This was easily one of the most disappointing Michelin-starred dining experiences we have ever had. While the setting itself was romantic and well-designed, the food, service, and overall atmosphere fell far below expectations.
Pacing & Order Errors: We ordered the chef’s tasting menu (€190 per person). Portion sizes were erratic—oversized pasta courses followed by underwhelming, rushed desserts. Our server offered to swap a fish pasta for a squid ink version, but completely forgot. When we politely pointed this out, the staff turned defensive rather than simply apologizing, and abruptly brought out an extra pasta dish that ruined our appetite for the remaining courses. The service pace dragged severely, taking over 3.5 hours just to complete the appetizers and mains.
Food Quality: The food was nowhere near Michelin standard. Several seafood dishes were below average, with an overpowering fishiness and unbalanced flavor profiles.
Service & Ambiance: Service was inattentive; we had to flag down staff for basic requests. Worse, two servers joined the table behind us for an extended, loud conversation that completely disrupted the ambiance of the dining room.
Wine Pairing: We asked the sommelier for wine recommendations. He selected two entry-level bottles, but the red clashed heavily with our courses, exaggerating the fishy notes of the seafood.
Poor Coordination for Dietary Needs: My friend ordered three courses à la carte due to dietary restrictions. The kitchen’s timing was unacceptable: she waited 1.5 hours between her soup starter and pasta course, followed by another full hour before her final dish arrived.
Given the price point and accolades, the lack of hospitality, poor kitchen timing, and lackluster food made this a thoroughly underwhelming evening.
Great food and good service, we really had a lovely and tasty dinner, enjoying every single plate. I don't like the set up and the formal wedding style of the tables but that's down to my own tastes. I would also add it's pricey, but again, good dinner. Would be nice to have more people at a restaurant
Overall a very nice evening with delicious food. The ambience is great inside the cave with a relaxing atmosphere. We enjoyed our “Origini” tasting menu with wine pairing. The only thing that we noticed was both the wine pairing and the speed of dishes were a bit rushed. Also after we were seated we were asked our name for the reservation again which was a bit weird for a 1 star restaurant. In conclusion we liked the food and would come again.
There are not many restaurants as lovely as this one in Ragusa Ibla. Expertly crafted dishes paired exquisitely with wines by Carmelo, the somm. The tasting menu is definitely the journey you must take. Simply a wonderful evening with attentive, knowledgeable service at a relaxed pace. Sublime.
This was a beautiful location in the side of the mountain with delicious food. We did one of the tasting menus with a couple of us doing the wine pairing and it was all delicious. It was pricy for sure, but well worth it for the experience.
