A very good experience for the scene food of the city with some need of polishing

La Degosteria is a restaurant in the heart of the old town of Ancona, very close to the port and night life. Considering the average offer of the food scene in the city, the restaurant stands out as a very good option with a great attention to customer experience, but some details still to be refined to make it really good.

The place: the restaurant is nicely designed interiorly with a general feeling of contemporary taste and a good enjoyable lightning. It seems to me odd that the same cannot be said about the terrace. It feels like there are two different classes of setting between the interior dining room and the terrace, a bit like on an airplane. While in first/business (interior) your get fabric runners and napkins as well as a good lightning and comfortable chairs, in economy (terrace) you get paper napkins and table cloth, cheap silverware and really unpleasant lightning. In general the terrace is not a place where you feel like hanging out and relax. It is odd to me and I didn’t encounter often this difference of setting. Tables are spaced well and ensure privacy.

The service: the service was great. Staff is very present and attentive, professional but at the same time friendly and chatty at the right moment. You really feel welcomed and taken care of. They know their menu and are really good at suggesting the right plate based on your inputs. I ordered only a glass of red wine giving some specific and I was given 2 options to taste and try. Fantastic approach to client service. Overall really great service.

The food: food was good, with some plates better then others. The “Carbonara di terra” with truffles was really fantastic with in addition that touch of creativity and playfulness that makes it special. The “tagliata di manzo” with “fonduta di parmigiana e guanciale croccante” (entrecôte steak with parmesan sauce and crispy pork cheek) was overall good, but not the best quality. While the meat was fair, the fat that should give it the kick didn’t taste good and I had to put it on the side (a pity). In addition plating was not really a success (didn’t look that appealing). The home made chips as side dish were good. The dessert was also really good (a chocolate lava cake with pistachio core and pistachio semifreddo) and worth mentioning.

The price: dinner costed around 50 euro. A fair price for what we got even if you feel a bit “cheated” to be served in the “economy class” part of the restaurant for the same price.

Overall the restaurant is a very good option in Ancona. I suggest to eat inside where the environment is nicer and more refined and you’ll get a better experience. Service couldn’t be better for the category of restaurant. Food is good, but just need some more thinking to step up to the next level and be great (both in terms of creativity and presentation). Mention for the pasta dish that was fantastic.