Reviews - Arborvitae
Reviews summary
Reviews from various users
Last update : 10.04.2026
Superb setting, refined dishes, professional service
Beautiful location right in the center, excellently managed by Valentina. Excellent cuisine, friendly and impeccable service! We'll definitely be back, highly recommended!
A flawless evening from start to finish. A warm welcome, a refined yet relaxed atmosphere, and impeccable service. The raw seafood is incredibly fresh and beautifully presented; among the cooked dishes, the tagliolini with basil, cooked and raw tuna, and the orecchiette with burnt wheat stand out. The wine list is well-rounded, with whites and sparkling wines that enhance the dishes without overpowering them, and the staff's recommendations are always spot-on. Portions are adequate, and the price is in line with the quality. Attention to detail is evident in every gesture: here, the seafood is expressed on the plate with elegance and substance. Highly recommended; reservations are recommended.
Delicious food, friendly staff and beautiful out door atmosphere. With uncomfortable chairs
This restaurant is just perfect: the setting is super pleasant, the service attentive and very professional and the food delicious. We opted for a curiosity in this restaurant: spaghetti with sea urchins: I know very well the taste of sea urchins that I ate raw, a flesh a little sweet and not very iodized. The pasta had a strong iodized taste, it was as if it had been cooked with oysters (we know that there is no oyster farming in Italy! . An original taste that changes from traditional dishes and we take that!! It was perfect.
Last update : 07.01.2024
Wonderful spot in the historic district. Beautiful patio garden with good coverage from Apulian summer sun. Daily specials are made from the fresh catch of the day. Our jovial and passionate waiter Marco recommended our full meal and he did not disappoint. Lovely place for lunch, I’m sure a phenomenal place for dinner. Intimate location, knowledgeable staff and wonderful food.
We went there for lunch after we were unable to get a table the previous night due to the restaurant being fully booked. It was worth the wait. The mackerel starter was excellent, as were the pasta dishes (paccheri with monkfish and tagliolini with seabass). The staff were friendly, the garden setting relaxing.
Recommendation by our B&B. Beautiful food, romantic and discreet location, excellent and friendly service. Special thanks to Mattia for making us feel so welcome and for speaking in excellent English. Ate the seabass which bruschetta which was so delicious! Mattia deboned and served at our table Pasta primo dishes also delicious One of our favourite meals in Otranto Thank you ArborVitae!
The food is good, but be aware when they show you their special fish of the day. My husband ordered the fish that was shown at our table. It was huge! The head waiter whose loud presence domineered the whole evening) explained that the cook would only use part of the fish, so my husband ordered it thinking that it would be a one person portion. No such thing, it was way too big for one person. When the bill came it turned out that that particular fish was €63. That price is totally out of line compared to the other restaurants in Otranto including the fancy ones. Needless to say we left the place disgusted, a bad experience in an otherwise very nice town with friendly people.
I ate here with my wife, and none of the six dishes we ate were tasty. They all looked beautiful, but lacked flavour. The fava e cicoria was almost tasteless and rather small for what should be a hearty dish. The polpo was also on the small side, and rather rubbery, and the tart was flacid and insipid. The location is beautiful and the service was friendly, if a little overbearing. The food here was quite expensive and nothing like as good as the many wonderful cheaper places we have enjoyed in Puglia.
Last update : 16.02.2023
A lovely place to go set in a back street with a very comfortable feeling. Staff were mostly friendly but the food was average and the service between starter and main was long around 1 hour. We would try again and see if they could get things correct.
Correct dish quality, but realy expensive for this quality
This restaurant has a wonderful outdoor environment. the service is delightful, helpful, but not intrusive. that was delicious. fresh fish, green and dessert. beautiful.
M8 sono sentito a casa
This restaurant was very good , the quality of the food was great . If I can make a remark is on the service it was a little bit to quickly . But you can go there definitively !
