Amandorla Marciante — Local services in Syracuse

I'm a private chef working in London and traveling the world to discover and taste authentic, quality food. While visiting Ortigia, I had the pleasure of meeting maestro Marciante, whose family has its roots in Sicilian pastry making since the early 1900s. The passion and knowledge of the master are evident and distinguish this pastry shop from the crowd and from the tourist traps. By tasting the products offered in his pastry shop, you can immerse yourself in the typical flavors of Sicily, in a perfect mix of ancient and modern. The almond pastries and biscuits are the flagship of the proposed line and inimitable in flavour, but you can also taste and order cakes, cannoli, cassatine and much more. Absolutely a culinary experience not to be missed and highly recommended if you are visiting this wonderful...

Now that I've discovered this place, I go daily - for breakfast...and maybe an afternoon caffe and snack...and maybe again instead of gelato. The various flavors of almond cookies are heavenly in taste and texture. Their granita is smooth, light and refreshing. Their cannoli are wonderful. Espresso and tea - all great. The owner and his team are super welcoming. His wife is also an artist. Her paintings decorate the entire shop and they sell beautiful tins and boxes of her designs to put your cookies in - the perfect gift! The first time I went in oohing and aahing, a lovely local customer told me she is born in Ortigia and this is The Best pasticceria in all of Ortigia/Siracusa. I think I need to go again before they...

I would say it was the most unpleasant experience in Siracusa. My friend took granita with pistachio, and me - one small cookie. Granita was brownish and had nothing in common with pistachio granita we tried later in another place. Although we were the only customers, when we asked for the check, the owner insisted I had two cookies. Bho... We will never know, what he counted in the end, because the price was totally improvised. Finally, the sum charged from credit card was a bit more than he announced. Watch out :) It's not overcharging, but the overall attitude that made me write this review and tag this place for myself as...