A Putia di Giugiò — Restaurant in Syracuse

Closed Tuesday

Lunch on Saturday 24 May 2025 Second visit this May and the staff were already waiting for us even though the restaurant was busy. One bottle of water, two glasses of Inzolia at €5 each, one Macco di Fave (soup made from broad beans, onions and chard) at €9, one Parmigiana (aubergines and mozzarella) at €10 and a side order of Patate Sabbiate (potatoes with herbs and breadcrumb) at €5 cost €39. They had no change and asked us to pay by card but we had enough notes and change to pay the bill and leave a tip.

Dinner on Thursday 22 May 2025 Quite busy with most tables already full. One bottle of water, two glasses of Nero d'Avola at €5 each, one Bietole Saltate (greens) at €5, one Ceci alla Siciliana (chick pea soup) at €9 and one Parmigiana (aubergines and mozzarella) to share at €10 cost €39. Superb food and superb value!

Dinner on Sunday 29 September 2024 This restaurant is always busy, understandably so. It is far wiser to make reservations than to be turned away, as we saw numerous couples and groups turned away on Thursday evening and Sunday evening. Most looked pissed off but a restaurant has to deal with demand greater than supply in an equitable manner. One bottle of water, two lovely glasses of white wine at €5 each, one Ceci alla Siciliana (chick pea soup = YUM) at €8, one Lenticchie (lentil soup = YUM) at €8 and one Parmigiana Melanzane to share at €9 cost €37.50. With food like this at prices like these it's no wonder that people without reservations get turned away!

Dinner on Thursday 26 September 2024 Very busy tonight and the staff had to shift a huge group of loud tourists over to make way for our (reserved) table. One bottle of water, four glasses of local white wine (Inzolia) at €4 each, one Bietole Saltate (leafy greens or chard) at €5, one Patate Sabbiate (potatoes with lots of herbs) at €5 and two amazing Parmigiana Melanzane at €9 each cost €50.50. NO cover charge PLUS fantastic bread!

Dinner on Sunday 19 May 2024. Busier at dinner than at lunch but we were seated at our reserved table immediately. One bottle of water, one bottle of Cantina La Ferla Canicatti (Inzolia) at €19, one Bietole Saltate (leafy greens called chard) at €5, one Insalata Mista at €6, one Pesce Spada alla Piastra (swordfish) at €13 and one Spigola alla Nostra Maniera (sea bass) at €22 cost €67.50. No cover charge and the best bread ever (chewy crust, soft and fluffy inside, really fresh, served in a closed paper bag).

Lunch on Friday 17 May 2024. First time we have eaten here as previously it was very busy and is on the famous via Cavour, just before the main piazza and the cathedral. One bottle of water, one bottle of Segreta Rosso (Nero d'Avrola) at €19, one L'Oro di Sikelos (grilled aubergines and zucchini) at €5, one Filetti di Peperoni (Sicilian peppers) at €5, one Bietole Saltate (leafy greens called chard) at €5 and one Busciate con Crema di Ceci (pasta in a chick pea sauce) at €14 cost €50.50. No cover charge plus fantastic food...

Sadly very disappointing. I hate leaving bad reviews, but the food was honestly the worst we’ve had in Sicily. We’ve actually never had bad food here. The pastas had no flavour - one literally just tasted like broccoli water and the other just of tinned fish and salt. The texture of the pasta also wasn’t enjoyable. The bruschetta was presented very poorly - everything just chucked on sparsely, and tasted stale and flavourless. There didn’t seem to be much love or care in the food. I’ve genuinely made better at home from the supermarket. Sadly the service was also a let down. We were hoping for a romantic meal, but the energy was dampened by the main lady who spent the entire evening loudly moaning to the young waiters. It really killed the good vibes. Maybe she thought we didn’t understand so wouldn’t be affected, but it was obvious even to non-Italian speakers that she was unhappy. The interiors, however, are very lovely and cosy. Service was quick and the team were...

This often reveals a short-sighted and anxious business mentality. When a restaurant has few customers, they hold onto a desperate hope for a 'big order'. From their perspective, a solo diner generates limited revenue, and giving them a valuable outdoor table feels like a 'loss'. They would rather reject a guaranteed small sale in the gamble that a larger, uncertain one (like a family of three) might walk in later. Furthermore, an establishment that rarely has a queue will likely have no established procedure for a waiting list, so the staff and management may not be on the same page. When faced with an unfamiliar request to wait, the owner's first reaction may be to see it as a hassle. The simplest way out is to make an excuse, like 'there are no tables', and refuse directly, rather than creating a waiting list for a...