23/10/2025: Review: Chalet Degli Ulivi (visit in August 2025)
Unfortunately, our visit was a disappointment – even though we were really looking forward to it after reading so many good reviews.
The service was completely overwhelmed: only one waiter was allowed to take orders, the others seemed to wander around aimlessly, only allowed to serve or clear away. The wait was correspondingly long – and even when our glasses were long empty, no one thought to ask if we wanted something else to drink.
Our child's meal arrived 20 minutes before the adults', and our plates arrived one by one with an even longer delay. Nothing is more uncomfortable than when one person at a table is already finished while another is just getting started.
The playground area was also a disappointment: there was a charge, although this wasn't clearly communicated anywhere – neither on the website nor on Facebook. We came specifically for that.
Food? Mediocre. The pasta and pizza were okay, the meat was actually good – but when the wrong side dishes arrive (four sad potato slices for €5 instead of fries!) and the "mixed salad" consists only of green salad, without the fennel or cucumbers as advertised, you eventually lose patience.
The ambiance is nice, yes. But a beautiful wooden house alone doesn't make a good restaurant. Anyone who relies on its view instead of organization, service, and honesty won't have satisfied customers in the long run.
By the way, we then had to wait another 30 minutes for the bill – a worthy end to a frustrating evening.
Conclusion:
Nice restaurant, unfortunately with a lot of show and little substance. Three stars – only because the meat was really good.
18/10/2025: Arrived at a nearby agriturismo/masseria whose restaurant was closed for the season. Googled and found Chalet Degli Ulivi. Great find.
Being Saturday night our last minute reservation using What's App got us outside but under cover. The restaurant provided a wrap for my wife. Nice touch.
We started with the caciocavallo al forno. Who doesn't love good melted chesse? And this was good.
I had the Bombette Pugliesi and these were great, the potatoes also delicious. My wife enjoyed the iberico pork which was devine! Amazingly tender texture and full of flavor.
All paired nicely with a wonderful, bold yet mature fruit balanced palate primitivo.
We finished with an amazing tiramisu. So many tiramisu are just so so, this one was both delicious and cleverly presented in a flower pot.
This was a wonderful meal.