Bottega dei Sapori | Ristorante - Trattoria tipica salentina — Restaurant in Ugento

I’ve truly never had to walk out of a restaurant before the main course. But there’s a first time for everything, I suppose.

We arrived promptly at 20:30 and placed an extremely complex drink order, a Coke and a beer, which impressively took just under an hour to arrive. By the time our modest starters showed up, we had already watched the table next to us (who arrived well after us) enjoy a full dinner, settle their bill, and leave. Must be some kind of fast-track seating program we weren’t enrolled in.

Though we’re not usually ones to complain (we actually prefer to enjoy our evenings out), after 90 minutes of waiting and being ignored, we dared to ask a staff member, who seemed allergic to eye contact, how much longer the main courses would take. She reassured us she’d check, then promptly vanished into the restaurant void… aside from the three times she walked right past us to clear the table next to ours. Apparently communication was a privilege we weren’t worthy of.

Interestingly, the Italian diners around us seemed to have a radically different experience, you know, timely service, attention, food. The basics. Meanwhile, we were treated to a prolonged performance of Waiting for Godot, but with less bread. Speaking of which, we noticed every table received bread and olive oil, especially those who ordered the same dishes we did, yet somehow, we did not qualify.

After two full hours and still no sign of our mains and zero sense of urgency from anyone, we got up, paid and left. Not angrily, just tired and hungry. The response we got on the way out? A very nonchalant “But it’s ready.” Yes, two hours later. At that point, the only thing we were ready for was to leave.

No apology. No effort to make it right. Just a vague shrug, as though we were the ones being unreasonable for not waiting two hours for a plate of fish.

The starters were… fine. But when the highlight of the evening is a lukewarm burrata and a delayed Coke, it’s probably not a place we’ll be recommending, unless someone asks where to go when they don’t want dinner.

What made it all the more disappointing was that we actually had high hopes for this place — we’ve been to one of their partner restaurants twice before and had genuinely great experiences. That’s why we came here in the first place. Unfortunately, the contrast couldn’t have been sharper. We completely understand that serving a packed restaurant can be challenging, but unless the drinks fridge is located in Narnia and requires a quest through a wardrobe and a talking lion, it’s hard to justify a Coke and a beer taking an...

SETTEMBRE 2025 – CENA IN FAMIGLIA DI FINE ESTATE Abbiamo scelto questo posto grazie al consiglio di un amico. Eravamo in 5: al nostro arrivo ci hanno fatto attendere un paio di minuti per preparare il tavolo (come già anticipato telefonicamente). Subito dopo ci siamo accomodati e il signor Fernando (spero di non sbagliare il nome) è venuto a presentarci i piatti. Perfetto nella spiegazione, preparato e disponibile a rispondere a tutte le mie domande: riuscire a incuriosire e deliziare i commensali solo con le parole è una vera dote… lui è stato davvero bravo.

Dopo l’ordinazione, la ragazza in sala si è dimostrata sempre presente e attenta a ogni nostra richiesta: impeccabile anche lei. Per mia distrazione ho rovesciato un calice di gin tonic ordinato come aperitivo, ma sono stati rapidissimi a cambiare runner, bicchieri e ad asciugare tutto. Nota di merito: il drink non è stato nemmeno addebitato sul conto.

Il cibo: ottimi gli antipasti e le degustazioni, a cui abbiamo aggiunto un fritto di mare eccellente (oro in bocca!). Sono arrivati prima i piatti freddi e poi i caldi: un’attenzione che ho molto apprezzato.

I primi piatti: cinque diversi, serviti tutti contemporaneamente. Complimenti alla cucina! Porzioni abbondanti (finalmente un posto che ancora lo fa) e qualità eccellente. La pasta fatta rigorosamente a mano – si vede e si sente – fa davvero la differenza. Unico rammarico: la parmigiana di pesce spada era terminata. Ma anche questo dimostra la genuinità del locale: se un piatto finisce è perché la materia prima è fresca e non surgelata. Torneremo sicuramente per assaggiarlo.

In sintesi, un posto che unisce il calore e l’autenticità di una trattoria alla qualità e alla cura di un ristorante gourmet. Da ritornare assolutamente.

Ho scoperto un bellissimo locale dove tornare e che consiglierò con piacere. Grazie al mio amico Francesco...

I rarely feel the need to give a bad review, but in this case I’ll make an exception. The food was very good, but the service was extremely unprofessional. The waiter brought me my main whilst I was still eating my starter. I had to point out I was still eating my starter for her to bring it back to the kitchen. As soon as I finished my starter they came back with the main. I suspect they just kept it warm in the kitchen. My partner got his main long after I finished my meal. I understand mistakes can be made, but at least you apologize and try to fix the mistake. I expect better from a restaurant of...