Do you Brits ever go anywhere except Tuscany, Venice and Rome?

Skip those tired, overrated and overpriced places and try Sicily. Besides spectacularly beautiful landscapes, the island offers some of the best, most interesting and unusual food to be found anywhere in Italy.

If you want outstanding pastry and gelato, then Pasticceria Scardaci in Catania is a must. The pistacchio gelato is reason enough for a trip. Fantastic locally grown pistacchios, in a superb gelato base - It is to die for. Try the wonderful pastries, too, especially the sheep milk ricotta cannoli, biscotti, and crostate.

Scardaci's also is a great place to hang out while enjoying your gelato or pastry and espresso and mingling with the hip and young crowd (many students and artsy types) often to be found there.

V. S. Maddalena 80
Catania, Sicily
www.scardaci.it

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Gelateria della Palma is a gelateria near the Trevi fountain (and other locations). There is an amazing variety of flavours, all gorgeously displayed. The chocolate gelato with candied orange peel is reason enough to return to Rome.

Gelateria della Palma, Via della Maddelena.
If you are facing the fountain, Della Palma is about two doors down Via della Maddelena, which goes off to your right.

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One of the best ice cream parlours you'll ever find. The proprietor used to run the famous Vivoli parlour, which is good, but a massive tourist trap. He cashed in and sold it off years ago, starting instead this unassuming little gem. The ice-cream is less rich and egg-heavy than that of Vivoli, resulting in a style that is perhaps less good for the indulgent dessert flavours (e.g. Zuppa Inglese; Strega), but allows more varied flavours to really sparkle. The fruit flavours are out of this world (e.g. Mandarin; Melon), and there are some more exotic flavours (e.g. Chilli & Chocolate) that you don't find in more traditional parlours.

Via Dei Neri 20/22 Rosso, Central Florence;
tel: 055 210 034

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I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Forget all the other gelaterias that try to lure you in: Vivoli is a traditional, longstanding family-run business. All gelati are made fresh, with all natural ingredients. I have never tasted anything like those ice-creams since. My husband and I both went in, two days in a row, and tried four different flavours each. That's how good it is. We were sad we didn't get to cover them all. Seriously, do not miss this place.

7 Via Isole delle Stinche, just south of the crossroad with Via Ghibellina;
tel: (+39) 55 292 334;
www.vivoli.it

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