I had breakfast, lunch, and dinner during my stay at 'The White Lotus' hotel in Sicily, and now I understand why the characters never dined elsewhere

In April, I spent one night at San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel, where the second season of "The White Lotus" took place in Taormina, Sicily, Italy.

The cast and crew lived and filmed at the five-star hotel for several months at the beginning of 2022. Jennifer Coolidge, Haley Lu Richardson, and the other stars enjoyed San Domenico Palace's food during their downtime and while filming scenes, as all of the food was provided by the hotel's main restaurant, the hotel manager Lorenzo Maraviglia told me after my visit.

While preparing for my trip to Sicily, I was particularly looking forward to the food. After all, I thought, it must be good, as the characters rarely dined elsewhere.

I stayed in a sea-view room with a terrace, which cost $2,248, or around €2,047, for one night and the price included breakfast.

As lunch and dinner were not included in the price, I ended up paying an additional $95 for the food and beverages I had while there. Although the restaurants were more expensive than I was used to, I couldn't fault the quality of the food and the excellent service I received from the staff.

Here's what it was like to dine at the real "White Lotus."

Bar and Chiostro is the location of the iconic bar where one of the show's main characters, Mia, performed on the piano and sang after convincing the hotel manager to allow her to do so.

There was nobody playing the piano when I visited, and when I asked a member of staff about it, they informed me that the hotel has a regular pianist, but unfortunately, they were off sick that evening. But I was welcome to give the piano a try if I wanted, they added.

I wasn't given a physical menu but was instead given a piece of paper with a QR code, which I could scan with my phone to receive a digital copy.

In real life, I thought the bar had a particularly romantic and classy vibe, thanks to the sparkling chandeliers and the decor, which included flowers in pots that resembled sculptures of faces.

The Lover cocktail consisted of gin, banana, strawberries, vanilla, coconut water, milk, and lemon, and cost €24, or around $26.

The complimentary snacks included chips, nuts, olives, and breadsticks. I thought it was a nice touch as I was getting rather hungry while I waited to order.

The hotel is located in Taormina, a beautiful town on a hilltop on the east coast of Sicily. I found myself in awe whenever I passed a window or stepped outside while visiting the hotel, as the surrounding natural landscape was magnificent. From the restaurant window, I could easily see the seaside and the buildings perched at the top of the hill.

As it was my first time in Italy, I knew I had to try the spaghetti, which cost €26, or around $28, and came with a basket of bread. Both the pasta and the ingredients tasted fresh and delicious.

The only downside is that it was a small portion, as it was so good that I wanted more.

Breakfast was served at Principe Cerami, the hotel's main restaurant which is Michelin starred and was used to film many scenes in "The White Lotus."

The restaurant also serves dinner, but that was completely booked up when I visited in April as all of the restaurants and the bar are open to non-hotel guests.

I was delighted to be seated outside, as the restaurant had fantastic views of the sea and the hotel's citrus garden below.

The buffet was scattered throughout the indoor section of the restaurant and the piano bar. There was an overwhelming number of options to choose from, including fresh fruit, pastries, meats and cheese, cakes, tarts, and juice.

I was also given a physical menu in case I wanted to order any hot food from the restaurant, such as pancakes, waffles, french toast, eggs, porridge, and bruschetta.

There was a large selection of sweet treats, including berry tarts, chocolate cake, and cannolis.

There were serving spoons and spatulas available for guests to serve themselves.

I was eager to try the cannolis, but unlike the other food at the buffet, I wasn't able to pick one up and put it on my plate. There was a chef at the other side of the serving station, who asked which flavor I wanted. When I told her I'd like to try the pistachio cannoli, she used a piping bag to add the filling for me.

One staff member I spoke to at the restaurant told me that the cast of "The White Lotus" loved the cannolis, which was unsurprising since Aubrey Plaza (who plays Harper) previously told USA Today that the cast ate "hundreds of cannolis" while filming in Sicily.

Once again, the food was delicious and the customer service I received from the staff was fantastic. One server brought me a stool to place my tote bag on while I ate, rather than having me place it on the floor.

The sweet treats were covered in chocolate, vanilla, and caramel sauce. And unlike the spaghetti the night before, this portion was so large that I couldn't finish it.

A staff member told me the Anciovi restaurant was used to film scenes in "The White Lotus," but the food used in the scenes was provided by the hotel's other two restaurants as Anciovi wasn't operating at that time.

I had booked a table for 1 p.m. when the restaurant opened, but the staff allowed me to sit down when I arrived 10 minutes early.

The restaurant is known for seafood and is open for lunch and dinner every day. I was given a physical menu and could see that there was a wide selection of pizza, pasta, and desserts being served for lunch.

A server asked if I would like a pashmina because of the chilly weather, and I was pleasantly surprised as I had never been offered something like this in a restaurant before. However, I declined as I was already wearing relatively warm clothing.

Not only could I see the sea, but I could also see Mount Etna, an active volcano that's located between Messina and Catania in Sicily.

I was excited to try pasta alla norma, a classic Sicilian dish that many cast members enjoyed while filming the show, my server informed me. Adam DiMarco, who plays Albie, told W Magazine that he enjoyed the dish, although he mentioned having it at the nearby restaurant Médousa, rather than at the hotel.

The dish cost €36, or around $39, and consisted of rigatoni pasta, eggplant that was fried and blended into a sauce, yellow tomatoes, and ricotta cheese, which was served with a basket of bread.

It was certainly more expensive than any meal I would get at a restaurant at home in the UK. Nonetheless, it was my favorite meal that I'd had so far while in Sicily. The pasta tasted amazing, and the texture was smooth and creamy.

If you only have time (or money) to visit one of the restaurants, I'd recommend Anciovi, as it was there where I had my favorite meal during my stay.

And although dining at the hotel is expensive, it's far more affordable than booking a room.

The food was magnificent, the scenery was incredible, and the staff were eager to share anecdotes about the cast and crew.

I'd recommend it to all visitors who are searching for "The White Lotus" experience.