Le Terme — Restaurant in Cefalù

Negatives: Couldn't get a booking until 9.30pm but we were reassured if we took that booking we would have a seat on the balcony against the water. We arrived at 9.15 and had to wait in a different room for the table, no problem. While waiting they brought us a glass of sparkling wine. My glass had someone else's lipstick on it 🤮 I told the waiter and I was made to feel like I was so annoying that I had mentioned it to them, and then someone else slammed down a different glass on my table and walked off without saying anything 😮

When our table was ready they took us to the balcony to a corner back table, not on the water seat. So there was no point to even be outside, we couldn't see anything. Had we known that we wouldn't have waited until 9.30pm. The inside tables were actually nicer, as you weren't covered in bugs.

Then when we sat at our table we realised nothing was polished, our water glasses were dirty, the cutlery was dirty, we had the 7 course meal and sure enough each plate was dirty 🤦‍♀️ The staff were really, really bad throughout the entire sitting. We were served a 7 course meal in 1 hr and 10 minutes, which was horrible. As soon as we'd finished eating, our plate was taken away and immediately the next course was out down in front of us. I've never experienced such a rushed dining experience.

Then at the end we were given the dessert and not asked if we would like a coffee or anything to go with it. After eating we sat for over 15 minutes trying to get a staff members attention to order another drink and we ended up giving up and leaving. There was non stop bugs all over our table and food as well, just to add to the poor dining experience.

The positive: The only reason for the 2 stars was because your chef is incredible. The actual food was spot on, to die for and deserves 5 stars! Advice - either train the wait staff or whoever your chef is should start their own restaurant. Your food is seriously amazing,...

Our hotel recommended Terme Ristorante specifically for the sea view. We booked an 8 PM reservation for four, expecting the experience we had planned ahead for. We were led to the outdoor seating area with the beautiful view — but then the staff sat a walk-in couple with no reservation at the prime four-top directly in front of us, blocking our view entirely.

When I questioned it, the manager came over and, rather than apologizing, said: “Why didn’t you ask for it?”, essentially blaming us. I explained that we assumed the table was being held for another reservation, not given away to walk-ins. The manager then added: “It would not be nice to ask them to move.” In reality, it would not have been nice to dishonor a reservation in the first place.

The truth is, they had several opportunities to fix this mistake before the couple even settled, and they chose not to. In the end, they let a party of four with a reservation walk out in order to accommodate two people with no reservation. That is the opposite of hospitality.

We left immediately. Why should any guest make a reservation — or trust a hotel’s recommendation — if the restaurant doesn’t honor it? Wouldn’t you rather dine somewhere that actually values your business?

I will be relaying this to our hotel so they think twice before sending future guests here. Sicily has too many wonderful restaurants with breathtaking views and genuine hospitality to waste your time on one that treats paying customers so...

What an absolutely spectacular experience from beginning to end. We came without a reservation the night previous at 9:00, and the amazing manager suggested we book a reservation for the following evening at 8pm. We respect when someone tells you what they can accommodate and what is best for you. When we arrived tonight we were treated with the utmost kindness and seated on the balcony so we could have the full experience of the most gorgeous sunset I have ever seen. We ordered the 7 course tasting menu, with a bottle of wine, and as someone who works in the service industry the care and graciousness that everyone provided was exceptional. The food was beyond beautifully thought out and paced perfectly. The history of the building was cherished, and it genuinely felt like everyone took pride in where they worked- so important. It was the dining highlight of our two weeks in Sicily. Please book now- you will be blown away at the beauty of the view and the exceptional work of the staff here....