Trattoria La Grotta Dal 1958 — Restaurant in La Maddalena

We left feeling disappointed after a €300 meal that didn’t meet expectations. We trusted the waiter’s recommendations, which we thought showed confidence in their judgment, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.

The entrées were far too much food and lacked flavor. I even commented at the time that it seemed excessive for just two people, but the dishes continued to arrive. The main fish course (130€ for 2 people), while carrying a high price, was underwhelming. No one checked in to ask how it was. When my half-eaten plate was cleared without a word, it reinforced the impression that they knew it had missed the mark.

For our older children (7 and 5), the fish and chips were €24 each — very expensive, and the portions could easily have been shared. We turned down the offer of a third fish dish we were told we needed for the 2yo … thank god! Instead of guiding us towards a more balanced order, at every stage we felt upsold.

I want to make it clear - we don’t begrudge paying an expensive food bill when the quality is good and we feel looked after. We ate a few days earlier at the Michelin restaurant …. here the bill was less (despite eating and drinking more with a larger dining party).

We accept it was our choice to follow the recommendations, but we left with the sense that they were just taking advantage of us. These are our feelings on the experience… and the restaurant can make its rebuttal as it sees fit. If it was not clear we were unimpressed at the time, then they were simply not paying attention.

For the price point, we expected both better food and more...

BE CAREFUL AND STAY AWAY FROM THIS RESTAURANT! We had dinner at this restaurant few days ago. I have nothing to complain about the quality of the food: the fish's fresh and well cooked. What shocked me is the absolute lack of transparency and honesty of the restaurant manager when it comes to pay.

The menu is in grams and, therefore, the waiters must take care to show the customer how many grams of fish (lobster, turbot ...) are actually served in each dish through the use of a libra, as happens in any high-end restaurant. I speak from experience and: truffles as well as fresh fish MUST ALWAYS be weighed in front of the customers and not randomly declared, after, by the restaurat manager.

In our receipt for over 800 euros it was stated that we had eaten 3 kg of turbot in 5 people so, according to the restaurant manager, each of us would have eaten 600grams when there was hardly less than 50grams on the plate. Another nonsense was paying almost 45 euros for a single plate of spaghetti with lobster. Another negative note that made us suspect the restaurant manager's absolute bad faith in over-inflating the bill was his reaction: called by the waitress without warning, he came out of the kitchen exclaiming that there was an error on the counter and the bill had to be revised. But if he didn't even know why he was called, why did he come out of the kitchen exclaiming that there was a miscalculation? Was he feeling guilty?

No one would have complained if the prices had actually been proven. I repeated to my foreign friends and I repeat here to stay away from this restaurant because dishonesty and lack of transparency towards tourists are disguisting behaviors and must be absolutely discouraged.

STATE ATTENTI E LONTANI DA QUESTO RISTORANTE! Abbiamo cenato in questo ristorante qualche sera fa. Sulla qualità del cibo non ho nulla da eccepire: il pesce è fresco e ben cucinato. Ciò che lascia basiti è l'assoluta mancanza di trasparenza e onestà del gestore del ristorante al momento del conto. Il menù è espresso in grammi e, pertanto, i camierieri devono premurarsi di dimostrare al cliente quanti grammi di pesce (astice, rombo...) sono effettivamente serviti in ogni piatto attraverso l'uso di un bilancino, come succede in qualsiasi ristorante di livello. Parlo per esperienza e da grande fruitrice di ristoranti: il tartufo così come il pesce fresco DEVONO SEMPRE essere pesati davanti alla Clientela e non dichiarati, ex post, su una ricevuta compilata a caso dal ristoratore.

Nel nostro scontrino da oltre 800euro veniva dichiarato che avevamo mangiato 3 kg di rombo in 5 persone quindi, secondo il ristoratore, ognuno di noi avrebbe mangiato ben 600grammi a testa di rombo quando nel piatto, a stento, ce n'era meno di 50grammi. Altra assurdità è stato pagare quasi 45 euro un singolo piatto di spaghetti all'astice.

Altra nota negativa che ci ha fatto sospettare dell'assoluta cattiva fede del ristoratore nel gonfiare in maniera spropositata il conto è stata la sua reazione: chiamato dalla cameriera senza preavviso, è uscito dalla cucina esclamando che sul contro c'era un errore e il conto andava rivisto. Ma se nemmeno sapeva il motivo per cui era stato chiamato, come mai è uscito dalla cucina esclamando che c'era un errore di calcolo? Forse aveva la coda di paglia?

La qualità deve essere indubbiamente pagata e nessuno avrebbe avuto da ridire se i prezzi fossero stati effettivamente dimostrati. Ho ripetuto ai miei amici stranieri e ripeto in questa sede di stare lontani da questo ristorante perchè la disonestà e la poca trasparenza verso il turista sono atteggiamenti riprovevoli e che vanno assolutamente...

Not to recommend! We were really in love with the attached shop and wanted to try the restaurant. Sadly it is a total tourist trap! The prices on the menu seem fair and the service is nice. However the “Filet” was a flat dry pice of meat (27 € without side dish) and the fish only were middle class. But the real shock came with the bill! They changed us nearly 500€ for 6 Person, wich is massive overcharged for the quality. Whereby the first course, which they talked us into trying, should cost 90€.

We are really sad, because it appears as a typical Sardinien restaurant in a tiny alley. But, they overcharge you without scruples. We are in Maddalena every year and we will not recommend this to our family, colleagues and other...