The Best of Cefalù: 2022 Edition
I first wrote my original guide to Cefalù three years ago. Since then, the world has become a very different place and I am a very different man. There is one thing that hasn’t changed though. When I am on the train from Palermo, and it follows the gentle curve of the coast, and the pointed towers of il Duomo di Cefalù come into view, I smile. It is completely involuntary but I smile. I have come home.
London is where I was born. It is where I grew up and it is where I live, despite the best efforts of estate agents to price out locals. I love it dearly. However, there is a small part of me that only feels complete when I am walking the curving, sloping streets of this wonderful little town. I often wonder if this is where I am supposed to be.
I have visited twice since Covid restrictions were eased. Once in September 2021 and again in June 2022. I was apprehensive at first. I wondered if the place I have come to think of as a second home would be the same. I needn’t have worried though, the Sicilians are irrepressible. There are still rows of elderly gentleman on the benches in the piazzas putting the world to rights, with much gesticulating. Naturalmente. I am not sure anything could change that.
Elderly gentleman are a permanent fixture on the benches of Cefalù.
On my first night back, I sat down at Ristorante Il Normanno and was a little unsure with speaking Italian. I used to speak it very well but after several lockdowns and hardly speaking it for the last few years, I had forgotten quite a bit. I was speaking Italian but without confidence. I had to repeat myself a couple of times and I said to the waiter “mi dispiace, non parlo l’italiano troppo bene” (I’m sorry, I don’t speak Italian too well). The waiter looked truly hurt that I’d even suggest such a thing. He replied very softly, in complete earnestness “No, parla bene” (no, you speak well). I was reminded why I love it here and indeed Italy so much. It was the sense of the dramatic. The Sicilians don’t do reserved, everything is theatre.
That being said, it is time to update my guide. Nothing has changed with regards of things to see and do. It is as sleepy as ever and I love that. However, there are a slew of new additions to report on and some revised recommendations.
Best Things to See in Cefalù 2022:
The Duomo & Piazza Duomo
A magnificent Norman cathedral and the beating heart of the Old Town, the exterior is grand and the Byzantine mosaics inside are well worth viewing. The piazza itself is elegant and full of life, but a bit of a tourist trap. If you must get a coffee here, the best bet is ‘Bar Duomo’ on the corner of the piazza and Corso Ruggiero, with passable coffee and a good selection of sweet and savoury options.
The mosaics at the Duomo.
La Rocca
A large rocky cliff overlooking the town, La Rocca is scalable and offers wonderful views of the town and the coast. Tickets are €4 and the climb is best attempted in the morning before it gets too hot. If you are able bodied, it should take no more than an hour.
Piazza Duomo overlooked by La Rocca.
Lavatoio Medievale Fiume
This medieval washhouse is reached by a small curving staircase and is easily missed. It offers a cool respite from the sometimes overwhelming heat. Rebuilt several centuries ago, it shows where the locals used to clean their clothes and is a well-preserved relic of a bygone age.
Bastione Capo Marchiafava
The old fisherman’s bastion, this is the best place to catch the sunset in Cefalù. Standing with your back to the horizon and watching the buildings jutting out over the sea changing colour makes for a lovely, and different, way to watch the sunset.
Cefalù with La Rocca in the background. As seen from the Bastione Capo Marchiafava.
La Spiaggia (The beach)
A lovely crescent shaped beach that is always popular with locals and tourists alike, albeit out of peak-tourist season, it is quieter during the week. There are numerous lidos at which you can rent sunbeds (€20 for 2 beds and an umbrella per day) or you can sit with the locals in the sand on the public stretches.
The beach of Cefalù.
There are always a colourful cast of characters selling goods on the beach from selfie-sticks to beach towels to massages. My favourite, is the coconut man who traipses up and down all day signing his infectious tune of “coco bello, coco bello, coco.”
Best Places to Eat in Cefalù 2022:
Il Normanno
Il Normanno is a restaurant offering a wide-range of Sicilian specialties with outdoor seating on a quiet side-street. It is a fairly laid-back spot with friendly service. The Rigatoni alla Norma (Rigatoni with aubergine and salted ricotta) is amongst the best I have had in Cefalù and the cassata is glorious. Baked instead of the traditional recipe, it is much less sweet and all the better for it. The tiramisu is good too.
