Trattoria Il Fantino — Restaurant in Modena

I arrived at the restaurant with 11 friends when they just open for the dinner service. It was still almost empty so we managed to get a table for all of us.

We were greeted with a friendly lady who took the time to show me the dishes that don't contain pork. So I ordered the veal meat balls with parmesan sauce and peas, for a price of 12 EUR (not including a service fee of 2 EUR/pax).

I didn't have to wait long until they brought my meal. The portion was not big; there were 5 medium-sized meat balls in the bowl, served with 3 warm tigelles.

The sauce was very creamy, rich, and tasty with thick consistency. I added more parmesan, pepper, and chilli powder. I just wished that they put more sauce in the bowl so I can still have something to scoop until the very last bite. The meatballs were well seasoned and well cooked. I also tried the potato and it was very nice; tasty, soft in the center, with roasted edges.

At 08.10 pm, another server was kind of rushing us to conclude our dinner, which I think was unnecessary, because they had the next reservation...

Overrated.

By great reviews we chose this restaurant. When entered bussy atmosphere seemed promising. We were led to cozy corner table, quickly chose the food. Ordered tortellini in broth, pumpkin ravioli and ribs.

We wanted to have some wine with our food, but there was only 2 options in the same food menu (apparently they had wine lists, placed at the bar, but unfortunately nobody presented them to us while ordering)

** Pastas were okay, especially good ravioli, but my partner and I could tell that they were store bought.

• Had the ribs with side mix "salad". Disappointing because they were HEATED and felt really dry. The mix salad was actually mix vegetables (carrots, cabbage and few tomatoes) that were served with NO DRESSING, oil or salt/pepper.

We did not file any complaints to any server, because after a long travel we didn't have enough time and energy to wait for the food fix (if even possible).

I believe this place was great for a while (judging from generous amount of good reviews), but our experience here, unfortunately was really...

I had high expectations for this place, given its location in Modena, but unfortunately, the experience fell far short. The service was not just unprofessional but bordered on rude. When I asked for a bottle of Lambrusco di Sorbara, I was met with a snide comment along the lines of, “Should I take the metro to get it for you?”—an unnecessary and offensive remark.

The food was equally underwhelming: poorly prepared, lacking flavor, and certainly not worth the €50 I spent. For a city known for its culinary excellence, this was deeply disappointing.

I believe every restaurant has its off days, but a minimum level of respect and quality should always be maintained. Sadly, neither was present here. I cannot recommend this...