Buatta Cucina Popolana

Buatta Cucina Popolana offers a charming and authentic take on Sicilian cuisine in a lively, welcoming setting. The food is consistently well-prepared, with familiar classics elevated just enough to feel both traditional and fresh. The staff are genuinely friendly and attentive, striking a great balance between professionalism and warmth. Service feels relaxed but efficient, which adds to the overall enjoyment of the evening. The wine list is thoughtfully curated, with a great selection of local options to complement the menu. The atmosphere is vibrant, especially during dinner — buzzing with conversation, yet still comfortable. It’s a popular spot, so I’d definitely recommend making a reservation in advance, especially if you’re planning to go in the evening.

We booked a month in advance and had been looking forward to this dinner, as it was our honeymoon. At first, the restaurant seemed charming, and we were welcomed with a complimentary starter. But from there, things went downhill. We ordered the chef’s tasting menu. While the food was good—not amazing—it took an incredibly long time between courses. Even worse, the staff didn’t clear our table between dishes. By the time we were served the last course, there was still leftover snail shells from the first dish. To make matters worse, we found a hair in one of the dishes. We weren’t offered any compensation or even an apology, and we were still charged the full amount. Additionally, there was a large Italian group near us loudly singing all night, making the atmosphere feel more like a market than a fine dining experience. I couldn’t even hear my partner speak. For dessert, we were served homemade ice cream, which didn’t impress us at all. Overall, it was quite expensive. We came prepared to pay for a quality meal and experience, but sadly, this evening did not deliver on either.

We had the tasting menu, majority of the dishes were seafood. It was good, some of these things I have tried for the first time ever. We went for a dinner and the place was packed, so staff was very busy and they forgot our drinks a couple of times. Worth trying, but probably not for a romantic dinner date.

This is a restaurant chain where the food is consistently good, even if the atmosphere can feel a little tourist-oriented. The pasta dishes stand out in particular, well-prepared and flavorful, making it a reliable choice when looking for a satisfying meal

I was really looking forward to trying the local sardines, but unfortunately they weren’t available that day. Still, everything else was absolutely perfect — we had the baked anelletti with beef ragù, Gigi’s pasta alla Norma, meatballs, and finished with a cannolo for dessert. The food was exceptional! The only hiccup was that we had a reservation for 12:00, but when we arrived, they asked us to wait 30 minutes due to a large delivery they were handling. Normally, that might be annoying — but in Sicily, it felt charmingly authentic. So we just went for an Aperol at the bar next door and enjoyed the moment.

We did see that this place had mixed reviews and we very much wanted to give it a higher rating. However, we felt that 2 stars is a fair reflection on the quality of the food here. The smoked fish pasta was very oily and creamy with a lack of taste. The rolled sardines.dish was totally cold and we didnt understand the dish.

Absolutely recommended! Especially the chefs tasting menue. Great value for money. Friendly service, delicious food and fantastic wine - we had a splendid evening there :)

We had high hopes for Buatta Cucina Popolana, but unfortunately, our experience fell short of expectations. The sfincione was crispy and generally flavorful, but overwhelmingly salty — and that’s coming from someone with a pretty high salt tolerance. It really distracted from what could have been a great dish. The anelletti with meat ragù was just okay — nothing particularly memorable or exciting. Overall, it was a bit of a letdown, especially since we were expecting a more elevated culinary experience. Luckily, my wife enjoyed her pasta alla Norma, so at least one of us left happy :)