Circolo Italia — Restaurant in Ragusa

We were passing through Ragusa and decided to stop for lunch. I think it was around 12:00-13:00. We didn't have a specific place in mind, but it quickly became apparent that most restaurants were closed, even though Google indicated they should be open. We spotted this restaurant, knowing nothing about it - it looked like a kebab place from the outside, even though it's centrally located. The waiter welcomed us kindly and invited us in. Upon entering, we realized it was an upscale restaurant, and our attire was far from appropriate – typical tourist wear: shorts, T-shirts, and flip-flops. I even asked if we could enter dressed like this. The answer was yes. After this, another waiter, who spoke perfect English, approached. Within a few minutes, we could tell he was a seasoned, highly-trained professional. Despite this, he asked, "The magical question: Where are you from?" To me, an irrelevant question. After our response, the waiter's demeanor shifted from friendly to somewhat bored and sometimes condescending. We ordered appetizers and main courses, and then we chose a more affordable wine. The dishes were nicely presented and tasty, but to us, it was solidly average, not outstanding. Considering the restaurant's elegant design, we expected more. Nevertheless, I should mention that their wine list was excellent. After the meal, my wife was determined to taste a pricier Donna Fugata wine, which, according to the menu, could also be ordered by the glass. When I asked the waiter for two glasses, his behavior took on a style and attitude I had never experienced. His response: This wine is sold out, and he wouldn't open another. I'll repeat, it was clearly indicated on the wine list that it could be ordered by the glass. Following this response and demeanor, I impulsively placed the wine list on the table - yes, I'm impulsive. My wife, more refined than I, simply asked for the entire bottle. When the waiter brought the wine, he teased that we could now drink it by the glass, but the cost of two glasses equaled half the price of the bottle, so the bottle would stay. After this, the waiter seemed to be hopping around us, even becoming annoying - I suppose he realized he had bet on the wrong horse. But to phrase it another way, never judge a book...

Looks like a very casual restaurant from the outside but is actually really classy. The menu is simple, a mix of local and traditional Italian dishes. The food was amazing. The waiter was very professional. The interiors are beautiful.

They gave fantastic gluten free options - I took the octopus with spring vegetables. They also brought me a warm gluten free bread bun. Great choice for those with coeliac.

In general most Sicilian restaurants have gluten free options and the staff are much more knowledgeable than you’d expect. They almost never advertise it, but you just...

The food might be great, but we never had the chance to taste it. Left after 20 minutes of sitting on a table with plates not removed from previous customers. Server were passing us several times, no interest in taking our order, despite repeating "Arrivo" each time. Sorry, dude, you never arrived. Seems like a place for locals only who know each other... If you look not from around there forget about it. We left and found a great place down the street - Basilico ristorante - fantastic food...