Grotta Marcello Cagliari — Restaurant in Cagliari

I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding the experience my colleague and I had during our recent visit to your establishment. This was our second time visiting within a week. While our first visit was enjoyable and left a positive impression, the second visit was unfortunately the complete opposite.

From the beginning, the service was noticeably unprofessional. Despite several polite requests, our table remained dirty and unhygienic, forcing us to clean it ourselves. Throughout the evening, we were repeatedly overlooked by staff, and it became evident that tourists were being treated differently from local guests.

It was frustrating to constantly have to ask multiple times for basic things. When I asked for cutlery, the waiter dismissively replied that "in Italy, we eat pizza with our hands." While I respect local customs, such a response was unnecessarily rude and unhelpful. As a guest, I believe I should be treated with courtesy and allowed to enjoy my meal in the manner I choose.

As someone who owns several businesses in the gastronomy industry, I understand the importance of maintaining high standards in customer service. Unfortunately, this experience did not reflect the level of professionalism or hospitality expected in such a setting.

I hope you take this feedback seriously, as I believe no guest should be made to feel unwelcome or...

We came here drawn in by the beautiful TripAdvisor photos. Big mistake. This place is all smoke and mirrors — the food, the portions, and the atmosphere were a complete letdown.

We were two people and told the server we’d just be having tapas. We specifically asked if 5 plates would be enough, and he confidently said, “Most people do 4, but 5 should be fine.” That would’ve been hilarious if it weren’t so offensive — the portions were so tiny they wouldn’t even fill a child. One small bite per person, per dish. For 54€. Ridiculous.

Here’s what we got: • “Veal nuggets” — except it was clearly beef, and not even good beef. Dry, flavorless, and lazy. • “Shrimp and hummus” — one lonely shrimp sitting on gritty, bitter hummus. Absolutely gross. • “Gnocco fritto” — just chewy, dry bread chunks with no taste or creativity. • Eggplant caponata — a literal handful of bland, mushy eggplant with zero flavor. • Beef tacos — tasted exactly like shredded beef drowned in cheap barbecue sauce. Nothing fresh, nothing balanced.

The atmosphere? Nothing like the inviting, cozy images online. It felt cold, awkward, and underwhelming — like someone tried to copy a trendy place but left out the soul.

This wasn’t just a bad meal — it felt like we were being tricked. Overpriced, under-portioned, and flavorless. Save yourself the disappointment. This...

The photos online looked amazing, so we gave this place a try — huge mistake.

We were two people and told the waiter we just wanted tapas. We even asked if 5 plates would be enough, and he said, “Yeah, that should be fine.” In reality, the portions were so small it felt like a joke — each plate had one bite per person. Honestly, not even enough for a light snack, let alone a meal. And we paid 54€ for it.

None of the dishes were good. •    The “veal nuggets” were definitely beef — dry and bland. •    The shrimp and hummus came with one shrimp and some weird-tasting hummus. •    The gnocco fritto was just dry bread, no seasoning or anything. •    The eggplant caponata had no flavor and was maybe the size of my palm. •    The beef tacos tasted like shredded meat mixed with bottled BBQ sauce.

Yes, there was no wait — but that’s because there were maybe 4 full tables in a place that easily fits dozens more. The atmosphere was nothing like the cozy, vibrant place in the photos. It felt cold and empty — kind of awkward, actually.

We left hungry, disappointed, and annoyed. Would’ve happily paid that price for something good, but this just felt like a...