Ristorante Porta Vaticana — Restaurant in Tropea

A local friend recommended this place for dinner and I am very pleased to recommend it to you: it is very near the high street of Tropea but away from the hustle and bustle of the evening 'passeggiata". We got there walking up and down narrow streets and steps in the old town so that we really had the impression to get into a secret enclave or 'grotta'. The menu offers both fish and meat starters, including all local produce from Calabria. We had 'cozze marinara' that to my surprise were sprinkled with fresh aromatic origano, followed by handmade fileja with aubergine, fresh tomatoes, nduja and basil: some of the very best ever had ( one of my friends is from Calabria and she agrees); then delicious tropean salad with super sweet onion as a side to grilled "spatola' (also called 'sciabola fish '). We went for the white house wine which was also very good. All portions were very generous. We ended with 'amaro del Capo' as a digestive of course. The service was particularly friendly and we felt welcomed. What can you ask for more on your first...

One of our go to restaurants in Tropea. Good food, good prices and good vibes.

It is one of the more low key restaurants. You should not expect to have a 5 course meal here. But the food is great and the prices are so reasonable.

Last year we were recommended by our hotel owner and eventually went there twice in a week. And we did the same this year. The meals are basic but very flavorful.

On our last day we wanted to end our trip with a pizza here. But on our way to the restaurant the entire city of Tropea lost power. But the fire in the pizza oven was working of course!

In the complete dark with just some light from our phones and emergency lights, they still served us our pizza and drinks. That's what I call service!

If I could give a tip in July & August I would recommend sitting downstairs. Since it can get quite...

The exterior is very nice, and there was a line at the restaurant, which gave us the impression that it might be good. However, the appetizers, bruschetta, and seafood platter were a disaster. The seafood seemed to be defrosted from a freezer or something similar and had no flavor. A big disappointment. The bruschetta was wet and tasteless. Another letdown occurred when we had ordered 2 pizzas, but only one was brought to our table. They forgot the second one, and only after about 8 minutes of reminding them they did start making it. The pizza was burnt and not good at all. The whole visit was a significant disappointment, and we definitely do not recommend it. This place prioritizes quantity...