My wife and I were excited to try out Totti during our visit to Melbourne from Canada, as we had heard positive reviews from friends and online. However, our recent lunch experience at the Lorne location left much to be desired.

Let me start with the positives – the food was decent overall. We had a set meal that included pasta (choice of 2), chicken, fish, potatoes, salad, and dessert. The pasta and potatoes were delicious, but unfortunately, the fish was bland, and the dessert was underwhelming. Any satisfaction from the food was overshadowed by the disappointing service, which ultimately impacted the entire experience. I will try to briefly summarize below:

1. Upon arriving on time for our reservation, we were not immediately seated as one of the tables were not ready. It was nice that a staff member asked for our drink orders while we waited. We ordered a bottle of wine, but were provided with water glasses instead of wine glasses, and we never received our bottle of wine until after we got seated.

2. It was weird to be restricted to a set menu ($85 or $105 menu), especially for a group size like ours. The staff's explanation of how the portions of pasta, fish, and chicken would be divided among our two tables was unclear and inefficient. For example, one table would receive two plates of pasta to share while the other table received only one plate. Splitting the items into four plates for each table would have made more sense.

3. Food came out really slow. We had placed our order around 3pm but didn't finish until around 6pm. I'm not sure if this was intended or not, but for all other customers to be aware of.

4. A couple of people in our group had dietary restrictions, including my wife who was pregnant. After relaying the restrictions to the staff member, he made remarks that were off-putting.

5. While I understand a 10% gratuity for parties of 8 or more, the level of service we experienced did not justify the additional gratuity. Basic serving etiquette like using the correct drinking glasses, understanding the menu, pouring the wine for customers and not reaching over a person's shoulder while pouring water would go a long way.

For larger groups, I recommend being aware of the gratuity structure in advance, especially if dining on a public holiday or Sunday as it automatically adds to the 10% surcharge included.

I am usually willing to give second chances, but until Totti improves its service, especially for larger groups, I find it challenging to recommend this restaurant to others.