Il Gabbiano - LIPARI

We stopped here for a couple o aperitifs, gin tonic and aperol spritz. Quite ok and served with some good snacks like mini pizzas, bruschettas, etc. Nice view over the port. Our big mistake was to stay for dinner. I had fried seafood mix, french fried potatoes and grilled vegetables. Totally tasteless. The grilled vegetables were cold. The seafood consisted of super mini small shrimps which had to be eaten with their shell. Calamares were the less bad. Some fried small fish that were difficult to get some meat out of whithout getting lots of bones. The french fries far below Mc Donalds standard. The white house wine had no taste at all. My wifes fish was ok but the tiniest little portion, to be finished in two chews. Biggest restaurant dissapointment since 40 years.

Horrible experience, had a salad which was not fresh at all, found a hair in the salad but not being that enough, found also another hair in my drink, so disgusting. When we told the waiter, nothing happened, not even an apology. Worst decision to go to that place. Don’t go better to have something nice in a place with no view but clean.

There are several restaurants at Marina Corta. After I got to know the 'La Vela ' I went to try the 'Gabbiano ', just next door, which I liked equally and I also went there twice. Standard, quality and service are quite similiar and in both cases very good. On the first evening I tried their 'Risotto Marinara ', which was part of the special menu card 'Piatti del Giorno ' (with no prices). The portion was quite small, maybe meant as a 'Primo Piatto '. It had risotto on a tomato sauce with mussels, small calamari rings and pieces of octopus, but no shrimps. Quite good. The next time I went for 'Totani ripieni ' (stuffed squid) and as a dessert a 'Cassata Siciliana ', which I liked more than the one at the famous local 'Pasticceria Subba '. On top of that (and an Espresso and a Grappa Invecchiata) the restaurant offered a small and excellent 'Granita di Pistaccio ' to taste. Service was always very friendly and professional. Also an elderly man, who seemed to be the owner, used to pass by once in a while for a small talk. What I liked less was the fact that the bill came as a total, without giving any details, especially when there were no prices on the daily menu card. It was no problem though, when I asked for a new and detailed bill, as is the norm here at most other places.

Visiting Sicily for a round trip with extra time to spend as you like, I decided to take a one day guided tour to Lipari and Vulcano. You are picked up at a specified bus stop and onboard there is a guide telling about sites as you go. This trip to Lipari and Vulcano included passenger ferries. The ferry to Lipari takes you past a couple of sites that can be seen only from the seaside. Take a stroll in the main town on Lipari and find a small place and have something to eat. You have a couple of hours before the tour continues to Vulcano

We each had salads (enormous portions), which were fine. But the standout was the pizza with pistachio and ricotta. I was skeptical of how pistachio would taste on a pizza, but it was delicious. I now have a new favorite pizza topping! Great spot to people watch and take in the free concerts events that seemed to be happening all week.