How to Enjoy a Frozen Granita at BamBar in Taormina, Sicily

Last Updated on 25th January 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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If you’re planning a trip to Taormina, then no doubt you’ve probably heard of the famous BamBar, a pretty as a postcard café nestled in the heart of the maze of streets which form Taormina’s old town. Here’s everything you need to know about BamBar, as well as some essential travel information to help you make the most of your trip.

We loved this little eatery so much that we actually opted to visit several times during our three days in Taormina. Each morning we would get up and head straight to the bar in order to indulge in the ice cold desserts coupled with a piping hot fresh coffee.

If you’re still in the initial planning stages of planning your trip, be sure to check out our suggestions for the best things to do in Taormina.

Introducing BamBar

There’s probably no breakfast more refreshing to wake up to while in Italy than by indulging in a local favourite: a granita. This is essentially shaved ice flavoured with various natural flavours and served in an ice cream sundae dish.

The menu at BamBar is ever changing (depending on what’s left in stock that day) but the most classic flavours are almond and lemon (after all, Sicily is famed for its lemons). Other staples on the menu include strawberry, chocolate, coffee, strawberry, peach, and raspberry.

If you’re feeling adventurous, then you can even opt for several flavours mixed together. If you’re not sure if two flavours will mix well, then you can ask the waiter and they certainly won’t hold back if they think the flavours won’t go well together.

If you opt for flavours such as coffee or almond, then you can also opt for a dollop of super sweet fresh cream to be added onto your dish. For an extra fee, I highly recommend ordering the freshly baked large as your head brioche buns. Indeed, these are so large that you can probably split one between two.

If you’re a coffee drinker, then you’ll also want to order a coffee to go together with your BamBar breakfast. Note that, when you order a coffee, you’ll be served an espresso (this is the norm in Italy).

You can alternatively order a cappuccino if you prefer your coffee served with milk, but people will probably be a bit confused if you try to order a cappuccino after midday. Only order a latte if you want a glass of warm milk! For more information about this, check out our Italian coffee guide.

Getting a table at BamBar

Now, the first thing to note is that you can’t reserve a table at BamBar in advance. This will probably work out well for you if you’re the kind of traveller who prefers to plan the days as they come and you’re also the kind of person who doesn’t mind at a place when it opens to beat the crowds.

Now, each day when we arrived at BamBar, there was already a short queue ahead of us. There’s no sign telling you what to do, but you should go inside to the bar area and inform a waiter that your party has arrived and you’d like one as soon as it becomes available.

Give your name and the number of people in your group and go back to waiting outside (though be sure not to block any walkways). A waiter will call out your name as soon as a table becomes available.

And, to be honest, the turnover is pretty fast! After all, food and drinks are typically served within five to ten minutes of ordering them and the granitas are so tasty that you’ll finish them in no time!

BamBar is open every day in July and August and is closed on Mondays during the rest of the year. We spent around €6 per person, which I thought was more than reasonable for the quality of the food, not to mention the experience of sitting on the artsy terrace.