Kisté - easy gourmet

We dined as a couple at Kisté, housed in the historic Casa Cipolla with a stunning terrace that promises a memorable evening. The setting is undeniably charming. The food, to be clear, was well done: enjoyable, technically solid, without glaring faults. But this alone was not enough to redeem the evening. Regrettably, the service left a lasting negative impression. The server delivering the dishes recited descriptions by rote, without enthusiasm or pause. We felt rushed: before we even finished our aperitifs, they brought wine and the first course. As I was still eating bread, it was quietly removed and the next dish was served. When I asked for a 10- to 15-minute break before dessert, they timed it exactly to the 10th minute and immediately served, the precision underscored a rigid script, not guest care. We have seldom felt so overseen rather than hosted. Despite a beautiful location and promising cuisine, this dinner failed to deliver a pleasurable experience. I cannot recommend Kisté based on this visit.

Have to say a lot of thanks for this place, after 1 week on the sisilia there was only 2 restaurants where was good food, one is less then 50m, but no one was excellent. We took tasting menu, from see to the land and it was terrific. I gave free hands for sommelier to deside vines and there was no even a time what was wrong, sizes of dishes, tastes, combinations and serving. For me it is really under big question mark, why some restaurants in Naxos and Catania has Michelin star, even these can't pretend on even mensions in guid, and this one has only mension. Hope you guys get a star very soon and not only one.

The food was too beautiful to eat, and as delicious! Within walking distance from The Four Seasons, the tasting menu was wonderful!

FANTASTIC! Just go, order anything it will all be great! Must order the fresh fish and the “red dress” to start with paired with some sparkling wine. The service is flawless. All of this comes with a price which is totally worth it.

EDIT: The restaurant owner decided to reply in a hostile and condescending manner to what intended to be a fair review. Just to be clear: our problem with the rations was not the “size” in itself, but the value for money. The problem was not that the dishes were expensive and small (contemporary restaurants have dishes that are like that but are great); the problem is that, on top of expensive and small, they were also dull. I tried to put it gently in my original review, but seen the condescending tone of the reply I decided to put it in more clear terms. I find it extremely audacious to say that “we should go for a more familiar place”, as we have indeed visited them through the trip, but also different categories of restaurants —bib gourmands, starred and other Michelin restaurants—. Believe me, it is not a matter of range (all categories of restaurant, from familiar to high cuisine, can be fabulous). But it is preposterous to charge Michelin-star-prices for a plate that, simply, does not live to that standard. Lastly, the quality of the service is self-portrayed in their reply to the review. Not great. I hope that next time you can handle criticism in a less condescending way. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I am sorry to give it 3/5. The atmosphere was perfect—a lovely medieval patio isolated from the noise of the center—but I am afraid a 3/5 is the best I can do. The pasta was delicious, but the other plates were unimpressive. The rations were small, not particularly original or tasty, and the service was relative slow. In short, I really wanted this place to work, but I left back to my hotel absolutely disappointed.

I visited Kiste with my girlfriend on our vacation to Sicily. I want to give this place a 5-star review. The service was good and friendly, and the location was nice (minus the sound from the ventilation system). However, given the price point, I think some of our courses were too bland; I expected more for my money. My primi piatti was really good, a seafood pasta, with nothing to complain about. My girlfriend's primi was tortellini filled with duck and goat cheese, but you really had to try hard to taste these ingredients. My secondi was duck, and while there was nothing to complain about, it was maybe a little bland. My girlfriend had lamb racks, which cost 40 EUR, but the portion size was more like a primi. The desserts were good, but I would have preferred a traditional tiramisu. However, I can understand that they wanted to try something different. Overall, we had a good experience, although it was a bit pricey for what you got.

Very good restaurant, but for me it was a little bit overpriced. While the service was friendly, there were multiple occasions where my celiac wife was served a different dish than me (this part is normal), but the different dish was still not gluten free. Their gluten free options were, however, quite good when she did get them eventually. The wine pairing had some tasty wines, but we were never really told much about them. The outdoor patio was nice, but also full of bugs. If I went back, I would probably not do the tastings.

We made a dinner reservation by email and chose the four-course menu with dessert, the complimentary bread and olive oil was delicious. The starter of raw fish was fresh, the pan-fried fish was just the right amount of heat and the accompanying sauce was great with layers of accompaniment. The main course was also delicious. the dessert came with four different kinds, each one very special and a blend of local Sicilian sweets with a modern twist. Overall an excellent standard The wine list is extensive and the sommelier can give many suggestions