Ristorante Montesole di Mark Saredi & C. Sas — Restaurant in Comunità Montana Valli del Verbano

Last night we went to this restaurant, where we had booked several days in advance to celebrate our anniversary. My boyfriend and I had specifically requested a lake-view table for 8:30 p.m. When booking, we were told not to come at 8:30 but at 9:00 instead, in order to have the table we wanted. We arrived on time at 9:00.

The lake-view table was indeed available, but it was not given to us: apparently, we were not considered “suitable” enough to sit there. The table remained empty for about twenty minutes, until it was finally taken by a couple who apparently better matched the restaurant’s “standards.”

We started with a seafood crudo appetizer, which was served warm, with shellfish still uncleaned and a red Mazara prawn that not only had the vein intact but also still had part of the shell attached. Despite the poor freshness and wrong temperature, we decided not to complain and moved on to the first course: a squid ink risotto with burrata and tuna tartare.

Unfortunately, the dish was disappointing: the burrata was sour, the tuna tartare was whitish and so finely minced it looked like baby food, and the risotto itself was tasteless, dominated only by butter and parmesan. The so-called squid ink seemed nothing more than food coloring. We pointed out to the waiter that we didn’t enjoy the dish, asking to send it back untouched and to see the menu again.

And here came the most unpleasant part of the evening: the owner, with a rude and arrogant attitude, came over demanding an explanation, aggressively insisting that “risotto is always finished with butter and parmesan.” Of course, but that doesn’t mean a seafood risotto should taste only of that. Instead of listening, he reacted with arrogance, showing a complete lack of respect towards his customers.

In the end, we asked for the bill, but the owner literally threw us out without even letting us pay, making it clear he didn’t “need our money.” A truly unpleasant scene, especially given the context.

I must highlight that the waiter was impeccable: polite, attentive, and very professional. I genuinely feel sorry for him, having to work under such a presumptuous and overbearing owner.

Sadly, reviews on Google are very high, but if you check TripAdvisor you’ll see that many Italian guests have had similar bad experiences. I had been here two years ago and enjoyed it very much, but this time it was a disaster. I don’t know if they have cut corners on fish quality or if they simply can’t handle a busy Saturday night, but the standard has definitely dropped...

I booked this restaurant days in advance, specifically requesting a table by the window, but when we arrived our request was completely ignored without any explanation or apology. We ordered the raw seafood appetizer and squid ink risotto. The raw fish platter was served at room temperature, which raised food safety concerns as raw fish should be kept properly chilled and served cold. The squid ink risotto was disappointing. Despite the name, it tasted exclusively of butter and parmesan cheese with no seafood flavor whatsoever. When we politely pointed this out to our server, the owner came to our table and explained that they only use squid ink for coloring purposes, not for flavor. This was misleading as we expected a proper squid ink risotto with seafood taste. The tuna tartare was chopped very finely, more like a paste than proper tartare which should maintain some texture. When we expressed our concerns as paying customers about the food quality, the owner became defensive and asked us to leave the restaurant. He claimed they had sold many portions that day with no complaints, dismissing our feedback. The food quality did not meet our expectations and the service was unprofessional. There are other restaurants in this area that may better...

A lovely restaurant with an amazing view! We first tried to go there on a saturday and we did not had a reservation, but it was super busy. So better make a reservation or come on a calmer day during the week. We were welcomed lovely and felt super comfortable. bringing your dog is no problem and the waiters were super lovely with our dog. The restaurant looks super fancy and also expensive but actually the prices are really fair! Especially because the quality of the food was really good and the tast was amazing. We had 2 pizzas as well as three diferent pasta plates and all of them tasted great. My favorite was the risotto as well as the cacio y pepe. For desert we had a small pistachio cake as well as a tiramisu and even if I was super full I just could not resist. it tasted amazing. So go for that dessert even if...