Ristopescheria da Mare by Cotto da Mare - Magione — Restaurant in Palermo

If Dante had known about this establishment, he might have added a tenth circle to his Inferno—a barren dining room where hunger gnaws eternally, waitstaff drift about in a fugue state, and menus are mere literature, divorced from any tangible outcome.

Let me be clear: this was not merely “bad service.” Bad service implies that something happened—perhaps slowly, perhaps sloppily, but at least with some evidence of activity. What we experienced here was a performance art piece in nothingness.

We arrived with appetites. We ordered. We waited. And waited. And waited so long that geological epochs passed in miniature before our eyes. After one hour and thirty full minutes—long enough to roast, poach, and sous-vide an entire cetacean—no food had appeared, not even a garnish.

Part of our order—consisting of calamari and potatoes, neither of which are known to require the gestation period of an elephant—simply never materialized. Inquiries to the staff were met with the wide-eyed bewilderment of people who had just been informed they were working in a restaurant. The response could be best summarized as:

“Food? Orders? Ah, yes… those concepts.”

It became clear they had no earthly idea where our order had gone, whether it had ever been sent to the kitchen, or if the kitchen itself existed beyond the metaphysical plane. I half-suspected the chef was a rumor, whispered among staff to keep hope alive.

And yet, as if to crown this experience with a final flourish of surrealism, when the bill arrived, it contained charges for drinks we had never ordered, as if conjured by a con artist moonlighting as a waiter. Evidently, in this establishment, you pay not only for the food you never see but also for items you never even dreamed of.

By the end, my hunger was eclipsed only by my fascination—how could an operation sustain such an exquisite vacuum of competence? It was like watching the Titanic sink in extreme slow motion, except in this version the iceberg never even arrives, and the ship just idles until the passengers starve.

If you are looking for a seafood restaurant that serves sea and food in equal quantities, look elsewhere. If, however, you wish to experience the sensation of being trapped in a Samuel Beckett play while paying for the privilege, by all means, reserve a table here.

Final verdict: ★☆☆☆☆ (one star only because Google does not...

While the food is delicious, the waiting is not. We arrived at 8:45 or so and were not served until 10:15. We sat waiting for over an hour, waiting desperately for our food which certainly soured the mood. The chefs only seem capable of creating a single dish at a time which is a great disappointment, considering the food is quite delicious. How it takes 1.45hrs to deep fry some calamari...

Sono stata in questo ristorante di pesce per la prima volta e ne sono rimasto entusiasta. Il locale molto carino , un servizio impeccabile: il personale è cordiale, preparato e attento a ogni dettaglio. Il pesce è freschissimo, cucinato con maestria e grande rispetto per la materia prima. Abbiamo iniziato con bruschette di gamberi e tartufo e panelle al gambero e ricci, seguita da un piatto di spaghetti all astice, anelletti risottati , direi perfetti: saporiti, equilibrati e cotti al punto giusto. Il secondo, una grigliata mista, era abbondante e profumatissima. Ottima anche la selezione dei vini, con proposte che valorizzano benissimo i piatti. Per concludere, un semifreddo al pistacchio della casa BUONISSIMO Un posto dove tornerò sicuramente. Consigliatissimo per chi cerca qualità, gusto e un’esperienza culinaria autentica a base di pesce! Ringrazio Francesco e Alessio che hanno accolto ogni mio desiderio e il...