We weren't so wowed by Da Vittorio at Portopalo de Menfi, which had rave comments on the internet and was decribed by the Guardian's food critic as his favourite place to eat in the world. I know food and hospitality is a very subjective experience, but everything I had read about this restaurant led me to expect the Wow factor - and sadly we felt Da Vittorio was a little lacklustre.
The portions were generous, and we had initially ordered an attractive platter of seafood antipasti and the waiter accepted our order, but just before we were served, a woman who I presumed to be the Manageress, came to us and explained (without a smile) that we HAD to have three courses and the antipasti was simply the first course.
Now I know that it's the traditional way to eat in Sicily, but sometime you simply aren't that hungry and to be almost bullied into ordering courses you didn't want seemed so unecessary.
However we did enjoy the second course regardless. It was good seafood, a lovely spaghetti dish with lobster, clams, prawn and mussels, but we felt almost press-ganged into ordering a huge meal that neither of us really wanted. We just weren't hungry enough to enjoy it.
Other people seemed to come in and have just one course, but maybe our wallets were glowing, and we felt like we were treated like tourists.
I certainly didn't experience this in other local restaurants. Overall the atmosphere left us a bit cold and they weren't as welcoming as other places we visited. I'd rather have saved the 90 Euros (antipasti, shared pasta and sorbeta with 2 beers) and blown it at the fabulous Lu Disiu in Castelvetrano.
For a restaurant with such a stellar reputation, the seafood was good but not incredible. I've had better in Australia, in Africa, in Spain. Disappointing when you consider than Sicily is synonomous with seafood.
A far better seafood experience was the clam and mussel soup flavoured with fennel that we had at the family diner, Pierrot's in Marinella de Selinunte. That cost about 5 Euros !
We did however see the famed bare chested Vittorio, but he wasn't cooking that lunch time, choosing to lounge on a chair outside the kitchen door instead !
So overall verdict - pretty good, but not as good as the rave reviews indicate.
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