Pescatore Ristorante — Restaurant in West Palm Beach

My family chose this place based on the very high rating (4.9) consisting of nearly all 5-star reviews. Would we find a gem off the beaten path?

Good Parts: COVID dining was spaced well and the staff was attentive and quite nice. Any restaurant should be applauded and supported for finding a way to open nowadays. Prices are not bad. If the food lived up to the reviews, this place would be somewhat of a bargain.

The Rest: The food we tried was poor to average and the portions are on the small side like you'd see at a more pricey restaurant. Generally, the dishes tended to be bland for Italian food. It's not uncommon in south Florida to get restaurants that go light on the salt, but the it was more than that. Specifics: Fried calamari appetizer: Tough, room temperature and flavorless, but the marinara side was solid. Overall, avoid it as it's worst we've had of about a dozen area restaurants. Orecchiette Salsiccia: Olive oil sauce had only a faint, watered-down flavor. The sausage was just okay. Linguine Pescatore (sans lobster): Best of the 3 pastas we tried. Their tomato sauce is again solid and the seafood tasted fresh. Fettuccine Aragosta: How far wrong can anyone go with lobster and brandy cream sauce? Somehow, this dish is also just okay since the sauce doesn't fully deliver in richness or flavor.

I'm hoping that this was a bad night or we didn't choose well among the options. The vagueness of some of the 5-star reviews that I've now reread, though, makes me think the restaurant is probably overrated. Our experience was below average among local...

Gave one star because the place was clean. This used to be our favorite go-to Italian restaurant. Second time that it’s been disappointing. Won’t be back. My husband asked for a glass of Malbec which he has gotten there before. This time he was informed there were only two wine choices by the glass. He ordered the muscles appetizer but quite a few were bad (one ok, a few no). I ordered the caprese. The mozzarella was way too thin and the tomato was so thin I could barely pierce it with the fork. I quit there. I knew how the rest of the meal would go. My husband decided to go ahead and order the Bronzino which the waitress should’ve been embarrassed to bring out. A small, thin filet, a small amount of evoo drizzled on top, served with a very small roasted potato which had been quartered and four broccoli florets. The plate was half bare. My daughter’s gnocchi was way overcooked and sauce was watery. She left half on her plate. The waitress asked my daughter if she wanted a refill on her drink (no one else), she returned with a smaller glass and just dumped it into the empty soda glass already on the table! I’ve never seen anything quite like that before. We brought a few things up to the waitress and her attitude was as if she was forgiving us for having to answer. I understand times are difficult for all businesses but consumers work hard for their money too. This was such a...

First time at Pescatore 5/13/23…everything was delicious! Started with appetizer of meatballs and bruschetta, tomato sauce on the meatballs was perfect; crushed San Marzano tomatoes with basil, flavorful and robust. Bruschetta was excellent, the toasted bread was not too dry so it actually allowed you to bit into it without falling apart. Main entrees we had were Orecchietti with butter/garlic and sausage, Linguini with Braised Beef Bolognese, Gnocchi in Pomodoro sauce and grilled Branzino. Every dish was exceptional; food came out hot. The ambiance is pleasing, very relaxing and welcoming; dark floor, wood accents and under-light table lamps provide a rich warmth. Friday and Saturdays you’ll enjoy and guitar/double-bass duo which is perfectly loud enough without forcing everyone to yell over the music. We finished up with Cappuccino and desert: Tiramisu and Crème Brûlée. The BEST crème brûlée I’ve ever had; it was smooth and creamy and EXCEPTIONAL. The tiramisu was outstanding as well and the cappuccinos were perfect! Our server was Kate; she is attentive and accommodating and told us about special offerings Monday through Wednesday evenings. This is a fabulous restaurant. We were very impressed with the service, the food and had an overall wonderful evening. Thank...