Zen & Jonico — Restaurant in Syracuse

Closed on Tuesdays. Lunch on Sunday 9 April 2018 Oh dear. The owner has decided to stop selling lovely house wine in half litres (€5.00) and litres (€10.00) and now only sells a stronger and poorer house wine in half bottles (€8.00) and bottles (??.00). What a HUGE mistake to make and what a disappointment for us. Two big glasses of house wine (€4.00 each), two bottles of water, two half bottles of house wine (€8.00 each), one starter of Trittico (swordfish and smoked salmon as they did not have any tuna), one starter of Pachino e Ricotta Insalata (cherry tomatoes and hard ricotta cheese), one main of Cavati alla Rusticana (pasta with aubergines and fish in a tomato sauce), one main of Sgombro alla Erbe (mackerel in herbs), one side dish of Patatine Fritte (fried potatoes) and two coffees cost €70.00 after a €0.50 discount.

Lunch on Wednesday 10 May 2017 It is only early May and we were the only lunch customers at this incredible restaurant. We were greeted by a smiling member of staff, who remembered us from last year and was as happy to see us as we were to see her! Excellent wine and food at inexpensive prices in the most incredible location. Two bottles of water, one half litre of red wine (€5.00), one half litre of white wine (€5.00), one Pomodorino e Ricotta, one Insalata di Arancia e Cipolle, one Farfalle Ricotta e Gamberi, one Spaghetti alla Palermitana and two coffees cost €46.00.

Lunch on Saturday 13 May 2017 We arrived at just after noon so (once again) we were the only customers. However, soon we were surrounded by Italians and that is always a good sign in a restaurant. We were greeted by the same member of staff as last time, we were served the best dishes of the past week and we were sent on our way with a very friendly "kiss on both cheeks" farewell that is common in mainland Europe but unheard of in the United Kingdom. One glass of Nero d'Avola (at no charge), one glass of Grillo (at no charge), two bottles of water, one half litre of red wine (€5.00), one half litre of white wine (€5.00), one Cavati alla Rusticana (pasta, aubergine, ham and sheep's cheese), one Spaghetti alla Carrettiera (pasta, garlic, hard cheese and red pepper corns), one Chicche al Pesce Spada (pasta, red pepper corns, SWORDFISH, IN CAPITALS as there was so much of it, and wild fennel), one Sgombro alle Erbe (mackerel, aromatic herbs, extra virgin olive oil and garlic) and two coffees cost €60.00.

May 2016 What a location! On top of a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea. Great authentic local food with wonderful service! Two starters, two mains, water, wine and coffees for...

Having had wonderful previous experiences at Zen, it pains me to have to write this. Last night I'd booked, 24 hours in advance, to have Aperitivo on the terrace with friends, but upon arrival it was obvious they'd forgotten about us. There was no reserved table (other tables had named reservations) so they hobbled together some chairs around a table at the back but the toilet; not exactly the experience I'd imagined for some out of town guests. The chairs and table were dirty and damp, sitting down felt uncomfortable. In the end we decided to leave, and when we explained to the server why, she made excuses about how all the tables had been booked before I'd phoned the day before. This was such an obvious lie, and is what had prompted me to write this review more than anything else. If the tables were booked, why wasn't I told upon phoning? If that was the only take for us, why wasn't it ready, with our name on it? Such a disappointing experience, and it will be some time before I think...

Our tour guide recommended this restaurant which was near our hotel.

It is in a stunning location. Despite reservations made by our hotel, no one came to our table. After being patient for 30 minutes we flagged someone down who was not pleased.

When we were asking questions about the menu and wine the server/Owner was very terse and not helpful. At one point I asked if they had a wine similar to Gavi or Orvietto and was told that this is Sicily not Italy. Let’s be clear, I knew where I was.

Food was serviceable.

If you don’t mind being treated like a second class citizen because you don’t know the language, this place is for you. Otherwise I suggest Ortigia where people are friendly and don’t discriminate against non-Sicilians.

When we walked back to the hotel we met several other tourists who experienced...