Excellent seafood in an unassuming environment. If you've…read moremade it to Caltagirone (to buy heads!), then you could do far worse than eat here. The food is, as always, impeccably sourced and made, but what makes the place is the friendly/welcoming environment created by the hosts. Take your cues from your hosts - ignore the menu, and work out what you should be eating based on what they recommend. The process might be involved, getting into what you've already had, what you like, etc., but it'll be worth it - if not for anything else, then just for the convo Good times!

Excellent food, good service. Outdoors in a piazza off the beaten track, local cuisine is well…read moreprepared. The veal cutlet is exquisite, but other dishes very good as well.

The food was very tasty and it was lovely sitting outside with a view of Castello Ursino.read more

Outside. Beautiful. Table clothes. Very nice and kind service. Food came out quickly, almost too…read morequick. Didn't care for any of the food. We had two apps and left. Wine was ok they brought out two different bottles to try, place is now packed. Try at your own risk. Not my favorite here. Doris approved 3.5 stars. The whole meal everything pictured was 22.00euro Everyone else cleaned their plates so maybe we didn't pick the right meals.

Dined at Trattoria Il Mare while in Catania, and it may have been our most truly authentic Sicilian…read moremeal of the trip. The atmosphere was cozy, with a small streetside feel, and the service was genuinely traditional -- it honestly felt like dining in someone's home. We enjoyed a full plate of alici fritti, Insalata Pantesca, pasta con vongole, and scaloppina al Marsala -- everything was perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and paired beautifully with the vino di casa. Overall, a fantastic spot and a definite trip highlight. I only wish we had more time for repeat visits. Saluti

Wanted seafood so tried out Trattoria Il Mare for dinner. It was packed outside but no wait for a…read moretable inside. Menu and ordering is straight the QR code. Coperto was 2,00€/person. - White wine (1,50€ for 1/4L) - Red wine (1,50€ for 1/4L) - Mixed platter (12,00€) - mix of octopus, oyster, squid, sardines, baby shrimp and mixed fried seafood. Favourite was the octopus. Came with a fried fish fritter (surprisingly tender). - Mix grilled seafood (15,00€) - swordfish was dry. Seafood wasn't grilled. Platter was better - Red peppers (4,00€) - cold, marinated style. Meh - Grilled mushrooms (4,00€) - cold, salty porcini mushrooms. Skip it

A MUST visit if you are in Ortigia. My boyfriend and I are staying at Hotel Maniace which is…read morewalking distance to this restaurant and everything was amazing, the food, service, ambiance, highly recommend!

We arrived early and without a reservation and were greeted promptly with a friendly buonasera!…read moreThe food was the best we'd had on our vacation to Sicily. From the starter of caponata, to the pasta filled with octopus and pasta filled with sardines followed with swordfish roses and tuna medallions all accompanied by a DOCG wine recommendation, no detail seemed overlooked. Unfortunately we had to rush out but I'm certain dessert is worth a try. The ambiance is as amiable as the staff!

The food was delicious. A Wonderful meal at a reasonable price. The carbonata was the best we have…read morehad in Sicily. The sea bass was grilled, light, and flavorful. Linguine with clams and mussels was excellent. The Tiramisu was outstanding. The wine and spritz were generous and reasonably priced. The staff were friendly, helpful, and responsive. They obviously like working there. The ambiance was natural, authentic, and not ostentatious. We felt welcomed. Staff spoke fluent English. We even bought a T-shirt to preserve the memory.

A great meal at Ortigia Fish Bar. Carlotta provided amazing service and great conversation. We…read morestarted the meal with caponata which boasted 18 ingredients. It did not disappoint. It was followed by an orange fennel salad which was so refreshing in addition to the fried fish fritters. Our main course consisted of grilled prawns, calamari & swordfish. The prawns were so sweet and delicious! Accompanying our meal was a bottle of Le Sabre Dell'Etna white wine. To finish off the meal we had cannolo and tiramisu. An after dinner drink of amaro rounded out the meal. This restaurant is a must try!

Great food. Large portions at a reasonable price. Great hosts and chef that greet you and check on…read moreyour food. Open air dining is great after the sun goes down.

Loyal customer for 10 years -- deeply disappointed. My Wife and I have celebrated our anniversary…read moreand countless family occasions here for a decade, always traveling from Dubai for this restaurant. This year, our outdoor table was pushed against the toilets out of the restaurant, and so narrow we had to sit side by side instead of facing each other. When we gently joked about it feeling like a school desk rather than a romantic dinner, the owner reacted with shouting and open hostility, said he'd had enough of complaints, and walked off. We stood there for several minutes expecting him to find a solution -- instead we watched him take orders from other tables while ignoring us completely. We left without eating. The front-of-house management and the owner's attitude have deteriorated badly. A simple table change (booked with one month, shame on them) would have fixed everything,