23/11/2025: Frantoio Ducale is a place that immediately strikes you with its beauty: a carefully restored ancient oil mill, rich in charm and atmosphere. It's a shame that the new buildings surrounding it, by incorporating it, make it less poetic than it deserves: the true enchantment is discovered only upon entering.
Inside, there are three large rooms. We had lunch in the largest: less historic than the others, but still very pleasant. When we arrived, the music was a bit too loud, but the waitress turned it down immediately. The room is very high and poorly soundproofed, and we feared it might get noisy, but fortunately, that wasn't the case.
👩🍳 Service: kindness, yes, but less so coordination
Two waitresses attended to our table. They were kind and helpful, but rather chaotic: the explanations weren't always clear and often seemed uncoordinated.
For example: the wine arrived only after the appetizer, and one of the waitresses didn't know which bottle had been ordered.
🍽️ Appetizer
The confusion began as soon as we ordered: the explanations weren't very clear, and we ended up with three portions of the "A Bit of Everything" appetizer without anyone really understanding what it included, because—we were told—certain things could be included, but "that's what the kitchen decides at the time."
Despite this, the appetizer was very good, even though some items were cold. Next time, I'd choose an appetizer from the menu for greater clarity.
🥩 Second courses and course coordination
I skipped the first course and ordered the slow-cooked grey pig directly: excellent, tender, and flavorful meat. My only complaint: the broccoli under the meat was cold, while two other dishes in the same order were hot.
The real difficulty, however, was the lack of synchronization between the courses:
– 5 starters and 3 main courses arrived at our table, which should have been served together.
– The children (rightly) ate first.
– But our dishes arrived staggered.
– Some of us were almost finished, while others were still waiting. The same thing happened with the desserts.
For a family lunch, it wasn't a big problem, but it's an area that could be improved.
🍰 Desserts
I had the GIRamisù, which I personally didn't appreciate: not enough coffee and an untraditional flavor. But this remains a subjective preference.
🌿 Final impression
Despite the imperfections, we would return.
The place is beautiful, spacious, and romantic. We felt comfortable even with three children, which isn't a given.
What I would improve:
– Greater coordination between the dining room and kitchen
– More synchronized delivery of dishes
– Clearer explanations of what you're ordering
– Attention to the temperature of side dishes
The potential is there: a little more organization is all it takes to make a place that truly deserves to shine.
28/09/2025: Being a restaurant within the village, it stands out from the many agritourism establishments in the area (for example, there's no "appetizer train").
The food is good (I was particularly impressed by the meatless ragu), and the service is excellent.
It's a well-renovated building, so there are even uneven floors; women are advised to wear comfortable shoes.
The parking lot is small compared to the number of seats; it's best to arrive early to secure a spot.
Various rooms, ceremonies, and intimate parties are also available.
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