Osteria dei Sapori — Restaurant in Salerno

I'm really shocked at how high a rating this place has, though I blame myself for not reading through the one-star reviews. This is some of the worst food I've eaten over several trips to Italy. Absolutely no flavor, and the quality of the ingredients was poor.

Food: The only good bite we had was the burrata, which of course is not made in house. Even the salad under it wasn't seasoned/dressed. We took the risotto with salmon and the pasta with swordfish and green pepper. The risotto tasted mostly like cream and even adding salt didn't help. I couldn't finish the plate. The swordfish was just okay. Pasta was fine, but the sauce was just oil (not even good quality olive oil) and some bland green peppers. Everything is underseasoned. We were initially happy at the amount of wine we were given when we ordered glasses of the white wine, but it was not good. Just finishing the wine was a struggle.

Service: Not the friendliest. Not much to be said. Neither terrible nor amazing service, just extremely impersonal.

We felt we were ripped off for poor quality food and mediocre service. Clearly a place that has little respect for customers and for Italian food. I feel bad for the tourists who come here thinking they've received authentic, quality food. This is far from it. Save your money and go elsewhere - this is a tourist trap to be avoided. I have had phenomenal food during a previous visit to Salerno for far less money. I very, very rarely leave a one star review and try to be as balanced as possible, but I feel this was warranted given how overpriced everything was and how much difficulty I'm having finding anything positive to say...

It’s hard to get a bad place to eat in Italy so I’ll say this place was just average. It was recommended by our airbnb host which is strange because they are normally very good at giving out great places. We ordered the caprese salad for appetizer and it was good but nothing special. Same thing about the wine, good but nothing special. Our service was actually very good, multiple people waited on us. The food was just ok, certainly not bad but definitely not great. I ordered the risotto with crab and salmon. There is no crab in it, just crab flavor but it was creamy and good and VERY hot (temperature) so it definitely wasn’t sitting out for long. My dining partners ordered the pasta with pumpkin flowers and shrimp which was good and the swordfish with peppers. I will say, the swordfish was cooked excellently and was very tender and juicy, hard to do with swordfish. I would recommend that dish alone. The meal ended with a free shot of limoncello and it was smooth and sweet. The atmosphere is in an alley with painted murals, but people walk by very close sometimes with their dogs so it’s a little strange. Also, if someone is smoking it is very obvious as there is nowhere for the smoke to go really. Overall, not a bad meal but not great. I wouldn’t return again because there are so many other great restaurants to...

Osteria dei Sapori is a true gem in the heart of Salerno, and it instantly became one of the highlights of our recent trip in Southern Italy. From the moment we sat down under the charming arches of this beautifully mural-covered alley, we felt transported into an authentic, warm Southern Italian scenery.

The swordfish filet was nothing short of perfection: grilled masterfully, juicy and rich in flavor, melting in the mouth with every bite. A true testament to the chef’s artistry. As for the frittura mista di pesce? Divine. Crispy, golden, and clean-tasting, with not a trace of heaviness. It takes real talent to fry seafood this well — and they nailed it.

To top it all off, we had ice-cold Peroni, served with a smile by the staff that was simply wonderful. All were friendly, attentive, and genuinely proud of the food they serve — as they should be!

Bravo mille to the chef — you’re a culinary maestro, and every dish that left your kitchen carried the soul of the Costa Amalfitana.

To anyone visiting Salerno: don’t miss this experience, hidden in this mystique but beautifully painted alley. Whether you’re looking for honest food, excellent service, or simply a magical atmosphere, Osteria dei Sapori is a place you should not miss!

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