Sorso Bistrot & Jazz Restaurant — Restaurant in Como

We decided to try this restaurant as it looked nice in the square, but unfortunately the experience was extremely disappointing.

On arrival, we were told to wait by a dirty table. Although the manager removed the plates, it was never wiped down before we were seated. We then waited 20 minutes without anyone approaching us, and only after trying to get the waiter’s attention did the manager come over to take our order without eye contact, a smile, or any courtesy, and even chatting with another server halfway through.

The service continued to be unfriendly. When we asked for a place setting for our toddler (who had his own main course), the waitress ignored us, looked visibly annoyed, and walked away without responding. Ten minutes later, someone else eventually brought cutlery, but no placemat which I had to fetch myself. When I politely raised this with the manager, his only response was “WHAT?!” and he excused the waitress’s behavior by saying she didn’t really understand English. I pointed out that this was not a valid excuse, especially as I had already heard her speaking to other tables in English, and she clearly understood me since she got someone else to bring the setting. Even if language was a barrier, a simple smile or polite acknowledgement would have gone a long way. To make things worse, the manager himself had a rude, dismissive expression the whole time, which only added to the unwelcoming atmosphere.

By this point, the atmosphere was ruined before the food even arrived. The only positive was that the food itself, the risotto and pizzas, were good. Unfortunately, no one checked on us during the meal, and it took three requests before we even received the bill. To make matters worse, we noticed several other tables leaving due to the poor service, which says a lot.

For a restaurant that is quite pricey, the lack of professionalism, courtesy, and basic service was shocking. Sadly, despite the good food, we would not return and cannot...

We had an incredible meal here last week - the food, staff and service were all exceptional. They could not do enough for us - we had just wandered in off the street so there was a 5-10 minute wait for a table which was not a problem as we hadn't booked but even so, they completely unexpectedly offered us a free glass of prosecco and snacks at a table outside to pass the time and we were also given a yummy amuse bouche while we waited for our food after ordering. The waitress was so sweet and lovely - she took great care of us throughout the meal and is a real credit to the place. The three of us who dined have quite different tastes but we all agreed the food was excellent and creative, as well as beautifully presented. I was particularly impressed to see vegan options on the menu as that seemed rare in Como - I had the avocado tartare and it was delicious (my parents had the beef version and gave it rave reviews). I only looked this place up after visiting as I wanted to recommend it to friends and was really surprised by some of the older reviews. Don't let them put you off because in my experience, this is now a fantastic place with wonderful staff and if it hadn't been our last night in Como, I would have gone back again on...

Asking all the italians in the area for recommendations, this place kept coming up! They were not wrong. The owner works his butt off, is amazing friendly and helpful, and understands the true meaning of hospitality. He endeavours to make you feel so welcome and really get you what you want. We kept coming back over and over. The apero is served all night, is really good and served all evening; not scraps and mixtures of unrecognizable things, but rather pizza, parmesan, olives, grapes, breadsticks, veggies, salami etc. It changes each day, but always plentiful and generous. The wines are phenomenal and he will not hesitate to pull things out. It's a popular place for aperol, but go for the wine. The food is great! We had pizza, tartare and cacio e pepe. Very high end ingredients and a very light, refined touched. The jazz music is on point, even when there is no live jazz. The exterior is amazingly charming, with old tables and desks, a gramaphone, high tables, low tables and lounge chairs. I highly recommend it. Be nice, don't make yourself a nuisance, try some good wine and you will get great service and have the time...