The story
On Corso Italia in Giarre, Chef Mario Casu has opened a restaurant that feels both deeply rooted and refreshingly new. Casu Osteria Contemporanea, named for the chef himself, is the realization of a career spent working in kitchens across Europe, from Germany and England to the Aeolian Islands and Taormina.
Born in Acireale in 1976 and raised in Giarre, Casu’s first memories of cooking are of playing with bread dough in his family’s bakery and gastronomy lab. That early love for food led him abroad as a young man, where he worked in important restaurants in Germany and then England. By 2003, he was executive chef overseeing three restaurants in the UK, and from 2007 to 2009 he worked at “La Luna” in Surrey, a restaurant mentioned in the Michelin Guide and British culinary guides.
In 2009, Casu returned to Sicily to put his international experience “on the plate.” After a stint as senior sous chef at the Therasia Resort on Vulcano, he began a consultancy moving between England and Italy, helping open several Italian restaurants. The pandemic pause gave him the chance to study Sicilian raw ingredients in depth and finally launch his own project: Casu Osteria Contemporanea, which opened in 2022.
The restaurant’s philosophy is built on seasonality. “Following the rhythms of nature is fundamental for us,” the chef explains. The menu changes with the seasons and the availability of local products, ensuring that each dish tastes honest and true. Guests can also expect off-menu items announced directly at the table.
The wine list is a curated selection of local bottles, with a focus on the wines of Mount Etna, favoring small, local producers. This dedication to quality and authenticity has been recognized by the Michelin Guide, which has recommended Casu Osteria Contemporanea, confirming that this modern Sicilian cuisine is one to watch.
Casu Osteria Contemporanea is open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner, and closed on Mondays.
Recognition
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