Ristorante " Il Barcaiolo " — Restaurant in Taormina

Better restaurants nearby offering better food, service and value. We arrived just after opening with out a reservation and was shown a table with no view just of the paths but I asked if we could sit on the terraced area where there were many empty tables, but was told no as the tables were reserved. Ok no probs but the next two couples who arrived without reservations they were shown the tables on the terrace that I had been told was reserved even though there were tables where we sat. The main waitress was rude and we should have left but stayed to try the food. At best over priced and average not what I would have expected we had the gnocchi and mixed grilled fish. The gnocchi was quite nice but the grilled fish wasnt the best for €35. It consisted of tuna steak which was ok as was the fillets of sea bass the calamari was chewy and tasteless but worst was 2 of the 3 prawns was mushy and not cooked properly. There was also a green mush around one as though they had tried to clean the back vein which made me dubious to go near it. Did we say anything no, as I felt it wasn’t the place where it would be accepted without a argument. We were offered a grappa or lemonchello which at other restaurants has been free at end of meal so we accepted to find out later we were charged €5 each for a thimble full. My mistake for not asking but it is given in a way it’s free. When our bill came we had been overcharged for our wine and they had added €8 service charge which was a joke. This was our most expensive meal in Taormina, not a cheap place but would expect the food and service to meet with the price which I feel it did not. We obviously wasnt approved...

We were on honeymoon in Taormina and it was recommended by our B&B. The rating of the restaurant is very high so we arrived with high expectation. The owner of the restaurant asked us if we had reservation and we didn't. He then allocated us with a seat right next to the toilet (seriously, one meter away from toilet and the smell...). We thought it may be acceptable if it is a really popular restaurant. The waiters were cold and it took 10-15mins to get them come and took our orders. My hubby ordered a mixed seafood plate and I ordered a pasta. It then took another hour for our food to arrive, oh wait, only my pasta and they forgot to place the order of the mixed seafood. By the time they put in the order again, it was already 1.5 hours in, and we had lost our appetite already, especially with the bad smell keep coming out of the toilet.

They told us just another 5 mins for the food to come, and we waited for another 20 mins and had nothing. I've lost my patience and told the waiter we don't want the food anymore, just the bill. Then the most ridiculous thing happened - she SHOUTED at us and said 'We are very busy!!'

The food was ok, not the best we've had in Italy tho. We had much better seafood in Amafi coast and most importantly, SERVICE. I know with a restaurant with such good reviews, my comment probably doesn't count much but I feel like I had to state the experience I had. This is definitely the WORST dining experience I've had in years, and just because you are popular doesn't mean you can let your service go down...

A reservation is advised if you plan on dining here — we were lucky to take the only non-reserved table at opening time. Al fresco dining with a pretty view of the small beach/harbour, presumably where 'Il Barcaiolo,' 'The Boatman,' takes its name. The pasta portions are fairly generous, making this place better value than most in Taormina, where there's little competition in the price category. As a couple of vegetarians (please don't feel like you need to stop reading here), the menu options have been underwhelming in Taormina — "will I have the aubergine pasta or aubergine pizza today?" Well I had the aubergine pasta and it was the best of the four I've had this past week. Il Barcaiolo did have a few more V options on the menu, alas two of the three were unavailable at the time. My husband had the third, which was ok, but I felt kinda guilty with my much bigger bowl of pasta and spooned it onto his plate. Presumably they don't get many of us plant botherers dropping in. Staff were pleasant, diners seemed happy (their seafood looked pretty good) and there was a genuinely good vibe about the place. I'd recommend a reservation if you're staying in Taormina. Being on the beach, there's a lot of steps to climb after your visit, better on a full stomach than a hungry one. A generous 4 stars, factoring in the competition hasn't been great here...