Trattoria La Bettola — Restaurant in Ragusa

Mrs T and I had our last dinner in Sicily here and we were not disappointed.

We visited on a Saturday night at 8.30pm and had to wait until 9.15pm to get a table; this place was busy, which was a good sign and a little surprising for it's back-street location. If you get the opportunity to book do so.

Once seated the service was friendly and attentive throughout our evening. We opted to have a starter each; caponata (which was very tasty) and a special of Tartarina (think steak tartare; a generous portion of seasoned tender beef and a few capers, with some mayonnaise and a piquant red sauce on the side). This came with a basket of small ciabatta rolls, which were pretty decent. We then shared a primi piatti special of spaghetti al cartocchio; this was twice cooked spaghetti - first boiled and dressed in a tomato sauce with mince, vegetables and capers, and topped with some ricotta and parmesan. This was wrapped in baking paper and baked for a short period. This was all kinds of excellent. We wanted to opt for a special of stinco di maiale (slow cooked ham hock), but this was sadly sold out. The waiter suggested a similar slow cooked chicken dish (served simply with some sliced roasted potatoes, carrot and fennel), which did not disappoint. We finished with a tiramisu between us, which was a great example of the classic dish.

We washed everything down with a litre bottle of mineral water and a half litre carafe of the house red wine. The menu is a little limited in a few places, a prime example being the wine options, which are only a house white or red. It was inexpensive and inoffensive, but I would have liked to have the option of paying more for something better.

The cooking was a very generous example of well executed, solid and tasty crowd pleasing dishes, that delivered on their promise. They were not ultra-refined, but benefitted from the honesty and simplicity that they were presented with. Likewise, this was an excellent example of good hospitality.

It's hard to fault this place in any meaningful way; especially as all of this came to a frankly amazing bargain price of 57€!

Do seek this...

We went to Trattoria La Bettola following the web reviews. As a matter of fact we had two options, with about the same score from the same amount of reviews, That's The Moro was the first one and La Bettola was the runner. We found out they are one next to the other. La Bettola attracted us by the way the tables were set. Simple but clean, white and red cloth with a white single use apron over it. A short menu, with about the same number of options as day special offer. We got an apetizer from the menu, coming fast...too fast. It was a baked ricotta with a simple tomato sauce. Nothing special, even bland, I should say. As Primo, from Day special, we had casarecci con pesto Ragusano. It came together with the Secondo..stinco, which was an overnight beer marinated and slow cooked pork shank with a potato and herbs side dish. We shared them both and I cried with tears.. for not any other reason than the the complexity of the taste coming up from so simple ingredients but cooked with love. The pasta dish was simply heavenly good. I have tried to figure out how I can replicate this back home,in my own kitchen, and I realized it is imposibile. The taste come from fresh sicilian ingredients I cannot find anywhere else. Fresh artichokes, SUN dried cherry tomatoes and dried olives with an unbelivebly fruitty taste.

The pork shank just came on top of it with flavors I know but never managed to put them together in such a way. The wine...just a simple house wine 'cause they have nothing else. Still, you don't need more. A simple white Inzola, I never heard of and Nero d'Avola which never cannot miss the point. As desert, from day special menu, Gela di Limone, a limoncello shot we had with the spoon instead of a glass. Made out of Syracuse lemon, not too sweet but bursting lemon flavors. All you need to cut off the pork shank aftertaste. Simply outstanding. Go there, and go with...

First time I went there everything was fine. Very tasty food, freshly baked bread, kind staff. After that I decided to go one more time before leaving the city. There was a line and I was third in a row. The restaurant was almost half empty. The lady in the entrance left me waiting for a few minutes, at this point the people before me were already sitting and more had arrive in the waiting line. She then asked me if I was alone and when I said yes she informed me that there was no table outside available for me at the moment and I could wait a few more minutes for a table to get free, if I wanted. God knows how much I regret waiting there. She settled everyone before and after me and I just stranded there. There is a line for a reason, I guess. You have to respect people even those who decide that they want to eat alone. We live in 2022 for God’s sake. Let’s not be everything about money. Also the food that day was...