A waitress prepares a table at Il Normanno.
Fermento 2.0
In my previous guide, I recommended a pizzeria called ‘Lievita’. This was shut when I visited in September 2021 and has since re-opened under a different name. I’m not sure if it has changed hands or just rebranded but it is identical inside and the pizza is still good. The service is a little indifferent but fine. It’s a nice restaurant for some al fresco dining.
Le Chat Noir
A romantic spot, Le Chat Noir is a huge restaurant housed in a 16th-century building, with the few outside tables concealing the size of the restaurant inside. It offers Sicilian specialties with modern twists such as the deconstructed cassata. Definitely a place to take a loved one. I would advise booking in advance, which you can do via WhatsApp.
Sfrigola
The best place to get an arancina (deep-fried rice balls) in Cefalù. Sfrigola is solely dedicated to the popular Sicilian street-snack and they have around 20 different fillings, with a good number of vegetarian options too, a rarity in Sicily. In truth, I wouldn’t bother getting an arancina anywhere else as these are as good as it gets from here. It is a tiny shop, more akin to a hole-in-the-wall, so there is no seating available but it is a very short walk from both Piazza Duomo and Piazza Garibaldi so you can sit at one of the benches there and watch the world go by.
History Pinsa
Another pizzeria and a new addition to Cefalù, History Pinsa doesn’t serve pizzas per se, but pinsa, a Roman speciality which are square and made with a fermented dough that has spelt, rice and wheat flours mixed in, making them less doughy and easier to digest. I would recommend the ‘cacio e pepe’ which contains parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese and black pepper. It is excellent. History is a casual spot and not somewhere to linger but it is cheap and delicious.
Cannolí
The best place to get Sicilian cannoli in Cefalù and all other kinds of sweet stuff. I like coming here for breakfast, making like the locals and having a croissant filled with some sweet ricotta cannolo filling or Nutella for a sugar-charged start to the day. The gelato is good and there is even a small (and highly coveted) balcony over-looking the ocean too.
The view from the balcony at Cannolí.
Best Places to Drink in Cefalù 2022:
Kalapinta
The first (and maybe only) bar dedicated to craft beer in Cefalù, it has a fun, laid- back vibe filled with locals. They also offer a small but good cocktail list in a town where it can be hard to get a good one. Start with a beer, ask for a recommendation if you’re not sure, the staff are friendly and more than happy to help. Then move on to a cocktail. My favourite is a ‘Donn Day Afternoon’. Made with white rum, lime juice, cinnamon syrup and pink grapefruit soda, it is delicious and refreshing. I discovered this drink here and it is so good I started making it at home. I’ll post a full recipe soon!
Jureka Wine Bar
A nice wine bar overlooking the ocean slightly away from the main town, they also offer decent cocktails although there are better places for cocktails in Cefalù. It’s a pleasant place to pass an evening, but make sure to bring mosquito spray. I had to leave early because I was being eaten alive. You have been warned.
Jureka is the bar on the left with the fairy lights.
Neo Mediterraneo Vibes
The only bar in Cefalù dedicated to craft cocktails, it is more akin to an artisanal cocktail bar you’d find in a bigger city: think velvet bar stools and a teal colour scheme. They have a small but inventive list of house-created cocktails, all with a Mediterranean spin. They also do special nights where they team up with different bars to offer a curated guest list of different cocktails.
The real draw here though, is the service. I spent several nights there and made friends with most of the staff and the owner, Jalel. They have a real passion for what they do and offer a truly attentive service. Special mention though must go to Manu. He spent several nights helping me practice my rusty Italian skills, patiently listening to me as I laboured through his language, responding in a slow but never patronising way. A really friendly guy, he took my number and I promised to take him to a cocktail bar if he visits London this winter. I hope he does.
There you have it. A connoisseur's guide to the best that Cefalù has to offer. After five visits here, I think I can say with some authority that these are amongst the very best places in this beautiful seaside town. There are more places to go, of course, but these are the best places to get you started. After that, go and discover your own favourites. Wander the curving, sloping alleyways and see for yourself why it is my happy place.
I mentioned at the start of this article that when I come here, it feels like I am coming home. Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to call this place home, at least for a little while. I do know though, that it won’t be too long before I take my sixth trip here. Maybe I’ll see you at Neo’s? The first round is on me.
Thanks for reading,
Terry
