La Maruzzella — Restaurant in Gallipoli

I honestly don’t understand how this place has such high reviews. Let’s put the looks of the restaurant aside – I know that sometimes the best food comes from places that don’t look great, but surprise you with amazing flavors. That’s what we were expecting here based on the reviews. Sadly, the food was completely disappointing.

We ordered the grilled seafood mix: the fish was dry, the octopus rubbery and burnt, another piece of seafood just as chewy, and the only thing decent was the prawn. Everything was bland, without any seasoning at all. The mixed salad was terrible too – just torn pieces of plain vegetables, nothing else. They gave us a bit of oil and some salt on the side, but that didn’t save it.

My partner ordered wine that never arrived, I had sparkling wine, which was served in a plastic cup. At first, I thought those cups were just for water, but no, they were actually used for wine as well. That’s a first for me.

The only positive thing I can say is that the restaurant has a beautiful...

Worst restaurant experience in Italy, and I’ve lived here for 11 years. They only serve raw, fried, and a few pasta dishes, so you would think they could get it right. No. My paranza (mixed fried fish) was overcooked and lukewarm. But the rest of the experience was worse. They have no respect for their customers. No reservations, but they have no waiting list when you arrive. You stand in a mob behind a chain, crowded up against a busy sidewalk, and hope that no one butts ahead of you. Staff indifferent to the edge of rudeness. Toilet was dirty, broken fixtures, faulty latch. I suppose they only survive because they’re in a pretty spot along the sea. But believe me, it’s not...

we ordered pasta vongole e cozze 1 white and one with sauce , it arrived to me pasta with pomodoro, obviously i told them they made a mistake , they took it, mixed it with some vongole e cozze and brought it back (there was no taste and the pomodoro sauce was too much , i took it anyway knowing that they mixed it ( i work in a restaurant and i know the difference ) only later to find a piece of some iron brush in the pasta , i showed them and said be careful its not that small piece of iron they didn't change the plate, I actually left feeling hungry still cause i couldn't eat it , Pitty because once they had a good...