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Ordinary Traveler / Blog / Sicily / Bar di Turrisi: A Fertility Restaurant in Castelmola, Sicily

Bar di Turrisi: A Fertility Restaurant in Castelmola, Sicily

By Christy Woodrow, Last Modified: January 18, 2019

Bar di Turrisi: A Fertility Restaurant in Castelmola, Sicily

 

Bar di Turrisi: A Fertility Restaurant in Castelmola, Sicily

 

Many years ago, before I met Scott, I befriended an Italian boy while traveling in Taormina, Sicily who insisted he take me to dinner. I wasn’t interested in this boy romantically, but since I was traveling through Europe alone, a dinner with a new friend is a welcome surprise any night. Little did I know, I was in for quite a different type of surprise.

Antoniu, my date, insisted we go to a beautiful village perched above Taormina, called Castelmola. We arrived at Bar di Turrisi, a three-story ancient restaurant/bar which dates back to 1947 and has been passed from generation to generation.

As I entered the ristorante, my eyes had to adjust slightly to the dim lighting. The room was crowded with Sicilians enjoying their food and drinks. Antoniu spoke to one of the staff members of the bar in Sicilian and before I knew it we were being led up a winding staircase to a table on the rooftop with stunning views of the coast and Mount Etna.

As we walked through the restaurant, I did a double take once I realized the decor that covered every inch of the place. Phallus images of every size, shape and color are placed on counter-tops, carved into stair hand railings and chairs, hung on the walls and drawn on the menus. You can even wash your hands under a faucet shaped like a male member when you use the bathroom.

The decoration decisions of Bar di Turrisi did not come about because the owners are sex-addicts. Instead, there is actually some meaning behind it. The phallic decor symbolizes fertility. To quote the owner of the bar, “Having had three sons within five years, there was one particular symbol that could represent it all.” Amen, brother.

After you are done going photo crazy so you can show all your friends what a weird place you visited in Sicily, don’t forget to try the local specialty of almond flavored wine. Their pasta dishes are delicious too.

It is said that Castelmola is rarely visited by non-Sicilians, so I felt lucky to have visited such a unique place.

Read more: 10 Places You Must See in Italy

 

Plan Your Trip to Sicily

After traveling consistently for over 10 years, we’ve come to trust and rely on a few websites to help us find the best deals on flights and accommodation.

Flights: Momondo is the first place we check when searching for cheap flights. It searches hundreds of sites for the best fare and includes both standard and budget airlines. The calendar feature shows the cheapest days to fly in your preferred month of travel.

Accommodation: Booking.com offers savings on hotels, apartments, and villas in 80,000 destinations worldwide. You can browse hotel reviews and find the guaranteed best price on hotels for all budgets.

Travel Insurance: We never travel without a travel insurance policy because it’s not worth the risk! We use and trust World Nomads, which we’ve used for the past 8 years.

 

About Christy Woodrow

Christy Woodrow is a travel photographer and professional blogger based in San Diego. She has been traveling around the world with her partner, Scott, since 2006. Join them in their quest to find off-the-beaten-path destinations by signing up for weekly emails. You can read more about her on our about page.

Filed Under: Sicily

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kerry-Ann says

    What a strange place. One of the coolest things about travelling and exploring is finding all those ‘off the beaten track’ wierd and wonderful things.

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      So true. I don’t know too many people who have been to a restaurant like this. It’s even funnier to me that my date didn’t warn me.

      Reply
  2. Cathy Sweeney says

    Unique! How fun that you got to see this place. But I do wonder what your friend’s real intentions were. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Nancie (Ladyexpat) says

    What an experience! and especially since it was a complete surprise. Love the photo. 

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

       Haha. I was going to put the actual photo up, but Scott thought it would be funny to put a smiley face. Maybe it’s better to not have our site listed as “adult theme”. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sophie says

    I’d like to see this restaurant. Just for the almond wine, of course.

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Hehe. Of course. I hear if you buy a bottle of the almond wine that it comes shaped like a penis. If I had known that at the time I would have bought a ton and sent them home as gifts. 

