. We had this me... read more The fresh amberjack was the best we have ever had! Service was excellent , a very good Grillo wine and Julia’s desert recommendation was spot on. We had this meal as lunch since the cathedral is closed then. After lunch we then went to the cathedral. A perfect afternoon. Bill and Sandy

The pale grey decor and perfect lighting in the dining room create a relaxing atmosphere for dining. The fish based menu has some interesting options and the pr... read more The pale grey decor and perfect lighting in the dining room create a relaxing atmosphere for dining. The fish based menu has some interesting options and the presentation of the dishes and cooking skills are very good. Definitely recommended if you like fish.