Housed in
a fine Baroque palazzo and with tables laid out on the flagstones opposite the steps leading up to the elegant Chiesa di San Franceso, Al Buco is in
an enviable setting. Although the host is helpful and the service is
well-drilled, your order can take a while as tourists quickly fill up the 20 or so tables, covered with crisp white tablecloths. If you have kids, aim to get there by 8pm. Be sure to order one
of the decent pasta dishes priced at about eight euros. The thin tubular pasta in a thick pesto sauce has a really rich, satisfying flavour, but the portion is on the small side. The penne pasta with prawns is also excellent. The mixed meat grill
(10 euros) contains decent veal steak, a respectable pork chop and fennel
sausage, while the mixed fish grill (15 euros) includes three precisely-cooked
king prawns, some slightly bland swordfish and juicy squid. If the baked lamb
is off, the rabbit casserole (10 euros) is a pretty tasty substitute. The cover
charge of two euros a head includes plenty of bread, so you won't need a plate of
what can be slightly soggy potatoes (three euros). A half-litre carafe of
reasonable house white wine costs just four euros. The rare combination of a superb
setting and good cooking makes Al Buco a great trattoria to soak up Sicilian
history, while sampling the island's cuisine. 8/10
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A long-standing restaurant, Al Buco serves a good selection of dishes from a grand palazzo
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