      Reply
  5. Lisa Overman says

    Wow, that would have been quite a shock, especially with a guy you just met. It’s especially cool since it is really a very local destination. Those can be some of the best memories and places to dine.

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      I agree. I would definitely go back the next time I’m in Sicily. Maybe I’ll get some better photos next time. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Matthew Karsten says

    Where is the female-themed fertility restaurant?

    Reply
    • Scott says

      Good question!

      Reply
  7. John in France says

    I’m a little worried about what was on the menu?!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Scott says

      It’s probably not what’s on the menu that’s a problem, it’s what happens in the kitchen.

      Reply
  8. Jade says

    Christy this is too funny! I can’t say that I’ve been any where like this!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Now you really want to go, don’t you?! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Laurel says

    Very interesting.  I guess you had no question what your date was hoping for after taking you there 🙂  In Bangkok, there is a restaurant called “Cabbages and Condoms.”  Instead of getting a mint after dinner, guests receive a condom.  It is actually part of an AIDS awareness and prevention thing, rather than a sex thing as well.  I used to always take out of town visitors there and they always got a kick out of it.

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Actually, I hadn’t even thought about it. Is that weird? It didn’t make me uncomfortable at all.

      Reply
  10. Dave and Deb says

    What an awesome restaurant. I can’t say that we’ve ever dined in a place so interesting. Good to hear that the food was good too!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Yes, the food was delicious. Although, I don’t think I had a bad meal the entire time I was in Sicily. 🙂

      Reply
  11. The Travel Chica says

    Unfortunately I have not encountered something this interesting in my travels, but I hope I do soon.  How funny!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Maybe they have something like this in Argentina.

      Reply
  12. Debbie Beardsley says

    The decor of this restaurant sounds crazy!  The thoughts that must have been running through your mind 🙂

    Reply
  13. Geert @ Inspiring Travellers says

    How bizarre – that wouldn’t be too appetizing to me!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      It is a little bizarre to put that sort of stuff in a place where people eat, isn’t it? 

      Reply
  14. Angela says

    This is a very interesting and unusual place to have dinner, maybe a little embarrassing on a first date 😛

    Reply
  15. Michael Hodson says

    I love that you censored the photo!!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      That was all Scott’s doing. I love the smiley face he made. haha

      Reply
  16. suzyguese says

    I have actually been to Castelmola, but not this restaurant. It sounds like an interesting one to say the least. The Italians and their fertility symbols seem to be all over the south of Italy!

    Reply
  17. Juan @ Blue Suager Coupons says

    Well you know, experiences like this make traveling unforgettable.

    Reply
  18. Annie @ Wayward Traveller says

    I love that you got this experience when you were in Italy. The places that are full of locals are truly the best! 

    You have to admit the penis this is just funny! 🙂 

    Reply
  19. yTravelBlog says

    Sounds like a very cool place to experience eating. WE know what was on his mind.

    Reply
  20. Lindsay says

    Ummm this is hilarious! I love it… I would totally go. 

    Reply
  21. Alana Calafiore says

    I was in Sicily in June, The last full day of the trip was spent in Taormina, and This bar was the last stop we made that day.

    Reply
  22. Dina VagabondQuest says

    I totally can’t tell what’s behind that censor face!

    Reply
  23. Candicewalsh says

    Ooh my, I’d be blushing! Awesome story though.

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      It’s so weird that I don’t remember being embarrassed or uncomfortable.

      Reply
  24. Rease Kirchner says

    Penis faucets? That’s just madness.

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      HA! Oh, come on, Rease. You know you want to have one installed in your apartment now.

      Reply
  25. Katrina says

    I love discovering pagan and historical connections to modern life.  Learning about Priapus, and seeing the fresco at the House of the Vettii, in Pompeii was a similar experience for me.  Now that I live in Ireland, finding bits and pieces about Celtic-style fertility rituals, which were often assimilated into and modified by the Catholic church, is another part of the fun!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Sounds interesting, Katrina. This is my only experience with something like this.

      Reply

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