The Sicilian coffee and granita tradition is at its best in the morning, and Messina delivers. The local bar ritual — espresso standing at the counter, or a granita with brioche dipped into it for breakfast — is taken seriously here. The granita flavours follow the seasons: almond and lemon are the year-round standards, strawberry and mulberry appear in summer, fig in autumn. Locals have strong opinions about which bar makes the best granita in town, and asking your hotel or a local shopkeeper will produce animated recommendations.
The main café strip runs along the Corso Cavour and the streets around Piazza Cairoli in the city centre. Many bars here double as pasticcerie, with an excellent selection of Sicilian pastries: cassata, cannoli, paste di mandorla (almond pastries), and the local speciality of pignolata — deep-fried dough balls covered in chocolate and white icing. Evening aperitivo culture is well-established, with the area around Piazza del Popolo and the seafront popular for drinks before dinner. The city has a university and a younger population than its transit-gateway reputation suggests, which keeps the bar scene lively into the small hours.