San Domenico — Restaurant in Pizzo

San Domenico, nestled in a prime location with a sublime view over a charming harbor, holds much promise on paper but unfortunately falls short of expectations. Despite its declared ambitions, the culinary experience offered is at times disappointing. While the dishes are well-presented, they lack depth and innovation in flavor, appearing more showy than substantial. The pricing is reasonable, and the wine list is certainly adequate, yet the wine service disappoints: many bottles are not stored at the correct temperature, leading to prolonged waits for customers—over 10 minutes in our case—to enjoy them properly. The truly disheartening aspect, however, lies in the interaction with the staff. Far from being overtly rude, the service is pretentiously refined, which undermines the entire experience. Despite the intention to provide a sophisticated service, the staff often lacks professionalism, with glaring errors. For instance, after about 10 minutes of waiting for sparkling water, a waitress impatiently remarked to a guest, "Well, just a moment, I'll bring it soon," betraying the pretentious atmosphere of the establishment. San Domenico fails to create that warm and welcoming environment that should be the true luxury of a culinary experience at this level. In my opinion, without a radical change in approach and service, the restaurant risks remaining a merely decent venue, where there are more rules than services, lacking genuine hospitality. I strongly recommend the management read "Unreasonable Hospitality" to understand how hospitality can transform an ordinary experience into something...

Usually I rate restaurants according to expectations and here I had really high. Restaurant is very nice, perfect location, service on highest level, like they would like to join Michelin. Menu correct, not small not big and additionally tasting menu (chef surprise) – so we ordered. Theoretically fine, but: We underlined we like raw fish. We have received tuna – this was fine tuna, but tuna we can have all over the world and is equally good – I would expect more fantasy in raw fish surprise in such place Pasta with fish stuffing – good but really nothing special Desert was OK I was not very hungry before, so we decided to take only 3-dish surprise menu, but I was still hungry afterwards and I’m not eating a lot. Wine paring was OK – this I need to admit. And finally the price. I would not complain if I would be positively surprised by the chef with his surprises, but for such rather ordinary dishes it was extremely expensive. I could have twice as good dinner for this price...

Last night, we had the most incredible dining experience that exceeded all expectations. There was a mix-up with our reservation, but instead of turning us away, the staff went above and beyond by opening the restaurant just for us. From the moment we stepped in, the hospitality was unmatched.

The food? Absolutely phenomenal. Every bite was bursting with flavor and crafted to perfection. It’s clear that passion and expertise go into every dish. We were completely awestruck by not only the meal but also the care and attention that went into making our evening unforgettable.

This restaurant deserves all the praise. If you're looking for outstanding food, impeccable service, and a dining experience that feels truly special, this is the place....