Osteria Pizzeria da Carlo — Restaurant in Palermo

We had a wonderful dinner at Osteria Pizzeria da Carlo in Palermo. We ordered the Zuppa di Cozze (mussels in tomato soup), Fettuccine Gambero e Pistacchio (shrimp and pistachio pasta), Spaghetti alla Pescatora (seafood spaghetti), and grilled squid. Every dish was delicious and the portions were very generous—especially the mussels, which came out as an appetizer but were big enough to be a main course!

The pistachio shrimp pasta was a delicious—creamy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. The seafood spaghetti was tasty as well, though a bit on the salty side. The grilled squid was spot on—tender and not overcooked, which is often hard to get right.

One thing to note: the restaurant only serves pizza before 6:30 PM, so we had to wait a bit before ordering the...

Decent food (similar quality as in the rest of the old town) but they don't seem to like tourists much: the Italian couple next to us who arrived at the same time were served food before we even got our drinks, we received a basket of bread and olive oil but no plate to pour the oil on, ordered a small beer, received and was charged for a large one, they 'forgot' parts of our order and some of the dishes were not as advertised (swordfish with potatoes had no potatoes, pasta with almond flakes had no almond flakes) found a hair in one of the side dishes, was charged 2 euro per person as service fee.

In the end this ended up being one of the most expensive but far from the best meals we've...

I recently dined at Osteria Pizzeria da Carlo and found the experience quite underwhelming. The pizza itself was mundane, lacking the flavor and quality I’ve enjoyed at other establishments, even those in Phuket. The owner, who refused to speak English, added to the frustration, although the staff was service-minded and accommodating.

The most surprising aspect of the visit was the extra charge of 2 euros per plate on which the pizza was served. This unexpected fee felt unjustified and detracted from the overall dining experience.

In summary, Osteria Pizzeria da Carlo did not meet my expectations, and I found the hidden charges and lackluster pizza...