Manàmanà Ristorante — Restaurant in Cagliari

Ah, the classic travel mistake—thinking you can waltz into one of the top-rated restaurants in Cagliari without a reservation. Rookie move. By the time we realized that all the 4.6 to 4.9 star joints were booked solid, I was well into the danger zone. You know, the state where hunger meets rage—hangry, with a capital H.

But then, as if the universe took pity on us, we stumbled upon a little spot under some massive trees called ManaMana. It had that unassuming, local vibe that made you feel like you’d just found the neighborhood’s best-kept secret. The kind of place where the menu isn’t trying to impress tourists but is instead a love letter to the locals. They told us it’d be a 20-minute wait, so we decided to kill some time elsewhere.

That’s when things took a turn. We parked ourselves at another restaurant, thinking maybe we’d grab a quick snack before heading back. But after 20 minutes of being treated like we were ghosts—no menu, no drink, not even a glance from the waitstaff—we left in disgust. No hard feelings, Cagliari, but you can keep that place.

Back to ManaMana we went, and thank the food gods we did. We kicked off with their 10 euro special: three oysters and a glass of Prosecco. The Prosecco was bubbly perfection, but the oysters? Let’s just say they weren’t the stars of the show. More like the opening act that makes you appreciate the headliner even more.

And then, the evening really got going. Baked sea bream with olives and tomatoes—fresh, flavorful, and the kind of dish that makes you remember why you travel in the first place. Then came the ravioli with black truffle and potato. If there’s a heaven for pasta, this dish has a reserved seat. Perfectly balanced, rich without being overwhelming, and just enough truffle to make you feel fancy without needing to remortgage your house.

We washed it all down with a couple of local Sardinian Vermentinos, which tied the whole meal together like a beautifully crafted symphony of Italian flavors. By this point, any lingering memories of subpar oysters were long gone.

The atmosphere? Absolutely buzzing. Warm night, good food, better wine, and that unmistakable feeling that you’ve found something special. So, despite the rocky start and a few disappointing oysters, the night was damn near perfect. Thanks, Cagliari, for reminding us that sometimes, the best experiences are the ones...

The most amazing carbonara I’ve had and my partner will agree. Delicious, I need to go back before I leave!!

I highly recommend it here!

Although staff members couldn’t speak English, they were so helpful! Thank you!

EDIT: Came back a second time just before I leave to taste the tasty amazing carbonara again.

Well this time I was unfortunately left with a sour taste, but a good taste too.

We ordered the charcuterie board which was delicious and the green olives and honey paired so well with it, 10/10.

We then ordered the carbonara. My partner eats very salty food, I eat very peppery food. The carbonara was so salty I had to drink after every bite, and there was so much pepper it was ridiculous. The pasta itself, it didn’t feel freshly cooked either. It felt like had sat for a while before it was served to us.

I really liked this place, the food was ordered an hour before closure so maybe it was because they were closing down but not sure. Unfortunately, the second time wasn’t a charm. However thanks for the amazing carbonara the first time around and the charcuterie board which...

My dad had a mouthful of sand, dirt and some other sea residue when he started eating his seafood pasta. The clams weren’t cleaned and one of them was just full of mud. It was so disgusting that I couldn’t finish my own dish (which was not good anyway - risotto with Gorgonzola).

They took it away immediately, but there was no apology, no offer to replace it with another dish for free, or anything what every adequate restaurant does to keep them from bad reviews. We packed, payed and went straight away to “Impasto” next door - which was absolutely amazing, with the best pizza I’ve ever eaten in my life! (just go to Impasto, don’t lose money in this Manamana)

Also, about service: we ordered a starter and three portions. First of all, we were waiting for quite too long for someone to take our order. Then my dad got his dish - and only after that we got other dishes + the starter. I was a bit confused because starters should be brought before food (that’s why they’re called starters, right?)

Not...