Restaurant Ari — Restaurant in Bashkia Sarandë

To begin with, I would like to mention that my review is based solely on the evening I experienced. I am not discouraging anyone from visiting the restaurant, just sharing my experience:

I spent 10 days in Saranda, and my wife and I walked through the beach center almost daily. I passed by Ari's many times. The decor stands out from other restaurants in town, and the prices suggest fine dining. I had observed the staff all week, and the waiters worked very skillfully. On our last day in Saranda, I wanted to surprise my wife with a fantastic dinner. We went in, and the restaurant was moderately busy. We were warmly welcomed and seated. We ordered drinks first and asked the waiter to take our food order when the drinks arrived.

Ten minutes later, a large group of Italian retirees stormed into the restaurant, displaying an arrogance and conceit that was hard to believe. The waiter came to take our order, clearly stressed by the group's sudden arrival, and then left. While we waited for 50 minutes (!) for our food, we watched as the retiree group, who arrived 10 minutes after us, was served one dish after another. We were seated in a terrace area, which was marked as a smoking section. Despite the unprofessional service, we remained understanding and signaled to the friendly waiter in the shirt not to worry or rush. To pass the time, we smoked cigarettes with our drinks.

Out of nowhere, one of these Italian retirees jumped up, grabbed my wife by the arm from behind, and yelled in a commanding tone, "Put the cigarette out, immediately!" I responded, somewhat louder but still respectfully, pointing out that it was a smoking area and that we had arrived before their retiree group. When he demanded that we leave the restaurant, I replied that they could leave instead. Feeling empowered in their group, they then cornered us, but thankfully the sympathetic waiter arrived and asked them to leave us alone, as we were in the right. Nonetheless, the atmosphere was ruined after that.

When the food finally arrived, almost an hour later, I realized they had served me the wrong dish. I politely pointed out the mistake, and they assured me my correct order would arrive in a few minutes. My wife ate her meal, but my food never came. Meanwhile, we were still subjected to the hostile attitude of the retiree group. As paying customers, it is not our responsibility to deal with other rude guests. I had had enough and asked for the bill. For this disaster, which was not my fault, I had to pay €50.

If I may offer some friendly advice to the restaurant management: 1. Customers should be served based on the order of arrival, not on the size of the group or profit. 2. If you see that customers are being unfairly harassed, as a manager, you should step in confidently and address issues of respect and manners. 3. After making every mistake possible as a host, you should either invite the guest back for a complimentary meal or offer a voucher so that the amount paid can be redeemed on another day.

My mood was ruined by the experience. Fine dining only works with principles. If you don’t adhere to them, please don’t charge extravagant prices. It requires assertiveness. You were very friendly, which is why I write this review with a heavy heart, but I paid €50 for two drinks, a Fanta, and ravioli. However, I would like to emphasize again that I am not discouraging anyone from eating there. The issue was not with the hospitality but with the professionalism. The food we did receive was of very...

Visiting Saranda with my girlfriend. We both really enjoy good food. luckily there is loads of good food over here for a very decent price. We visited Ari on our second day comparing to other places they are not the cheapest not the most expensive more in the middle. The food is outstanding the starters are excellent the fried shrimp, bruschetta and the lemon Salmon where extraordinarily good at a very reasonable price point. As main course we ate the sea bass spinach pasta with the sea bass with vegetables. Both where really wel put together and you could taste that the fish was fresh. The waiters where really polite and gave a 2-3 star Michelin restaurant vibe. The atmosphere overal was just really good and cozy. We even came there a second time. We only spend around 40 euros both times which for Saranda is somewhat on the higher end but definitely not overpriced for the quality and the experience. Talking with the owner the second time he told me they had only opened up 2 months ago. That is why I have wrote this review. Well deserved 5...

Nous commandons un cocktail SANS alcool et ils font payer le même prix qu’un cocktail AVEC alcool. Ils nous font payer 1150 LEK et ne rendent pas bien la monnaie : arnaque nous ont fait payer 1300. Arnaque,

Réponse après l’agressivité de la réponse du propriétaire :

Having read your message, we now fully understand the mindset of your restaurant—and it is quite alarming.

When we saw the price of the cocktail, we did ask for an explanation. The server simply told us, "That's how it is," with no further clarification or courtesy. The tone of your reply here reflects the same aggression and complete lack of customer care, which is, frankly, dramatic.

As for the issue with the change we were not given back—what is your response to that? Or will you once again turn the situation around and accuse us of being absurd?

Once more, and especially after reading your unapologetic response, I strongly advise others to avoid this place....