Il Melograno

Very Good
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Excellent breakfast, gentle hosts
  : Due to COVID, no dinner was served :(

Fair
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : The room was clean and reasonably comfortable.
  : Lone staff member did his best but was evidently not permitted to offer more than just the room. We arrived in the dark and had some difficulty mounting an unmarked and steep unlit incline in a manual shift car. Not wanting to leave again to get some food we asked the employee whether there was any fruit available. Even though this is advertised as agritourism and even though he said he was going shopping that very moment to get provisions for breakfast, he said he was not able to provide us even a piece of fruit. The location, which we chose believing it was situated convenient to both Taormina and Catania, is in a small town with no amenities, not near the sea and not terribly convenient to Taormina. If you like very basic but clean and can do without the warm hospitality and conviviality of B&Bs and agritourism (we never saw an owner, only an employee) and are satisfied with a decent breakfast purchased from a local store rather than (as we expected from an agritourist B&B), rather than some bounty from the farm on site, this place will work for you.

Very Good
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : This was a perfect location for visiting Mount Etna, Catania, Taormina and Enna. Our room was large with a very nice bathroom. We had a gorgeous view of the sea (the rooms at the back of the house look out onto Etna.) The breakfast was superb: fresh fruit and juice, a fine selection of cheese, meats and pastries, and excellent coffee. If the weather permits you can have your breakfast outside on the terrace, which we did once and loved. Make sure you book dinner here at least once during your stay. It is fantastic and Daniela is an amazing cook and a really lovely person. Be forewarned: the entrance to the farm is a little complicated. The number may be 129, but it is not the actual property but the beginning of a very steep and narrow lane which goes up the hill, around an impossible hairpin turn and finally arrives at the house. There is ample parking around the back.
  : I really like a firm bed but our mattress was thin and hard and very uncomfortable. It bounced and shook whenever one of us moved. So, not conducive to a good night's sleep. Also, there are many dogs in the surrounding farms that bark constantly, especially at night. I slept badly, even with earplugs.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Solo Traveler
  : I had a huge room accessed from to a wrap-around terrace that gave sweeping views of the sea, the coastline and - at the back - to Mount Etna. The tiniest bit of traffic noise, but in an otherwise quiet, semi-rural location. Wandering off around the citrus groves or sitting relaxing in the orchard, while Etna gently puffed away in the background was an utter joy. The room was cool, the bed was really comfortable and the shower was powerful and hot. The owners and staff were SO lovely and made me feel very welcome. Breakfast was great - cereal, yoghurt, cheeses, meats, bread, fruit, home-made cake...just what was needed before going off exploring. The restaurant isn't open as a matter of course (it's dependent on there being enough people to make it worthwhile) but was serving on three out of the five nights I stayed. The food is amazing! Daniela the manager couldn't do enough to accommodate us when I brought a small group to eat there at the last minute - including a vegan. Really good, authentic and totally delicious food and wine at a bargain price. There's a great pizza restaurant in the town too, just a five minute walk away, and a cafe across the road for coffee and pastries. There are a range of rooms available from a single to my enormous triple, so there should be something to suit everyone, although possibly only available when booking directly. All in all, highly recommended and I'll definitely come back with my family next time.
  : There was quite a difference in room prices depending on how and where you booked, which peeved me a little at first. However, I had such a lovely time I didn't care in the end. In my big room, it would've been nice to have a small sofa or comfortable chair to sit in, and it's always nice to have the means to make a cup of tea or coffee but again: not a deal breaker