Agriturismo Monte Criscione — Restaurant in Avola

We visited the restaurant for dinner on a Tuesday night as we were staying nearby in Fontane Bianche. The drive to the agriturismo is windy and bumpy but well worth it. We were a party of 4 and had the option to sit inside or out on the terrace. We opted for the terrace which was lovely on a balmy night. There was only one other couple there. ||The service was great from start to finish and our host was lovely. The food was utterly delicious. There is no menu. They just tell you what is available that day so it’s all very seasonal. We started with a selection of antipasto (sausage, cheeses, an amazing caponata, baked ricotta, polpette and crumbed aubergine). This was followed by 4 very different but very tasty pasta dishes. We couldn’t decide so we got one of each and shared. Then there were 2 main course options to choose from. Again we ordered both and shared. Slow cooked beef in a delicious sauce that melted in your mouth along with a mixed grill of Italian sausage and pork chop drizzled with fresh basil oil. ||For dessert there was a choice of almond pannacotta, limoncello pannacotta or strawberry cheesecake. We tried the last two with the cheesecake being our firm favourite. All of this was finished off with two jugs of local red wine which hit the spot. ||The total cost was a mere €43 per person. An absolute bargain compared to some of the other restaurants we visited which were far below the quality of this one and way more expensive. I’d highly recommend a visit or two if you’re in...

The location was tranquil set among the citrus groves in the hills above Avola.

Nothing was too much trouble for Alessandro to make our stay comfortable. Service was personal and very attentive.

The delicios home cooked Sicilian dishes were prepared by Alessandro's parents. The antipasti were superb with a changing menu on each of the 3 nights we stayed. All at a reasonable price including a half liter of the excellent local wine between the two of us.

Breakfast was generous and Alessandro made sure he knew what we would like.

We were lucky to have stayed at the time of the citrus harvest. The oranges from the farms own orchard were freshly picked and were the best I have ever tasted. Similarly the ripe black olives from the farm's own trees were superb.

Highly...

We had dinner there, 4 adults and 1 kid, and paid 180 euro. We shared some antipasti (4), one pasta dish each (5) and some dessert (4). Plus 2 liters of wine. All vegetarian, no fish or meat involved. The food is good but the portions are quite small and the price is very high. We basically paid 36 euro for each person, including the kid. In the same area, you can eat the same kind of food by spending way less money. I'm sorry to say this, but it's not worth it to go all up there and pay so much. There are other local restaurants in the area where you basically pay the half of the price for a...