Enoteca Al Duomo — Restaurant in Modena

Just finished having dinner at this place with my wife, and I must say we were both really disappointed with the service and some of the dishes (not all). The waiter who served us was a bit odd right from the start, somewhat impolite without actually saying much. It’s hard to explain, but you could just feel it.

The first negative experience was when, after the first dish (a plate with a selection of cheeses), he asked us to keep our forks and knives for the next course. They were covered in jam and cheese, so it felt strange, but we went along with it.

Next, they brought both of my dishes, soup and pasta, at the same time, along with the steak for my wife. I politely asked the waiter to take the pasta back for now, since I wanted to eat the soup first and didn’t want the second dish to go cold. He looked annoyed but didn’t say much.

Then, despite clearly seeing our glasses were empty at least twice, the waiter didn’t refill our wine.

Finally, the steak, it was absolutely terrible, impossible to chew. That was the tipping point. I went to speak with the hostess, and after a moment, the waiter came over. I told him the steak was awful and that my wife couldn’t eat it. He said something in response and walked away. I had to go back to the hostess again to insist they replace the dish. They eventually did, but the replacement wasn’t much better. It was slightly improved, but still far from what I’d call a good steak.

All in all, definitely wouldn’t recommend this...

We arrived and managed to get a table even without a reservation. The table service was one of the worst we’ve ever experienced. The person who served us "didn't understand" my English when I asked if the sparkling wines were dry, and when I asked about the difference between the Trento Brut and the Rosé, she simply said, “they taste different.” Well, I figured.😂

When they brought the sparkling wine, there was no real wine service — they poured a taste and never came back to serve more. The food was tasty, but the meat came without any sauce, and the waitress didn’t seem interested in serving us or upselling anything. It's basically self-service. The food tasted good, but plain meat without any sauce felt very dry.

We paid at the counter, where the lady was friendly, but by then, it was too late to make up for everything else. As a sommelier, I’m speechless…...

An elegant enoteca in the center of Modena, serving classic regional dishes. The kitchen takes care of the aesthetic experience, although my pumpkin-stuffed ravioli lacked a bit of punch. My friend's chicken breast, on the other hand, was aromatic and well-seasoned. The service was quite “shy", which extended our stay in the restaurant by a few minutes when paying the bill. It is worth noting, however, that the restaurant is also open during siesta time. This is especially important, because all the highest-rated establishments in Modena in this category (ratings around 4.5\5) are closed then, including several that should be open according to Google. Finding an open restaurant at 3:00 p.m. was a very...