Chef Giuseppe Longo’s interest in cooking began in his paternal grandfather’s little kitchen beneath the stairs. Later, a friend working as a chef helped him turn that curiosity into a career. Today, family dishes still influence his menu, and the lessons he learned in his grandfather’s cucina have found a rather impressive new address at Bellevue in Taormina’s Hotel Metropole.
A new chapter in an old palazzo
On Corso Umberto, beside Taormina’s historic Clock Tower, Metropole occupies an 18th-century palazzo that once belonged to jurist and archaeologist Biagio De Spuches. The restaurant takes its name from the Bellevue inn, which opened in the building in 1876. Outside, Corso Umberto offers plenty of reasons to keep walking, from glamorous storefronts and pistachio-filled candy shops to picturesque bars and patios filled with the scent of freshly fried arancini. Bellevue’s terrace, however, rewards anyone willing to stop. With sweeping views of Sicily’s eastern coastline, it makes even a busy sightseeing schedule seem less pressing.
For Longo, arriving at Bellevue marked a personal turning point. He felt ready to grow and take on a challenge, encouraged by the hotel manager’s confidence in young talent. His menu reflects that ambition, giving familiar Sicilian dishes the attention they deserve and a few surprises along the way. He started with parmigiana, choosing a taste of home for his first contribution to the menu. “When someone places their trust in you, you want to honor it through your work,” he says.
A bar with a little imagination
The Bellevue bar makes a convincing case for arriving well before dinner. With the Ionian Sea stretching below and Etna in the distance, it’s an inviting spot for aperitivo at sunset.
The evening began with wine before moving on to cocktails, accompanied by seafood bites that included crispy octopus with Piccadilly tomato and Taggiasca olives. Attentive service made it easy to take it all in, enjoy the view and just relax. After a long day of sightseeing in Taormina, the bar was a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle on Corso Umberto just outside.
With cocktail options ranging from The Lady Florence with limoncello, basil liqueur, honey, lime and Sicilian sparkling wine to the Taormina Mule with cardamom vodka, citrus and ginger beer, dinner could wait a little.
A memorable menu
Dinner opened with an assortment of breads, including sourdough and focaccia. The veli di manzo, a beef carpaccio paired with pear, was light and flavorful.
One of Longo’s first contributions to the menu was a dish close to his heart. “Parmigiana is so familiar to us that it can be tempting to take it for granted. Yet getting those simple elements into balance requires real care,” he says. Longo calls his parmigiana “Regina di Sicilia,” or Queen of Sicily, and it only takes one bite to understand why the dish deserves the name. Thin layers of eggplant with tomato, pesto and cheeses make a satisfying dish that is surprisingly light.
Asked what makes a good parmigiana, Longo returns to the essentials: eggplant, fresh tomato sauce and basil. Each ingredient is as important as the next, and getting them into balance takes care.
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The parmigiana would have been a tough act to follow. Then the risotto showed up. Cream of broccoli gave the rice a silky richness, while pork belly and porcini mushrooms added depth. A Nero d’Avola red wine reduction brought it all together. It is a standout on the new seasonal menu. Next, tender chateaubriand served on lava stone added drama to the table and was perfectly cooked and presented.
Alongside sous chef Giuseppe Marino, Longo gives these dishes their own character without losing the thread connecting them. His cooking draws on the foods he knows well and the ingredients available to him seasonally. Describing a family soup he is reworking for the menu, he says: “There is something meaningful about taking a dish made with humble ingredients and allowing it to continue its story in a new setting. I want guests to discover my interpretation while still feeling the warmth of its origins,” he told Appetito.
Fresh local ricotta is another chef favorite. Longo enjoys showing guests its versatility, moving between savory dishes and desserts. The menu may change with the season, but his aim stays consistent. “I wanted the cooking and the welcome to create a feeling of being cared for. Our terrace gives us a beautiful setting: the open sky, the stars, and the pleasure of spending an evening at the table,” Longo says.
Dessert was just as impressive. Bellevue’s tiramisu combines homemade biscuits with two mascarpone preparations and a light touch of coffee. A classic crème brûlée joins it on the new seasonal menu. There is pleasure in seeing these familiar desserts done so well, especially at the end of a dinner shaped by Longo’s family memories.
Making room for everyone
Longo sees a successful evening as a team effort. He and Marino lead the kitchen, while the hotel staff looks after guests and management keeps everything running smoothly. Each plays a part in making dinner feel effortless.
“A chef’s ideas need skilled hands, dedication and shared care to become something worth serving,” he says. “Whatever we achieve at Bellevue carries the work of those people within it.”
That care was evident throughout dinner. Service was impeccable without feeling stiff, leaving room to enjoy another course or order a second dessert. And for all the grandeur of the address, Longo’s ambitions are personal. “Through the food, I hope to add something more personal—a flavor that awakens a memory or recalls the comfort of a familiar dish,” he says.
It is a fitting goal for a chef whose curiosity began in his grandfather’s kitchen so many years ago. At Bellevue, those early memories have become dishes for travelers to discover and, perhaps, remember long after leaving Taormina. The next time they encounter a particularly good parmigiana, Sicily may feel a little closer.
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