Via Roma Vecchia Ristorante - Pizzeria — Restaurant in Cefalù

Where to start: lovely looking restaurant with covered outside space overlooking the rocks and ocean. Early in as starving as had been on the beach all day. Pleasant staff ushered us through the thin main building, passed the pizza oven and out to our pick of tables overlooking the sea. Well dressed waiting staff but we ordered drinks to a gentleman in jeans and a t-shirt… was he the owner??? Table was laid ok, drinks arrived whilst we were perusing the menu. We fancied pizza and pasta (being in Sicily) but there was no pasta on the main menu. So we ordered (with the same gentleman) a Margarita pizza, a salad (rocket/tomato/Parmesan) and a meat dish (sausage, entrecôte, pork chop). Other diners arrived and when they were given menus they were also shown a blackboard of specials… mainly pasta !!! Too late for us (not a good start)… Then came the first weird thing: stale bread in a bag plonked on the table : no explanation, no oils or vinegar dips and NO plates. Our meals arrived with condiments (oil/vinegar/salt/pepper)… Plastic plate for my meat dish which consisted of dried several day old raw red cabbage, a wedge of lemon, a 6” sausage, a pork slice (obviously they have no idea what a pork chop is or it’s been lost in translation) and what I would describe as a “minute steak” … not entrecôte. The pork tasteless, the steak over cooked and the sausage looked raw in the middle: none of it seasoned and with some token chopped parsley on it. The salad (again served in a plastic bowl) consisted of cherry tomatoes (not the fresh Sicilian tasty tomatoes I’ve had already out here), rocket (some wilted) and some cheese that wasn’t freshly shaven Parmesan… more like a cheap grated version. I’m sure there was a little oil dressing but not over it .. more like under it. The pizza although tasty was very sloppy and I’ve had better from a chain restaurant : shame as the set up for the oven looks great. Service was basically non existent: We were not shown the special board. We were not checked back on ( maybe they know how bad the food is) . We were not asked if we wanted any more drinks after ours were finished. The only scruffy waiter in the building walked over and cleared our table he also took our stale bag of bread and placed it on another table (I’m hoping not for other customers as we had handled it to check if any of it was edible)… He then came back with dessert menus and he was politely declined and we asked for the bill. The gentleman who took our orders brought the bill and as paying on card we had to pay at the till (not a problem as I expect it was due to Wifi), however when paying we were not asked how our meal was or anything… €50 spent and not a good advertisement for Sicilian cuisine… Poor show Via...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a charming restaurant Via Roma Vecchia and I cannot speak highly enough of my experience. From the moment we arrived, Federico, the owner, warmly welcomed us and made us feel right at home. The attentive service provided by the waitstaff, Andrea and Eliseo, was nothing short of exceptional.

Now, let's talk about the food. It was an absolute masterpiece. The dishes showcased a remarkable combination of freshness, quality, and generous portions. Every bite was a burst of flavor that delighted the taste buds and left a lasting impression. In fact, one of my friends was so moved by the moment we shared and the sheer excellence of the cuisine that he couldn't help but become emotional.

The cozy atmosphere, combined with the rustic Italian decor, created a welcoming and intimate setting for an unforgettable meal. It was evident that the staff took great pride in creating a dining environment that was both inviting and memorable.

In conclusion, my visit to this restaurant was a truly remarkable dining experience. From the warm hospitality of Federico to the impeccable service provided by Andrea and Eliseo, every aspect of the evening was...

Voglio lasciare una recensione quanto più oggettiva possibile, nonostante la rabbia mi spinga a fare diversamente, considerando la qualità pessima del cibo (neanche nelle peggiori mense aziendali) e la mancanza assoluta di professionalità del gestore. Premetto che già prima di me il mio compagno ha lasciato una recensione, ma è stato troppo telegrafico e non si capisce nei dettagli cosa sia successo realmente. Inizio con l’elencare le mie pecche, per le quali però credo di avere delle giustificazioni di buona fede, cosa che non credo abbia il ristoratore in questione. La mia pecca consiste, nello specifico, nel non aver espresso immediatamente le mie lamentele, ma spiegherò il perché. Dunque, ieri chiamo questo locale chiedendo se facessero cucina senza glutine, lievito e lattosio. La ragazza al telefono mi assicura che possono garantirmi sia primi, quindi pasta senza glutine, e anche eventuale frittura di pesce realizzata con farina di riso. Ecco, primo inconveniente: arriviamo oggi al momento dell’ordinazione e mi viene comunicato che non fanno pasta, ma che possono condire solo il riso con i condimenti che vedo in menù. Al che, pur contrariata, ordino lo stesso, alla fine il riso lo mangio e non è un grosso problema. Arrivano gli antipasti, per nulla buoni, polpo talmente duro e gommoso che non basta tempo per dire quanto fosse pessimo, frittura di pesce della stessa qualità. Ecco il mio errore: vedendo il ristorante pieno e immedesimandomi nei gestori che stanno lavorando, decido di non lamentarmi, sperando nel resto. Arriva il riso: buon sapore ma il pesce spada, come già detto dal mio compagno, lo avranno lasciato a mare. Anche qui, spero nel secondo. Arriva e lì non ci vedo più: il gambero è talmente intriso di ammoniaca, in quantità tale da bruciare la lingua. Allora chiamo il responsabile. Le sue giustificazioni: anche se la ragazza ha garantito la pasta senza glutine, loro per una scelta interna in realtà servono solo il riso e non vedono nulla di male se la ragazza al telefono dica una cosa per un’altra. Inoltre, cosa pazzesca, che è normale che il gambero sia intriso di ammoniaca perché trattasi di gambero argentino. Al mio ribattere che è normale che ci sia ammoniaca, ma non a livelli tali da bruciare la bocca, lui continua ad insistere che anche in tali quantità è normale perché trattasi di gambero argentino. Non ho più risposto, ho pagato il conto (100,50 euro per antipasto, primo e secondo) senza batter ciglio e sono andata via giurando di non tornarci mai...