Ristorante Tartarughino - Porto Rotondo — Restaurant in Olbia

We visited Ristorante Tartarughino in Porto Rotondo — a chic, Mediterranean spot right in the city center. We were a group of six without a reservation, and they kindly found a table for us (though I’d recommend booking in advance, especially in high season).

We ordered four pizzas and a spaghetti. The pizzas — Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, mushroom)(€10), two Quattro Stagioni (tomato, mozarella, artichokes, parma ham, olives and mushrooms)(€15 each), and a Funghi (tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms)(€15) — were all delicious, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. The Spaghetti alla Carbonara (spaghetti with fresh eggs sauce, roman pecorino cheese, pork cheek, black pepper)(€20) was also good. We paired everything with a bottle of AL Bianco white wine (€25). I’d rate the food quality at 3 stars.

However, the service was a bit disappointing. The spaghetti arrived first, and the pizzas came 30 minutes later, by which time the spaghetti was already eaten. When we asked about it, the staff explained (rather bluntly) that they have separate kitchens for pasta and pizza and that they were very busy.

At the end, they also charged €4 per person for “service”, which seems to be a common practice on the island but still felt excessive given the experience.

Overall, good food but the timing and service left room for...

I was suspicious about this place at first. I guess because its location near the main road was nothing special. However I ended up going there many times. The reason is simple. The atmosphere was actually better than expected and pleasant and it is always packed with Italians.. A great sign. The menu has many items and the ones I tried were very good: I tried the pizza and the calzone, a number of fresh fish carpaccios, spaghetti cacio e pepe, mixed fried fish, and various fish of the day cooked in the oven with tomatoes, capers, olives and potatoes.. On top of everything, I did not find this place as expensive as others especially for fresh fish of the day. August 2019 update: food still great. Be aware that in two occasions we were a group of 6-8 people and our ordered dishes came scattered in a two hour period... basically impossible to eat the main course together... August 2022 update: tartarughino moved to a closeby location but the food is still amazing. Service is excellent too. Still one of my favorites...

We had dinner at the restaurant last week. It wasn’t very crowded, the atmosphere was pretty calm, and it’s not like the waiters were overwhelmed. The food was fine. However, they charged us for three bottles of water instead of two. We pointed it out, and they canceled the bill. Now, a week later, we just found out they charged us twice for the whole meal. When we call the restaurant, they either hang up, transfer us to someone else, or simply brush us off without paying attention. Total scammers.

Here is the double charge that we were billed for:

08/27/2025 as of 08/25/2025 Visa Purchase IL TARTARUGHINO RIST CAFOLBIA IT -$240.77 08/27/2025 as of 08/25/2025 Visa Purchase IL TARTARUGHINO...