Sal de mar — Restaurant in Muggia / Milje

We went yesterday to this restaurant, because we got a recommendation from a winery.

It was at the beginning (7.30 p.m.) very quiet and just a few customers were already there. We got a nice table and the waiter was okay. Not really friendly but also not to grumpy. We ordered our food and then (10minutes later) another couple showed up (2 Italians). They welcomed them really friendly and they got drinks before us. They got also some bread for a starter. At the beginning, me and my boyfriend though that they might ordered it so we paid not anymore attention to it. After a short time we got our starter, which was really fresh fish and nice!! - no front against the food :) Then we saw that each table got also some bread at the beginning like the other 2 Italians and we wondered why we don't get some.. Even if it was empty when we arrived. We ordered a fish for 2 and they opend it in front of us which was nice but then we saw a second couple where another waiter explained all how they cooked it and he puts also some oil on it and stuff.

So idk why they were to us like this, but we felt not really welcomed. Maybe they thought ouhh they are younger than 30 and don't have money or stuff but that's really outrageous!!! Price was alright for fresh fish. But if you want to feel welcomed, I can't recommend this...

Whilst the food at Sal De Mar is just about acceptable - without being in any way out of the ordinary - the approach to doing business leaves a very sour taste, and is in fact borderline dishonest.

The first main course on the menu is a, subject to availability, catch of the day at €27; and every diner has a platter of (obviously freshly caught fish) thrust at them with the menu, with no mention of price at all. So, not an unreasonable assumption to deduce that this is today's catch, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong! ... when the bill arrives you will be charged €45 per head or more for the fish, plus €10 for the potatoes which are the non-optional and only accompaniment.

Challenging this gastronomic three-card-trick provokes a flurry of shrugs, but no real concern about the customer feeling deceived and certainly no reparation. Never has the phrase 'caveat emptor' sprung more readily to mind ... as a perfectly pleasant evening gets ruined.

The setting at Sal De Mar is nice enough, and the food is, as above, competent if entirely unremarkable - hence two stars not one. The service is sluggish at times, but generally OK if not particularly friendly. The value is questionable even without the rip-off-of-the-day trick. With it, I'd advise fellow diners to approach with extreme caution or, better yet,...

I have to say im pleasantly surprised. Read a couple reviews of this place and i had some concerns that they might be just mediocre, overpriced food. It definitely is on the pricier side but i thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Firstly, they are very accomodate to english speaking customers which is nice. I got the creamed cod appetizer + the pasta w beets and fresh shrimps.

The creamed cod appetizer was good and presented very typical triestan cold plates such as the cod, steamed octopus + potatoe, and the marinated sardines w pickled onions. 7.5/10

The PASTA was the highlight. The pasta is infused w beets:thus, giving a very refreshing taste. The raw shrimps were so fresh and divine. My only regret is that there wasnt more of it to match the pasta portion. Overall portion was good. I felt satisfied. Definitely unique pasta. Highly recommend.

Service was very sweet, albeit alil slow due to rush hour. But thank you to the waiter who recommended the...