Ristorante Rais — Restaurant in San Vito Lo Capo

Based on the reviews we read before coming here perhaps they had an off night. Though I don't think so as the food was also lacking, not just the service.

The service made passive aggressive comments all night.

Wouldn't let us order drinks until we ordered our food? It's very common and encouraged in most places to order drinks first while still browsing the menu.

Rudely interrupted our ordering to do it in the servers specific way instead of accommodating how we wanted to. We wanted to order the starters & mains each person at a time. They wanted all the starters then all the mains, apparently to not confuse the chef. If they had said at the beginning how he wanted us to order then it would have been fine, but the rude interruption was kind of weird.

Was accommodating to the fact what drinks we ordered were not what they usually offer which was great, fantastic even, but made off comments about it when brining them which just made us feel awkward and ruined this kind gesture.

Missing ingredients in dishes without telling us before we ordered and then when we questioned it once the dishes arrived they told us that it is not a big deal or issue. The dishes were still full price despite lacking a key ingredient (cuttle ink for cuttle ink pasta).

The server made the 2 women at the table uncomfortable with what could have been banter if they had not said it so often. I wouldn't say this was intentional, but worth noting.

Made comments about us not knowing what the dish was that we ordered when they are saying the Italian names for them, our fault for not speaking Italian to be fair, but how are we to map the Italian name to what it looks like when it comes? Especially when the dish is not the correct colour (the cuttle ink pasta, not actually being black or in fact cuttle ink pasta), though the problem here was the comments they made when delivering the dishes as a little patience and understanding goes a long way.

We changed our minds about wanting fresh glasses when changing from cocktails to wine and again more passive aggressive comments. Why not just replace them without asking us in the first place? We said not to worry about changing them when asked as our initial reaction was to not inconvenience the server further than we seemingly had done by dining here in the first place. Though why did they make us feel that way for such a simple thing? This is perhaps the most telling of the issues.

Server was very unimpressed by us asking for salt and pepper? We can season the food to our own taste thanks. Had to ask a different waitor for it in the end.

We asked for sambucas post meal and they made a fuss about it before bringing them anyway?

Said thank you in Italian as we left and this was followed by laughter? Very bizarre? Given our interactions up to this point it further made us feel unwelcome.

One of the party was throwing up post meal, I had exactly the dishes that they had and was fine, but their stomach is more sensitive than mine so I don't count this towards to my rating, but it is worth mentioning for others who may have sensitive stomaches.

The food was goodish, but seemed expensive for what it was, especially as it was predominantly seafood and we are on the coast so would expect it to be cheaper.

The fried fish dish was nice, but it was exactly that, just fried sections of fish, prawns and calamari with a lemon. No signature sauce, flavours or creativity.

The cuttle ink pasta was very bland, perhaps due to the lack of cuttle fish ink though? The filling was equally bland which is very bad considering this means it was as bland as plain pasta.

Raw prawn spaghetti was very good and would recommend if dining here.

In summary, rude service and average food that was over priced.

We won't be returning though as the food was disappointing and the service made us not...

Never judge a book by its cover.

The food LOOKS amazing. It really looks like the food pictures you post/find on instagram or magazines, with the lovely play of colors on the plate etc. This was one of the reasons me and my girlfriend went to eat there.

However, the quality is horrible (with all due respect to the restaurant). Maybe they had a bad day? I don’t know.

The “Squid/Calamaro Rais” for example which was my main dish, had really dry bread stuffed inside, it almost felt like sand. Tasteless & bland. Now the stuffed Calamari should have moist bread/stuffing inside not bread that is dry as sand. Also the stuffing is probably 60% of the dish, so if you do that wrong you’ve basically messed up the dish.

When I partially complained to the waiter about this dish (I say partially because I hate doing complaints and making the waiters feel awkward, so I really tried not to say exactly how I was feeling when the waiter asked), the response / excuse for the dry bread was “It is made in the oven that is why its dry which is why we add the tomato sauce to it.” What?! What in the world does that mean? So you make a bad product and try to fix it with sauce? Or you’re telling me that I’m paying 16e for a dish that is cooked from before and just reheated? I honestly think its both. Really poor quality.

The Puree on my girlfriend’s dish, which was the “Tenero Di Manzo” or “Fresh Beef,” looked beautiful but tasted…well…bad. The meat which was supposed to be medium was cooked more than medium (almost well-done) and was really difficult to cut through (basically suggesting that the meat was not of the best quality & over cooked).

My girlfriend also has food poisoning she’s been throwing up for an hour and a half and can’t even keep her liquids down. I know the restaurant might respond to the comment or say that the poisoning was not from their restaurant, but sorry guys its from you.

*P.S. I hope the restaurant doesn’t deny that we were there. If they do I’ll obviously attach the receipt & pictures, but I really hope this was a one off event from their end and they will take this feedback to improve their...

If you're in San Vito Lo Capo and looking for an unforgettable dining experience, Rais is an absolute must-visit. From the moment we arrived, the service was warm, professional, and genuinely welcoming – you can really feel the passion the staff has for what they do.

But the real star of the show? The food. Every dish was a celebration of Sicilian flavors, beautifully presented and bursting with freshness. The seafood was especially memorable – perfectly cooked, delicately seasoned, and clearly sourced with care. We tried the tuna tartare, black garlic spaghetti, and lollipop swordfish – all were out of this world.

Our server recommended a bold, deep, and succulent red wine that elevated the entire meal. Rich in character and beautifully smooth, it paired especially well with the more savory and aromatic dishes, adding an extra layer of depth to the experience. To top it all off, we were offered a complimentary locally-sourced port – a thoughtful and delicious gesture that ended the evening on a perfect note.

The ambiance is elegant yet relaxed, with a stylish interior and a lovely outdoor seating area that adds to the charm of this coastal town. Whether you're coming for a romantic dinner or a laid-back evening with friends, Rais strikes the perfect balance between fine dining and true Sicilian hospitality. Our waiter, Antonino, was not only warm and welcoming, but his desire to learn English in order to communicate with his customers was exemplary. 5 stars...