Il Sottomarino — Restaurant in Follonica

For appetizers, we ordered the scallops and quinoa cod nuggets. They were both bland and lukewarm when they arrived. Unfortunately, this was the best part of our dining experience.

For entrees, I ordered the gnocchi with baby calamari, and my wife order the calamarata. After about 20-25 minutes the waitress brought us two big plates of fried seafood, that clearly wasn’t our order. When we tried to tell her this was not what we ordered, she shrugged her shoulders and walked away from us. After about 4-5 minutes, a different server came and hastily grabbed them off of our table and gave them to the couple sitting at the table right next to us (they were also not happy about the mixup). After about 10 more minutes my wife’s calamarata came to the table. It was cold and bland. We sat there confused for about 5 more minutes before my gnocchi arrived with zero explanation. Again, my pasta was also lukewarm and bland (we should have gotten up and left right there).

The service treated us like we were somehow at fault for them not knowing where to deliver anybodies dishes, and even the owner was rude when we tried to tell her about our experience.

Everything was so awful, that this is the first time I’ve ever written a review (good or bad) about a restaurant (it was THAT terrible) in my life. I have absolutely no idea how this place has a Michelin star.

We’ve been in Follonica for about a week now, and dined at several other establishments in the same area. All of them have been good to great food, service, and environments. Do yourself a favor and avoid this overpriced, overhyped tourist trap. Literally all of the restaurants in the area are substantially better (and less costly). You couldn’t pay me to come back to...

First things first. Book! Especially in high season. Waiting outside in the heat, hoping for a table that may never materialise, it's just not worth it. As for the restaurant per se, there's a reasonable selection of sea food dishes on the menu at an affordable price. The whole, accompanied by a nice wine selection where there were some interesting bottles from Francia Corta (try them out). Of the dishes we ordered, all were extremely well prepared, but some of them had a few quirks and lapses that are unacceptable at a Michelin mentioned restaurant. A case in hand, the "polpo spadellato" which, in our case, had acquired a strong smoked/burnt aroma that spoilt the experience. Others, like the "ravioli alla razza", came with a sauce that, in our opinion, did nothing for the excellent ravioli except smother their taste. Still of the eight dishes we had, most were excellent (the "trancio di morone" for example), well presented and well cooked. The desserts are very good and I suggest you share them at the table so everyone can try different things. The waiters were professional and courteous, sometimes distracted by perhaps having too many tables given the number of personnel available. Prices are in the norm for a sea food restaurant, especially if you consider the quality of the service and...

Position: Seafood restaurant in a prime location facing the sea. We were seated in the garden area as opposed to the front terrace surrounded by the intense scent of jasmine.

Ambience: Low noise levels and sense of intimacy with tables well spaced. Covid-19 rules fully respected. Subtle lighting on the tables (Flos) so no glare. Very pleasant!

Service: Excellent service. A special mention to Anna, a delightfully helpful and friendly waitress who attended to all our needs.

Food: Food was well presented although portions were contained. Maybe the mixed seafood dish could have been hotter (piping is always preferred). "Cannoli" for dessert were delicious (chef is Sicilian so he knows his profession!). Fresh pineapple chunks could have been served in a more eye-pleasing way and perhaps some experimentation from the chef would have created a more exciting dessert. Extra virgin olive oil from Massa Marittima (Morisfarms) was very much appreciated with the accompanying bread.

Wine: White Vermentino also from Massa Marittima (same estate) was ordered and given full marks for its fruity and light flavour. Supporting the local economy deserves top marks!

Pricing: The bill for two came to 90 euro.

Thank you for the very pleasant evening! Booking in advance...