Trattoria Gigliorosso - Catania

Great location, a good menu with a great selection of fresh fish. We both had swordfish which was very fresh and perfectly cooked. We actually went back a second night. If you have a little language it helps but we enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.

As a small business owner, I struggled mentally with the thought of leaving a 1 star. But you ruined our first night in Italy, and fully deserve it. Host called me a Baby and ruined our dinner because he was too lazy to get another straw. My fiancée and I are in Italy to get married, we went on a night stroll and found this restaurant which seemed quaint and nice. The hosts at first seemed gracious and kind as well. When we went to order, we were planning on each ordering a $12 pasta dish, and my fiancée wanted a white wine. The host said no, don’t get the wine I’ll bring you both this drink, and we’ll start with a pasta then a fish. We foolishly accepted and trusted his judgment. What was going to be a $30 dinner ended up being an over $100 dinner when the bill was due. He served us the specialty drinks, (which were actually quite nice when mixed) with a straw. My fiancée ordered a second round, and I waited patiently until they brought new cutlery to ask for straws since our first ones had them and the second ones didn’t. The host called me a Baby for asking for a straw, when it was HIM who gave me one in the first place. He then kneeled down next to my fiancée and repeated it again, I thought it was a joke. But then he said, no no straw and never brought one. Really acted like a total jerk for no reason and ruined our first night in Italy. This guy needs to grow up, learn how to be a reasonable host and stop being a baby when asked for a simple request.

We went twice and both nights were excellent. This Trattoria is both a sleeper and a standout. If you are stopping over in Catania for any reason, don't miss it. We tried the expertly sauced Beef dishes, the simple Green Salad and on the second visit, the Prawn and Shrimp Linguine, the Mussels in Black Pepper and the Orange and Fennel Salad. Everything was fresh, first rate and cooked to perfection. Even the dolci is something to wait for...

La trattoria colpisce per il suo folclore, le pareti colorate e piene di oggetti, soprammobili, tante foto e piatti appesi, tutto crea un’atmosfera di casa, con in sottofondo una musica bellissima….finalmente le canzoni tradizionali italiane e non il solito bum bum! La gestione è affidata agli uomini di una stessa famiglia: padre, figli e nipote. Il servizio è molto sbrigativo e di poche parole. Il menù rispetta la tradizione catanese. Ho scelto come antipasto delle cozze, mi hanno un pò deluso, piccole e troppo salate. Ottimo invece il pesce spada con le mandorle, loro cavallo di battaglia, e l’insalata di finocchi e arance. I dolci non sono fatti dal loro, ma quello proposto all’arancia era una delizia, quindi ben venga questa scelta. Ho visto, oltre a turisti, molti avventori locali, clienti assidui e questo è sempre buon segno. Il conto con un pizzico di sale, diciamo. Ve lo consiglio se cercate una trattoria tipica, senza fronzoli e però con un suo perchè!

Buona cucina siciliana, buon pesce , locale caratteristico , accogliente stile siculo , cottura pasta leggermente sbagliata ma può capitare , ottimo secondo .