Joia

Visiting Joia brought us Joy not once but several times. Food was exquisite, personnel friendly even in the busies moments, and of course the atmosphere with the beautiful decor and the Italian music playlist was really heartwarming. Photos speak for themselves. Totally recommend it.

We had a very enjoyable experience at this seafood restaurant in Trieste. We chose the five-course tasting menu, accompanied by a bottle of wine. Overall, the food was tasty and well presented. The chef clearly tries to bring creativity into the dishes, moving away from standard or predictable seafood recipes, but sometimes simplicity wins. A special mention goes to Salvatore Esposito, the manager and waiter, who welcomed us very warmly and made us feel at home from the very beginning. His hospitality alone is worth the visit even if his journey to the UK should perhaps not be for learning English!

We were a group of 4 people and we went there for lunch! The ambience had its charm, nothing too extraordinary. The waiters were classy and professional, adding a touch of sophistication. The food was Amazing! Two courses each, and every dish was pure delight. At around 150€ for the lot, the flavors made it worth every penny. If top-notch seafood is your jam, this place delivers.

The ambience at the restaurant was really nice. We had a reservation at the restaurant but due to unforeseen circumstances our table wasn’t available until 30 minutes later. But their staff member Martha provided us exceptional customer service and looked after us while we waited for our table to be ready. The ravioli is a must try!

Leaving not so lovely comments is not my favorite thing to do. However, I also would like to share my experience so that the restaurant may take some of the feedback. I have to say that the atmosphere and the set up of the table are very inviting and lovely. The service is nice and friendly. However, they forgot to bring the water when we asked for another bottle so I deduct one star ⭐️. The food looks incredible. The presentation of each dish is very nice. But I don’t think the taste of each dish is my style 😭

We were recommended this place by our food tour guide, and unfortunately it fell way below our expectations. Horrible service. The food was average and absolutely not worth the price. My squid with potatoes and peas came in a tasteless brown sauce- the squid was completely unseasoned and had a rubber texture. The service was absolutely disgraceful- it took nearly one hour before our table received their drinks and the young man who was serving us at the beginning simply did not come back for 20-30 minutes and when he did, he forgot our order or ignored us until we called him out. We only received bread after about an hour and we noticed our server leaving the restaurant quickly without even telling us there was a new server coming. What a joke! At least the lady after him was much friendlier, however she also often forgot what we asked for. Crazy because the restaurant was not even busy when we arrived, and we made a reservation. Seems they are clearly understaffed. The only saving grace was the pasta- but when you come to a high-end seafood restaurant expecting quality fish, it’s a terrible feeling that your main dish is completely subpar. To top it off, the silverware was dirty and there were flies in my drink when they served it. We will not be going back.

We spent our first night in Trieste in this beautiful restaurant. What a great place! It's well worth having dinner here. If you are into seafood, this is a must. Excellent selection of wines that compliment the food. Service was friendly and prompt, and the atmosphere was a delightful. Definitely one of the best restaurants in Trieste.

Welcoming and attentive service, but everything else was just tragic. We came here thinking that a place with such an innovative menu must be either incredibly good or incredibly bad, and decided to start with some appetizers to test the waters. Had the appetizers been at least passable, we would have stayed, but the breaded sardine dish was literally inedible (stale, dry and simply gross), and the tuna tartare on the relatively decent croquettes was yearning for the sweet release of death. I feel bad for the staff and hope they find new jobs quickly when this place inevitably collapses under the weight of its own hubris.

Excellent pasta and seafood. The tartare with shrimp and oyster is excellent. Sardine fried is a great value. The pasta with shrimp is more than we could finish. The ravioli is probably a better portion of pasta dish given how huge the linguine dish is. The octopus is very good. Smoky. All in all, family style is the way to go. We have a lot of left overs. English menu is limited. Lots of local people.

We loved this restaurant. The staff were very attentive. One member of our group had a serious seafood allergy but the rest of the group wanted to enjoy the beautiful fish of Trieste. They prepared separate dishes and there was no reaction. Everyone loved their dishes. Thank you for a great experience!