La Ruga del Corso — Restaurant in Arona

Very disappointing experience at Ruga del Corso in Arona – definitely not recommended, especially for families.

We came here with our family to celebrate our son’s birthday, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a big disappointment.

Upon arrival, we mentioned we were with a baby and would appreciate getting our food quickly – but this was completely ignored. A table occupied by staff members’ family was served first, even though they arrived after us. Meanwhile, we waited nearly an hour for our food.

We also asked if they could do something special for our son’s birthday, but nothing was done. The atmosphere was far from relaxed – despite there being only five occupied tables. The staff acted overwhelmed, but in reality, it felt more like disinterest and poor organization.

Service was chaotic and unhelpful. Only one young waitress – on her first day of work – actually tried to help us. The rest of the staff barely spoke English and showed no interest in providing any kind of service. When we ordered a mocktail, we were told it wasn’t possible, only to find out minutes later from another staff member that it actually was. One of the dishes we ordered never arrived, and we weren’t told why.

The food was also very disappointing. It sounded promising on the menu, but everything was way too salty – and we normally enjoy salty food. We ordered sushi because our son (who just turned 8) wanted it, and this seemed to be the only place in the area offering it. But the sushi was very poorly made: flimsy hand rolls, nigiri topped with overly sour guacamole, and strange flavor combinations. Honestly, a child could have done a better job.

When we asked for the bill, it took another 20 minutes. We ended up walking to the register ourselves. We mentioned that a drink and a dish never came and that the service had been very poor. The staff member just stared at us and said, “OK.” No apology, no concern – zero customer service.

The price–quality ratio is completely off. We paid €126 for: • one bottle of water • 2 mocktails • 1 vodka soda • 1 plate of pasta • 1 stuffed calamari dish • 2 salmon nigiri • 2 hand rolls (salmon and avocado) • 1 kids meal fish & chips (small portion)

The day before, we ate at an Italian restaurant in Stresa called Mama Mia, for €135, and we didn’t even look at the bill – we gladly left a tip, because it was worth every cent. This place was the complete opposite.

In short: overpriced, not family-friendly, bad food, arrogant and unhelpful staff. We will not...

A Total Disaster – Avoid at All Costs

Frankly, I have no idea how this place has managed to earn any form of praise, let alone display stickers of supposed excellence on its door — perhaps handed out to relatives? Because unless you're part of the owner's inner circle, you can forget about receiving even the most basic level of decency.

The so-called “hospitality” is nothing short of uncivilised — arrogant, cold, and completely devoid of any professional communication. They clearly don’t care about the guests; they just want your money. Half our order was conveniently “missed” — a pathetic tactic, it seems, to rush us out the door. Not family-friendly in the slightest. Actually, downright hostile if you dare arrive with children.

As for the food? An absolute joke. Over-salted, poorly presented, kids' meals had the unmistakable taste of something forgotten in the back of an oven. The fish? Frozen. The fries? Looked and tasted like they’d been scraped out of the bin.

This wasn’t just a bad meal — it was a full-blown ordeal. An insulting waste of time and money. I wouldn’t recommend this place to a single living being. Save yourself the...

In una vietta più nascosta rispetto a quella principale del centro di Arona, abbiamo provato per la prima volta questo ristorantino. Ad accogliere gli ospiti, un ambiente dai tratti antichi ma ben ristrutturato, arricchito da rami illuminati da lucine. Il menù offre proposte sia di terra che di mare, oltre ad un menu a parte dedicato al sushi (personalmente l’ho trovato un po’ di “stono”.. ma può essere un’alternativa). I piatti hanno tutti una connotazione non banale, curata (anche nella presentazione) e con ingredienti di qualità. A pranzo vi è anche la possibilità di un menu con scelta di due o tre piatti a prezzo più contenuto sicuramente rispetto a quelli della carta (medio-alti) inclusivo anche di acqua è coperto (forse la porzione è più contenuta e la scelta inferiore rispetto alla carta completa). Ottima la carta dei vini con una selezione di oltre 300 etichette e altrettanto la preparazione del proprietario che ci ha consigliato due ottimi vini. In definitiva, ambiente piacevole e abbastanza romantico, consigliato per una cena di coppia, lontano dai più battuti locali di Arona. Prezzo circa 60-70€ a coppia con una portata principale a testa, acqua, due calici, un dolce...