L'Osteria — Restaurant in Ulm

Having frequented several L’Osteria locations across Germany, I’ve come to rely on the restaurant chain as a dependable choice for both quality food and service. My previous experiences in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Limburg, Nürnberg, and Munich have consistently met high standards, both in cuisine and in a welcoming atmosphere. Unfortunately, this visit to the Ulm location fell far short of that benchmark.

The experience took a surprising turn as soon as I arrived. I was met by two chefs smoking directly outside the main entrance—a rather unprofessional sight for a restaurant of this caliber. As I walked past, one chef flicked a cigarette butt toward my feet, an action that not only came off as careless but also set a poor initial impression. Nonetheless, I chose to continue inside, expecting that the dining experience might make up for this lackluster welcome.

Upon entering, I found myself waiting at the door, anticipating being seated as is customary in every other L’Osteria I’ve visited. Yet instead of the warm reception I expected, I was greeted with a brusque remark, asking why I was "standing around" and what I wanted, all in a notably unfriendly tone. This sort of reception felt completely out of character for the brand, especially compared to the welcoming service I’ve experienced elsewhere.

At that point, given the overall lack of professionalism and courtesy, I chose to leave and dine elsewhere. I’m genuinely disappointed to see this level of service at L’Osteria Ulm, especially when it contrasts so sharply with the high standards upheld in other locations. I hope that these issues will be addressed so that the Ulm restaurant can offer the same quality and experience that L’Osteria patrons have come to expect...

We went to that place due to a recommendation. Arriving there the place was almost EMPTY, all the tables outside that were empty were dirty, we chose the one that was less dirty and sat down. After about 20 minutes waiting when a waitress arrived, she informed that the table was for 4 people and that we should choose for two, I informed her that the tables were dirty and she took pains to clean one for us to sit down and she called our attention from another attendant in front of us.

After another 20 minutes or so the menu arrived and we chose what we wanted. One more time for someone to arrive and take the order, it started to wind up and we asked for our table to be changed to one inside. Then the waiter asked for our certificate of vaccination and our PASSPORT. I informed him that this in Germany is not allowed and that a passport is for the police and that it made no sense for me to have a passport in a restaurant, and he said that it was LIKE THIS.

He went inside to ask the manager (the restaurant is glass, so you can see inside) he went in got a tray, set another table and came back to our table and said he just needed a card, or another document that had our names. I quickly showed my health insurance card and my husband my driver's license in Brazil (even though this is against the law in Germany).

Returning to the food that we expected to be good, due to the indication we received. We ordered a lasagna and a bolognese ragout. The lasagna was good, but the portion was very small. Not worth the cost benefit. The bolognese was cold and almost parmesan, I wouldn't say it was a good experience and because of that there are no photos.

That's bad when the place was EMPTY, try to imagine...

My wife and I visited the restaurant in the evening when it was somewhat crowded. Unfortunately, our experience was impacted by the behavior of one of the staff members. Upon arrival, there was no one at the entrance to guide us, so we stepped in slightly to look for a table. At that moment, a waiter addressed us in a noticeably rude and unfriendly tone, saying, "You are supposed to wait there." His approach was abrupt and carried an unnecessary attitude, which made us feel quite unwelcome.

I have dined at many establishments and rarely encountered such behavior. While we understand that restaurants can be busy, professional courtesy should never be compromised. Guests should be treated with respect regardless of the circumstances. Thankfully, another waitress later assisted us and was polite and welcoming, which helped ease the situation.

The food, particularly the pizza, was excellent and worth mentioning. However, the initial interaction left a lasting impression. My wife even addressed the issue with the staff member before we left, expressing that such behavior was inappropriate.

We truly appreciated the quality of the food, but due to the service experience, we are uncertain if we would return. We hope the management takes note of this feedback to ensure all guests are treated with the professionalism and respect...