On
our final night in Palermo, we ate at another Trip Advisor find: Il Mirto e La
Rosa (The Myrtle & the Rose) - a very typical Italian restaurant, not too
far from Politeama.
The
best way to describe the restaurant is olde-worlde, not in a derogatory sense,
just that the decor is quirky and the architecture and furnishings, quaint. The
archways between each dining area are adorned with frescos of myrtles and
roses, while old books and roses hang from the ceilings. The restaurant is
incredibly spacious and extends a long way back - keeping the staff incredibly
busy, which may explain the level of service we received... but more on that
later.
As
it was the final night, I decided to go all-out and have pasta - something I
would never order in a restaurant! The portion sizes are always far too large
for me and at home, I cannot eat white pasta. Il Mirto e La Rosa do a fantastic
job of catering to dietary needs though and there's a whole section of the menu
dedicated to those that can't eat gluten - with free versions of most (if not,
all) of their pasta dishes. The spaghetti with clams immediately caught my eye
and it definitely lived up to my expectations! There were plenty of clams,
cooked in a beautiful white wine, garlic and herb sauce - and although there
was far too much spaghetti for me (I usually only eat about 50g), it was cooked
perfectly. Ashley
chose the fillet of pork with apple sauce and that's exactly what arrived to
the table - no other accompaniments. When I've been to restaurants abroad, main
meat dishes have often come with some form of potatoes and a small side of
vegetables or salad - but this was literally just a plate of meat. I honestly
think I was as disappointed as he was - especially as there was no indication
on the menu and the waitress didn't ask if he wanted any sides or
accompaniments. The dish was presented well, but in essence, was only
half-done.
Like
the title suggests, it was a final night blow-out and we both decided to have dessert.
Unfortunately, this is where the service continues to deteriorate - after a
long wait, we had to ask to see the dessert menu as we weren't offered anything
else to eat or drink and the menu didn't automatically come to the table.
However, the list was extensive and each offering came with a recommended
after-dinner drink - which I thought was a great idea, even after a bottle of
wine.
I
had the pistachio parfait with calvados cream and crushed pistachios -
alongside a shot of calvados, which I simply could not shot in one go! The
parfait was creamy, not too rich and just the right consistency. The calvados
cream was subtle and I polished off the dish incredibly quickly! Ash chose the
orange & pistachio mousse with dark chocolate and shot of Cointreau - which
he managed to down in one! I'm not a fan of chocolate orange, or orange-based
desserts generally, but the mousse looked light and lovely.
Trying
to get the waitress' attention to get the bill was a bit of nightmare and we
needed to ask twice before actually receiving it. A shame, as everything but
the service was fine, in my opinion - and the cost of the meal was more than
reasonable. Would I recommend the restaurant? Possibly. Would I return? I doubt
it.
Love,
Lucy xx
It's amazing the difference service can make isn't it? Sorry to hear it was poor. Your pasta sounds amazing but how depressing does Ash's plate look? What a shame. Dessert sounds really good! X
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