Al Gabbiano — Restaurant in Palermo

Myself and 5 friends were on a 10 day holiday in Sicily and were spending some time in the Palermo area. We hired a driver who took us on a tour of Monreale and Mondello and recommended this restaurant in Mondello. Although clearly quite touristy, we thought the location overlooking the sea was pretty and would be a fun experience- too bad it was not. Although the restaurant was only half full, it took over 10 minutes for them to seat us. I had a feeling right away we were in for trouble, and I unfortunately I was not disappointed. Menus were not provided when we were seated, and we had to ask for them. When they finally arrived it was as if we put them out asking for the menus. We ordered drinks before and then our meals. Drinks took a while to arrive- how hard is it to pour wine into a glass? We waited and finally our meals came. All but mine. All my friends lunch’s came but not mine. I waited almost 20 minutes and nothing came. No one came by to see if we were enjoying our meal and since it was only staffed with 2 waiters it was hard to catch their attention across the room. As well, a friend and I both ordered mixed green salads that never came and when they finally did, there was no dressing. I asked to send my salad back as I still had not got my lunch and my friends were almost finished theirs. I was told I could not. The waiter finally came by and when I enquired about my meal, he looked at me in surprise as if I had done something wrong. Even after letting them know I had not got my meal, it took another 10 minutes to get. Someone from the kitchen served me my seafood pasta, and I told him to take my salad back which he finally did. At no point was there ever an apology or acknowledgement that they had made a mistake. I ate my meal which was good to be fair, and just wanted to leave. When we got the bill, I asked to have the Coperto (tip added to the bill) removed which I was told it could not. I told him then I will not pay it as the service was very poor and tips should be based on service. He got upset with me and asked what was wrong. I told him what happened and he tried to explain that seafood takes longer to prepare- keep in mind we were in a seafood restaurant and one of my friends had the same meal (seafood) but with a different pasta which came out 20 minutes earlier. I told him I was very disappointed with my experience and he simply shrugged and walked away. My friend who speaks Italian said the waiter came to the table and said “your friend has no class and should go eat in a tavern”. If you decide to go to this horrible restaurant, avoid having the red haired waiter who wears glasses and speaks some English- he is rude! I wish I could rate this restaurant zero but the system does not allow me. Beware if going to...

Tourists, beware — this was one of the most disappointing dining experiences I've encountered. From the moment we arrived, the service was not only inattentive but outright hostile. Multiple staff members who interacted with us were noticeably unfriendly and dismissive, creating an uncomfortable and unwelcoming atmosphere. It was also apparent that the level of service extended to locals was significantly more courteous. The dining experience itself was equally disappointing. Our main courses were served 20 minutes apart, and a side dish was forgotten yet still appeared on the bill — which we had to request be corrected. What was most upsetting, however, was the unprofessional behavior of the staff. When we expressed concern over the presentation of one of the dishes — a pizza that was poorly prepared — the matter was not only dismissed, but openly mocked. Staff were seen laughing among themselves and, disturbingly, seemed to involve other patrons in the situation, leaving us feeling ridiculed in a public setting. I never leave negative reviews, but I feel compelled to caution others. This restaurant did not meet even the most basic standards of hospitality or professionalism. I would strongly advise avoiding it, especially if you’re a visitor...

Stunning views. This is the cover shot of the Italian vacation brochure that made you say, "Let's go!" Also, you are in Sicily, so expect to eat Sicilian food. When you order something else (like a Caesar Salad) don't expect it to be like it is everywhere else in the world. You are in Sicily. For example, calamari should be little rings that fit on your finger or thumb, but here they are gigantic bracelets or the girth of a necklace--and perfectly cooked and seasoned. Fantastico. The caesar has iceberg lettuce, rocket, tomatoes and mayonnaise. Never have I ever had any of these in a caesar. Of course this is NOT what you expected so DON'T Order it here. They also offer Mexican Tacos with tuna tartar. (We did not try those.) Clientele seemed to be mostly international (waiters were 100% fluent in restaurant English) and made themselves perfectly clear (sometimes shouting across two tables to confirm your order). Change your point of view to match this special island and go with the flow. Where the recipe was local, we were so much happier (although, the 30% of the tomatoes were not as ripe as they are everywhere else...