Manifattura Di Gelato restaurant — Restaurant in Calheta

My dining experience at Manifattura Di Gelato left much to be desired. Despite the restaurant's positive reviews, my partner and I were disappointed by several aspects of our visit, leading me to give it a rating of 3 stars out of 5.

Upon entering, we followed the sign's instructions to wait for a waiter to be seated. However, the staff seemed inattentive, and it was only after a considerable wait that the gentleman behind the gelato counter took notice and seated us.

We started with cola zero served in glass bottles, a choice appreciated by enthusiasts. However, the enthusiasm waned when our main dishes arrived. As a seasoned pizza chef, I could tell that my pizza hawaii was not prepared on traditional stones but rather in a pizza pan. This resulted in an overly thin pizza, which, combined with the pan, led to a hard, crispy bottom. The dough itself lacked flavor and character, leaving much to be desired in terms of authenticity and taste.

My partner's linguine dish did not fare much better, lacking the depth of flavor and finesse that one would expect from an Italian restaurant.

Despite the initial promise, our experience at Manifattura Di Gelato fell short of the high expectations set by the restaurant's reputation. I hope the establishment takes this feedback to heart, striving to improve both the quality of their dishes and the attentiveness of their service to truly live up to the positive reviews they...

I came to this place with my wife and 2 kids ( 2 and 4 years old) with a lot of expectations. This gem was found by just zooming in and out on Google Maps and surely it was incredibly worth.

We came to the place and since we didn’t have a reservation we needed to wait to be seated. There were 4 couples in front of us and it took less than 10 minutes to be seated. Great start! What also helped a lot to kill the time is the view you have from this restaurant. The kids were entertained as were my wife and I by the views.

Once seated we got a very nice waiter and we chose our items. We all had some great seafood ( Gamba’s and Octopus) check out the pics! The whole list was: 2 starters: The Bruschetta and homemade Garlic bread 1 Pizza Tuna for the kids 1 main dish Octopus 1 Main dish Gamba’s 300gram 2 apple juice for the kids 2 Brisa’s (carbonated passion fruit drink) 1 1L bottle of water 2x 1 scoop home made gelato for the kids 1 chocolate mouse with a scoop passionfruit icecream 1 crème brûlée 1 take away 4 cheese pizza for take away for family at home.

——— total was just € 108,60! I have paid this amount easily in my home country for just 2 mains with 2 drinks.

I can barely believe I’ve had one of my best Italian experience on this tiny Island. Without any doubt I can say this might be the best Italian on the whole Island. And we will revisit this place...

Vegan's perspective

We went twice and I really liked the way they cook. Dishes are interesting, flavorful and fresh. I would especially recommend the gorgeous onion soup and also the vegan main dish with the sweet and intense tomato sauce. The staff is totally acknowledged of veganism, kind and helpful. Menu as well clearly labeled.

But really if you are vegan you can go there only once, they have no vegan source of protein incorporated into any of their dishes. It's only vegetables and white grains. The pizza they make is perfectly on point but if you take a vegan version of it, it ends up sadly poor, and I tried the one with the most ingredients mentioned, trust me. Final product is a tomato sauce and handful of vegetables - yawn. You can use my hack and order the grilled vegetables side dish which you put on top of the pizza. But you end up with a boring veggie pizza for around 16 euros. Vegan desserts- none. Even the sorbets contain milk powder I've been told.

It could be a great place also for vegans but frankly with what they offer it is not yet. It's nice for a small afternoon snack but not when you are looking for a balanced and satisfying dinner. Some beans, legumes, lentils, vegan cheese, or even quality meat alternatives would make this a...