Our dinner at MATES on our first night in Caltabellotta is one that we'll be talking about for a…read morelong, long time. It will be included in the stories we tell (to anyone who will listen) of our wonderful vacation in Italy, and our special time in Sicily. It is that good! MATES is a perfect little restaurant in a beautiful, rustic building in the heart of Caltabellotta. This is family-run, authentic Sicilian - and the family (the Augellos) are delightful. Sons Giuseppe and Leonardo were our servers in the dining room, providing excellent service that was both friendly and professional (and adorable). Father Felice was our gracious and welcoming host, and mother Laura provided the amazing culinary experience from the kitchen. There is no set menu - but trust Laura and you will not be disappointed. The quality and hospitality at MATES are unsurpassed! We started with a variety of antipasti which included (among other things) cheese and cured meats, eggplant caponata, and fresh sheep milk ricotta - all were beautifully flavored and complimentary to one another. Primi piatti included risotto with spring vegetables and fusilli pasta dish with eggplant. Così delizioso! Our stomachs were quite full when the secondi piatti showed up - but we could not resist the delectable slow-roasted pork shank, accented with fresh rosemary and accompanied by perfectly roasted potatoes. There was also a lovely beef dish - though the pork outshined it. And now for the dessert. You need look no farther than Laura's cannoli, which like everything else, are made in-house. To say they are the best in the world is, well, completely accurate! At least in _my_ world. And I have done some cannoli'ing. I have cannoli'd across Italy, and in the Little Italys of NYC and San Diego, and from San Franciso's North Beach to Boston's North End and Providence's Federal Hill. After having cannoli at MATES, no one else compares. Essi sono la perfezione! To sum it up: Quando si visita la Sicilia (che si dovrebbe), è necessario trovare la strada per Caltabellotta (si dovrebbe!) e godere di una cena meravigliosa con Augellos a MATES. Il vostro stomaco e il vostro cuore vi ringrazierà! E 'stato un privilegio per mangiare qui! P.S. The Augellos also own the nearby Solto le Stelle B&B which I will review separately but also worth 5 stars - rest your head at Solto le Stelle and feed your belly at MATES and you will be so very happy. You will fall in love with Caltabellotta (and the Augellos) as I did!

This was a once in a lifetime experience. We ate at Mate…read moreseveral times in this Quaint Mountain village. It's to hard to describe in words the ambiance, service, and beyond delicious food. It's a must go to. Even if it's out of your way. Find a way to get there.

Great Restaurant with wonderful Sicilian food We arrived at…read morea busy moment but they were able To accommodate us with a short wait We had the Caponata di tonno which was great fir appetizer The Pasta con le Sarde was fantastic Portions are fairly abundant so order accordingly Service was courteous and efficient I definitely recommend this place

Excellent food, probably the best we had during our week in Palermo. We had swordfish and…read moremeatballs. The owner asked what kind of wine we liked and brought us each a glass. The red wine tasted like a Syrah blend, it was easily the best wine that I had in Palermo. Prices seemed reasonable. I recommend getting a reservation, there was often a long line of people waiting for tables.

Wonderful, delicious seafood, best meal I had in Sicily,so fresh,and the service was excellentread more

Nice location on the waterfront and great seafood. The mussels are some of the best we have had…read moreand we are used to fresh seafood. The staff was friendly as well. Only gripe is they seem to charge a premium for the location. I guess this must be a resort town or something, but it was nearly double the price for the same dishes you could get in Palermo. Quality food and wine though, even at the price it is worth checking out.

We stayed in the Sciacca area for vacation recently and our hotel butler advised us that Porto San…read morePaola was a great spot nearby that many locals would eat at for a consistently good dining and servicing experience. They made us a reservation same day for dinner and we arrived promptly at our dining time and were seated immediately at a table overlooking the water and city. The views are purely stunning for sunset! The servers were all so nice and I believe it's a small family owned establishment, and I think the owners were also waiting on us at some point during the meal. All of the restaurant employees were so nice, welcoming, and offered to answer any questions we had on the menu. We started with a bottle of white wine and it was amazing! I think most wines of their menu were less than 25 euros a bottle. They also provided us with a basket of bread to start complimentary as well. We started with Panelle to start as an appetizer (little chickpea fritters, they were amazing! 5 euros for I believe they were 5 fritters). We also ordered the Busiate alla Norma (13 euros, this was the best and freshest pasta you could imagine, truly amazing and they split it for us in the kitchen and was plenty big for two people to share). For entrees, we both ordered the Filetto di pesce fresco (fresh fish filet, 20 euros), and included a few small vegetables as well. We also ended with a Canolli for desert, and OMG it was the best cannoli I've ever had. I believe it was 3 euros and the flavor was out of this world. We split the cannoli in two, but I think I could have eaten two of them just myself! I really felt like we were eating in a Michelin starred restaurant, the food quality and preparation were amazing, along with the service was very white glove as well. If you're in the Sciacca area, definitely give them a try!

We absolutely loved our experience here while visiting Sciacca! Excellent food, fresh fish, wine to…read moredie for, and service was exceptional. I'm still dreaming about the view!

Went with my family. Great seafood. We sat outside and enjoyed the city sounds and sights…read more We went with owners recommendation and had swordfish kabobs, lobster bucatine and St. Peter fish with olives, tomatoes and capers. Fabulous! His wine suggestions was also right on. Had a nice Chardonnay from Melfi. The lemon sorbet with mint and olive oil is to die for.

Sergio is an inventive chef. We have never had a bad dish there. My friend here in Sciacca has…read morereservations about the restaurant because it's not a traditional Sicilian menu but I don't care. The food is great. Well worth the money

The food was some of the best I had in the area and the salads are delicious. Save room for the…read moreoutstanding desserts!

siamo stati benissimo alla rotonda. antipasti meravigliosi e vino perfetto. il servizio era gentile…read moree cordiale. il piatto d'oltremare si sposava perfettamente con gli spaghetti alle vongole e l'olio d'oliva era squisito. l'espresso martini con gelato al pistacchio era perfetto. sensazionale!

Ate here 7 years ago with my newlywed and havent forgotten it since then. Hands down the best tuna…read morepasta I've ever had, and the tuna tartare was to die for! So good in fact, we ate there 3 nights in a row! If you're in Trapani, Al Vicoletto is a must!

We loved it here. The waiter was so entertaining. Portions are healthy (really large for Italy). We…read morewere entertained and enjoyed our meal thoroughly. Though I would pass on the bartuga unless you really love dried fishy stuff. The 7 layer chocolate cake was amazing I am told.