Al Vicolo Pizza&Vino — Restaurant in Catania

The food is great - I ordered a "scrocchiarella," similar to pizza but crunchier and easier to digest. The waiter informed me that there was the possibility to combine two varieties, so I chose Scrocchia #1 (tomato sauce, mozzarella fior di latte, basil, and extra virgin olive oil) and Scrocchia Ripiena #7 (buffalo mozzarella, mozzarella fior di latte, grilled ham, olives, sun-dried tomato capuliato, Grana Padano flakes, oregano, chilli pepper, and extra virgin olive oil). Both were delicious, but the final bill of €33 for two halves (please see photo) seemed excessive, especially since one half was priced at €25 and the other at €33. Please note that there was no prior indication that I would be charged for the more expensive option.

The service, unfortunately, was the most disappointing aspect of my experience. My order was delayed by 50 minutes due to an issue (they mentioned the order didn't go through), and there was no apology or compensatory offer from the staff. Additionally, although my boyfriend and I ordered our drinks at the same time, they were delivered at different times.

The restaurant’s setting is charming, located on a cobblestone street with outdoor seating in front of a lovely cocktail bar that they seem to collaborate with. However, the experience was somewhat marred by intermittent music issues, likely due to a problem with the sound system. I assume this was an isolated incident and that the sound system usually works fine.

Overall, while the food was good, the service and pricing left much to be desired. I had high expectations based on positive reviews but was ultimately disappointed. For those visiting Catania, I would recommend exploring other pizza options or, if you are keen to try Il Vicolo, just stick to a regular pizza, which seems to be...

I am only 59 years old, but all of the food ordering/menu had to be done on one’s phone. Such an awful, clinical, sole-less experience. If we hadn’t already ordered drinks, we would have left there and then.

The waitress came to help us order on our phones, but even she struggled.

The menu was VERY expensive for Catania and we were very unsure how much to order, normally we would have a starter and a main meal each, but my wife wisely said let’s just order a starter to share and go from there. We asked the waitress would a small sharing board be enough for two and we were told no, a medium would be best.

I was looking forward to a steak after the starter, but the starter was huge. My wife and I love our food and after 40 minutes, our starter looked as if we had hardly touched it. We had to give in and ask for the remainder to be a take away.

The food was pretty good. The staff were the worst that we have experienced in Catania. I am trying to be nice, but the were VERY arrogant, rude and dismissive.

I asked to pay and was told by our waitress I had to go inside (presumably because of Wi-Fi). I plus another guy stood there for ten minutes. I asked the staff can we pay ? But they just ignored me. I even went outside to where my wife was sat and said should we do a runner as they do not deserve our business.

As wives do, she said try again. Again I tried looking into their eyes, I was very polite, but completely amazed.

Eventually after another 5 minutes someone ordained to come and take my money, no thank you’s, no conversation, no nothing, what an appalling way to run a business, we shall never return and suggest that anyone with any common decency...

The service: The location is definitely great. But as soon as you sit you get the sad feeling of being there just to fill somebody's pockets with your money...not much care for you as a customer and even less as a human being. You're basically walking money.

The food: We got pizzas so I can't talk about anything else. To be Italy, and especially Catania, the prices are extremely high (average of €15) which they justify by serving you an abnormally giant Pizza which everyone (no one excluded) ends up having to ask to take away. And BOOM, there it is the following trap: they charge you for it!!!

So, you force me to have something you know I will not finish and will have to ask for a take away, and you charge for it...

About the pizza itself it was ok, nothing special. Definitely had better ones in my life (I'm Italian). But they got my order wrong...had asked for a pizza with rosemary potatoes (common in Italy) and got french fries on top instead...I complained telling them that they have it in the menu, so they cannot expect one is ordering something else. They offered to change it but I declined as I believe food waste to be even worse than getting the order wrong.

But as I said, the problem is that they don't see you as a customer and don't pay attention to what you say when ordering. Our waiter was clearly absent minded, thinking his own things, when getting our order. Certainly not the warm welcome you expect in the...