Al Castello - CASTELBUONO

A wood burning oven produced very good pizzas. The starter of mixed local cheeses and salamis looked expensive at 10 Euro, but was more than enough for two to share.

Seemed like a handy place from which to visit the Castello. How wrong we were! The staff were surly like we’d interrupted their lunchtime routine. The menu visible at the door didn’t materialise and instead we had to choose from “pasta castle” or “pasta standard” which basically gave them carte blanche to do anything. We both ordered the same thing but they looked and tasted different! And to charge €2 each cover charge when we didn’t even get a breadstick was a bit rough!

We were recommended to this establishment but came to regret it. We ordered a Sicilian Salad and a Tuna Salad with two glasses white wine, half litre water and two Americano coffees after. My Siciliano was a bowl of green red lettuce with two sliced tomatoes mixed in. The Tuna salad was the same with tuna added. We were given two small slices of very salty bread with olive oil dribbled on it, free of charge. The wine barely covered the bottom of the glasses. More than halfway through our meal some salt olive oil was offered, there was none on the table. We left most of the lettuce. Somehow this all came to Euros 41.50. One wonders how?

I know I usually avoid main squares in Italy for eating, but this place was definitely worth it. In summer they have tables outside, but the restaurant inside is also nice and has a good atmosphere. The food is all freshly prepared and if you want to sample some genuine Sicilian food it is the perfect stop. I can highly recommend the antipasto, but you may not have room for much else afterwards!

We were here to join our friends for pizza during what was the busiest night of the year for this otherwise typically quiet mountain town , The service was efficient, and the food was pretty good . We had a very good time and I would suggest this place as a great place to eat and see the sights as well. Very nice . We brought our dogs and they were very accommodating