In Cucina Dai Pennisi

In July 2024, we celebrated my husband’s birthday at In Cucina Dai Pennisi for lunch, a spot recommended by a nearby vineyard. The food and ambiance were delightful, and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. However, we were deeply disappointed by the lack of transparency regarding the wine recommendations. We started with a local wine, Rosso Del Conte, which was suggested by the waitress and priced around 80 euros. After finishing the first bottle, which we enjoyed, my husband asked for another recommendation in a similar price range. The waitress enthusiastically suggested a local wine called Magma, highlighting that it was the last bottle in stock and insisting it was excellent. Trusting her, we assumed it would be comparable in price. To our shock, when the bill arrived, we discovered that the second bottle cost an astounding 700 euros, a detail that was never mentioned to us beforehand. This lack of transparency completely soured an otherwise pleasant dining experience. A word of caution: when ordering wine here, ensure you confirm the price. In our case, the significant price disparity was only revealed after the fact, leaving us feeling misled. Clear communication is vital, and sadly, this experience left us questioning the service.

I would rate the food 2 stars. It’s acceptable, but I have to deduct one star due to the high price, which doesn’t match the quality or service. The BBQ pork ribs had a decent taste, but nothing special—comparable to pre-marinated ribs you can buy at a grocery store in Norway. For €20, you only get the ribs, and you have to order sides like potatoes or salads separately, or you’ll end up with just ribs on your plate, which felt disappointing. The mixed grill was quite bland and lacked flavor, with the lamb having an overpowering gamey taste. I really don’t understand how this restaurant has received such high reviews. In the end, it’s just a butcher shop.

Perfect service. We were in a hurry so just ordered burgers and they were fast, tasty and full of fries. Recommended

Set at the base of Mt Etna this butcher shop and restaurant is worth a trip up from the shore. Famed for their meats this town doesn’t fall short of the expectation with a mind blowing offering of local wines. The fresh grilled taste of all the dishes was delicious, amazing service, excellent standard of sanitization post covid. Need to go back for the burger. Could easily eat 1130AM yo close. Bought some pancetta and local olive oils to take home. Don’t miss this one.

Food excellent. Great choice of local dishes. Particularly good for carnivores!

Dai Pennisi was a recommendation from 2 different sources. We ordered 2 main courses (stuffed pork chop, curry beef), a salad, 2 mini canoli and a cheesecake al limone. The desert was absolutely amazing! The 4 stars come from the fact the meat was (main course) was a bit too cooked for my taste. If you look around, clearly the owner has great expectations, and there's still a way to go. All in all, a good choice in Linguaglossa.

The decor is beautiful with an ample selection of wines, regional cold meats and cheeses. Good quality food with the kitchen in full display. The mixed grill had excessive fat contents, combined with the assortment of cold meats and cheese (both shared) it felt too heavy and salty. Our vaccine certificates where scanned prior seating inside, but the table right next to us were first seated, asked if they had a certificate, but the certificate was never scanned.

So glad we made the journey to come here - great selection of meats and excellent quality. Cooked perfectly over coals. By far the best service we’ve experienced in Italy, with attentive and helpful staff. We were one meat-eater and one vegetarian and even the veggie option (rigatoni alla norma at the time) was excellent, along with a lovely Sicilian tomato salad and local cheese board. The bread was also the best we’ve had in Italy. Great house wine too.