Caffe Maria Erice — Restaurant in Erice

“Aperitif on the terrace”: the sign promises, reality disappoints.

The terrace exists—and it’s beautiful. But it feels like a stage handed over to indifferent extras. They seat you at a dirty table. No cleaning, just a rushed order, as if speed could disguise neglect. You ask for snacks: there are none. Just stale crisps and salted peanuts, and even those arrive incomplete. The crisps, served in a tiny dish, fly away with the first breeze. The waiter shields them with his hand, but doesn’t bother picking them up when they fall. The peanuts? Never arrived. The table stays dirty, like their idea of hospitality.

Staff speak in dialect, and if you don’t respond, they mock you. The atmosphere is one of postcard beauty wasted by laziness and ignorance. Not even a cocktail. Not even an attempt.

A missed opportunity—hospitality unworthy of the terrace that hosts it.

“Aperitivo in terrazza”: il cartello promette, la realtà delude.

La terrazza c’è, ed è anche bella. Ma è come un palcoscenico lasciato in mano a comparse svogliate. Ti fanno accomodare al tavolo—sporco. Non lo puliscono, ma prendono subito l’ordine, come se la fretta potesse mascherare la trascuratezza. Chiedi stuzzichini: non esistono. Solo patatine e arachidi salate, ma anche quelle arrivano a metà. Le patatine, vecchie, servite in un piattino minuscolo, volano via al primo soffio di vento. Il cameriere le protegge con la mano, ma non si preoccupa di raccoglierle quando cadono. Le arachidi? Mai pervenute. Il tavolo rimane sporco, come il senso di ospitalità.

Il personale parla in dialetto e se non rispondi, ti ridono dietro. L’atmosfera è quella di chi ha una location da cartolina ma la gestisce con pigrizia e ignoranza. Nemmeno un cocktail. Nemmeno un tentativo.

Un’occasione sprecata, un’ospitalità che non merita la terrazza...

To this day, the place remains one of the worse restaurants I've experienced across several counties. Given the excellent food experienced all over the island, I was surprised that such a place could still be in business. The food is reheated and rather unpleasant. Definitely too expensive for what it is. The location would be nice, but the service is rather poor and rushed, making customers feel like they ended up in a tourist trap. If you want to taste the excellent sweets from Maria Grammatico, you're better off heading to the pasticceria next door and...

TOURIST TRAP ALERT!!! If you dine there in the evening, instead of panoramic views you’ll get seated indoors where the lighting makes you feel like you’re in the hospital. Service was an absolute zero - only 1 person taking orders, which means ours wasn’t taken for ages, then we went out to smoke and even when we came back our drinks were still not there. Had to remind them twice. Drinks arrived after food. The food itself was extremely basic and tasteless. Places like this can ruin the night, so stay miles away...