Covo del Brigante — Restaurant in Trabia

We came here from a recommendation from others visiting the area but didn't know what to expect. The restaurant has nice semi-outdoor seating up the stairs, but the lighting at night is very green (as can be seen in the photos) and the train goes by every so often, which is very noticeable, though not too much of a detraction from the ambiance. The service is really friendly and attentive and tolerated our crude Italian. I ordered the gnocchi as soon as I saw it on the menu and my date got the vongole with bruschetta as a starter. The bruschetta was fantastic and we both really enjoyed it. The gnocchi was really good too, though just draping the speck on top was kind of odd and made it a little difficult to eat. My date also enjoyed the vongole, though didn't go so far as to say it was great, as she's done with almost everything else on the trip, so there's that. All in all, we had a very pleasant meal, but will likely try some other spots in the area if we do make a return...

Our experience at this pizzeria was nothing short of frustrating from start to finish.

We booked a table at this pizzeria 5 hours in advance for 9:15/9:30 pm. Upon arrival at the scheduled time, we were informed by the staff that we needed to wait outside as table availability depended on when other diners finished their meals.

We waited, but during this time, we noticed several groups, including friends of the staff (who were warmly greeted), being seated ahead of us. Many of these people arrived after us and were promptly allowed inside.

At 9:50 pm, we were asked if we would like to dine at the outdoor tables as a way to reduce our waiting time. Surprised and frustrated that, despite booking well in advance, we were facing the prospect of waiting another 30 minutes or more, we decided to leave.

When we informed the staff of our decision to leave, there were no apologies or signs of concern. The indifference was palpable, adding to an already...

Walked by, peeked inside — honestly wasn’t planning to go in. Then the owner literally ran out to invite us, so we thought, “Okay, maybe it’s fate.” Spoiler: it wasn’t. I’ll give them this — the interior looks nice. But that’s where the positives end. For the prices they charge, the value is just... nonexistent. The food? So salty it felt like the chef had a personal vendetta against our kidneys. The service? Well... let’s just say it didn’t make up for it: The owner was the only person working in the whole restaurant. We even paid a cover charge (coperto) and bought drinks, yet somehow ours was the only table that didn’t get bread. When I said I’d pay by card, he told me to walk to the cashier because they only take cash at the table. At that point, I started wondering — what exactly did the coperto cover? Certainly not the service. Definitely not...