My partner and I managed to get a table here on Friday night without a reservation - we were lucky as the restaurant filled very quickly after we arrived (around 8.30pm).
Being unfamiliar with the Sardinian/Italian way of dining, antipasti, primi, secondi etc we looked...over the menu and the waiter offered some help. I had an idea of what I would like, preferring vegetarian food I had my eye on the mushroom tagliatelle and was going to give the secondi piatti a miss.
We ordered the mixed starter to share and my other half went ahead and ordered the pasta in meat sauce, followed by a horse steak. At this point the waiter took our menus and left, presuming we were sharing everything, I’m not sure if this is our mistake in being unfamiliar with the etiquette here but very shortly after the starter arrived. This quickly put to bed any worries I had about the meat-heavy meal my partner had just ordered.
The mixed starter consisted of around 6 plates including cured meats, cheese, bread, aubergine, chick peas and butter beans. It was delicious and would’ve made a small meal by itself!
During our starter the sun began to set on the mountains that the restaurant over looked. The view was nothing short of spectacular, people had gathered along the wall to witness this beautiful sunset. It really was amazing, the mountains looked they were glowing, on fire. Stunning.
Next arrived the primi piatti, the pasta course, it was easy enough for me to filter through the meaty parts that I didn’t want and enjoy the pasta and sauce, it was a generous portion and was becoming apparent now why the waiter assumed all the food was to share.
The secondi piatti was then served. My partner had opted for a horse meat steak. Something neither of us had tried before, not something I would order an entire dish of but was interested to try. He ordered the steak cooked medium rare, when it arrived it was extremely rare, too much for my liking meat not being my favourite food. Maybe this again is a cultural difference, but my other half very much enjoyed his steak and I did try a small piece. I was surprised to find it was not too dissimilar to beef steak but maybe a little bit more tender.
We didn’t attempt a dessert after this but instead requested the bill and left. We were happy with our meal, despite my initial disappointment with the order - something we will be aware of in future! Service was good and the staff were friendly.
My only suggestion would be some seat cushions as the hard seats can become uncomfortable after sitting for a while.
Would certainly recommend a visit here if in Cagliari, but it may be worth making a reservation early to be on the safe side as there aren’t many decent restaurants that you can eat at without one.More