Salento — Restaurant in Playa del Carmen

The moment we saw the twinkling lights of Salento Italian restaurant down Avenida Cozumel, we knew we were in for a real treat. Right when we arrived we were greeted by no less than three staff members, one who guided us to our table, and two others who sanitized the surface and laid out beautiful red polyester (and easily cleaned) placemats as well as an assortment of oils, spices, and a candle for ambience. But enough about the great atmosphere of the restaurant (despite it being across from the tourist police station)…let’s get into the meat of this review…no pun intended! RECEPTION: A

After two weeks of eating mostly Mexican food, we were eager to try as many Italian dishes as our empty stomachs could handle. We studied the menu’s wide variety of dinner options, and eventually settled on sharing several entrees to maximize the culinary experience. Our waiter kindly introduced himself as we perused the drink list (a somewhat small wine list, but definitely affordable) and informed us of what was and was not available on the menu. I chose the house Cabernet Sauvignon after finding out that my first choice, the Chianti, only comes by the bottle. Let’s just say it was a good glass of red wine for $5 USD. CABERNET SAUVIGNON: C+

To start, we selected the bruschetta: an Italian classic! Five warm crostinis were presented on a simple wooden platter, topped high with chilled tomato, basil, garlic and just the right amount of olive oil. It was fresh, flavorful, and the perfect appetizer to whet our appetites for what was to come… BRUSCHETTA: A- (I would rate it as a solid A, but my dinner companion prefers a thicker slice of bread)

The first entree we received was the Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina: a simple homemade pasta with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The texture of the gnocchi was perfect, and the sauce was fresh but hearty. GNOCCHI ALLA SORRENTINA: A

Just as we’d tasted a few bites of this delicious pasta, our Spaghetti Carbonara arrived. This one was just…okay. The sauce’s texture was a bit chunkier than one might like, and the bacon flavor was a bit off. As a connoisseur of carbonara, I would recommend that they use an Italian bacon instead of an American variety. SPAGHETTI CARBONARA: C

Finally, we moved on to Naples with a Prosciutto and Arugula pizza. Topped with large slices of prosciutto on beds of arugula and interspersed with cherry tomato and parmesan cheese, this pizza was a great combination of fresh and savory. All of Salento’s pizzas are baked in a brick oven, leaving the crust slightly doughy but perfectly crisped on the outside. The slices were large enough to fold so that we didn’t miss out on any of the toppings. PROSCUITTO & ARUGULA PIZZA: B

No meal is complete without a coffee and dessert! We ordered an Americano and Espresso to accompany a shared piece of panna cotta. It was a perfect small dessert to share after such a large meal. A lightly sweet and creamy base with a slight citrus flavor, it was topped by a fruit jam-like sauce. It paired wonderfully with our delicious coffees (which tasted exactly as you’d imagine an espresso on the streets of Italy to taste like), leaving our bellies full and our hearts content. PANNA COTTA: A+ COFFEE: A

OVERALL GRADE: A- Thanks to Salento for a wonderful Italian experience in the heart of...

On our last night in Playa del Carmen, after a week of some delicious Mexican, we were craving comfort food. I looked up reviews and saw an article of the best Italian restaurants with Salento at top. Paired with favorable here, we decided to go for it. Honestly, I have no idea if the reviews were before a change in management, chefs, or what but the food here wasn't just meh...it was practically inedible :/. We ordered the caponata and meatballs to start. The caponata was probably the most edible of the items we ordered but even that was greasy and the sauce tasted heavy. The meatballs were supposedly all beef but 1. Did not taste like beef, more pork and 2. were undercooked. I'm someone who loves my meat rare in the right circumstance but a meatball (with what I suspect is pork) is definitely not the place for undercooked meat. We didn't eat either of these. Then came the pasta. My boyfriend ordered a sausage dish with a rose sauce while I got the porcini and truffle pasta. Nowhere in the description does the truffle dish mention cream. Only pasta, porcini, and oil with truffles. It was a heavy cream based sauce that tasted, well, like cream. I took a screenshot of the menu and told the waiter. I told him the menu didn't say cream anywhere and this isn't what I ordered. Unimpressed with his own dish and disappointed in general with the food, we each didn't eat this food either. We asked for the bill. The bill had the appetizers removed but both pastas still on. Perhaps I'm spoiled with accommodating service and restaurants taking accountability, but after not eating any of the meal I was surprised to be charged for the two entrees. Especially the one that just wasn't what was described on the menu. Anyway, we didn't have the energy to argue, so we paid and left. Just beware though, the reviews are favorable but I truly don't understand why, maybe we caught them on...

Bottom line: terrible management, terrible service, bad food.

I recommend you go somewhere else.

They took our reservation for 9pm then did not seat us until 9:35pm. Didn’t take our order (not even drinks) until almost 10:30pm. When the waiter (Roberto) took our order he informed us they were closing the kitchen starting with the pizza oven. So he handed us menus then said if you don’t order now you wont eat. Then it took another 30 min before the pizzas started coming out. By this time the waiter had taken our drink order but they had not arrived. Some people from the table went to 7-Eleven down the street and brought back water. Food was ok but not worth the wait.

I counted 8 staff on the floor. One waiter took orders, sat people, delivered drinks, delivered food, processed checks, and took payments. The other 7 did almost nothing. One person prepared a table or two. One person tried clearing our table while we were eating. The “head” waiter (Roberto) was terrible and tried to do everything. Horrible service. The whole time the owner was there but apparently he thought this was how to run a restaurant. Here is a tip for the owner: you are doing it wrong.

Bottom line: terrible management, terrible service, bad food.

I recommend you go...