Pizzeria "Don Alfò" — Restaurant in Mondovì

We had just arrived in Mondovì after a long drive and were looking for a place to eat. As we passed by the terrace of the restaurant, not speaking much Italian, we asked one of the waitresses if we could have a pizza. She kindly seated us on the terrace and gave us a menu. We ordered a mixed antipasti plate and two pizzas.

My partner has a nut and hazelnut allergy. There was no allergen list on the menu, so he went for a four cheese pizza, assuming it was a safe option. Unfortunately, we didn’t think to ask about the antipasti – this was our mistake.

After eating the antipasti, my partner began to feel unwell and recognized the signs of an allergic reaction. We politely asked whether there were any nuts in the antipasti, just to confirm the source of the reaction, and requested a carafe of water to help alleviate the discomfort.

At that point, one of the waitresses became visibly upset with us and began scolding us (there’s no better word for it) quite harshly, telling us we should have warned them right away about the allergy, making us feel guilty, and insisting that people with allergies are not allowed to eat there. We tried to explain that it was an honest mistake, and that we were not blaming anyone, but she kept repeating the same thing over and over — that it was entirely our fault and that we should have read the notice at the restaurant entrance stating that they do not serve people with allergies (which we never saw, as we were seated directly on the terrace from outside).

To be honest, I find it hard to understand how a restaurant could refuse service to people with manageable allergies, especially without making that clear on the menu or at the table. That said, we fully acknowledge that we should have asked about allergens before ordering.

However, the reality is that we never intended to complain about the incident — and we wouldn’t even be writing this review if we hadn’t been treated so aggressively for no reason. (Let’s also note that having a list of allergens is a legal requirement in the EU, and that nowhere on the menu was it stated that allergic individuals are not welcome.)

Fortunately, we were not charged for the uneaten pizza or the bottle of water (hallelujah). The only staff member who showed empathy was a young waitress who kindly helped us communicate in English and even apologized on behalf of her colleagues.

All in all, I can’t really judge the quality of the food, but when it comes to customer service, let’s just say you’d better not have any allergies — or mention that you're struggling to breathe…

On a more serious note, do be careful if you have any food allergies — they will refuse to serve you, regardless of what you...

Brutta esperienza. Eravamo 2 adulti e 1 bimba di 2 anni. Chiediamo se c'è disponibilità di un seggiolone e ci viene dato. Dopo 10 minuti, la cameriera ci viene a dire che ce lo devono togliere perché era stato prenotato da un'altra coppia e ne hanno solo uno. Al che cerchiamo una soluzione: la cameriera ci offre un cuscino, che alla bimba non sarebbe bastato, quindi ne chiediamo due e anche di questo ne hanno solo uno. Ormai era troppo tardi per spostarci con la bimba che aveva fame, quindi siamo rimasti. Pizze pesanti e molto salate. Gnocchi di patate alla bava da non servire: impasto degli gnocchi non buono e con zero sapore, annegati nel formaggio. Nel corso della cena un'altra cameriera viene a spiegarci che aveva preso lei la prenotazione del seggiolone e la collega non lo sapeva. Non la ritengo una giustificazione accettabile. Per chiudere in bellezza, ci dice anche che di solito le famiglie si portano il seggiolone. Io sono rimasta allibita. Cosa fa pensare che tutte le famiglie abbiano un seggiolone in più da potersi portare? Cosa fa pensare che tutte le famiglie abbiano la macchina per poterlo caricare? Il tutto è un episodio emblematico di come in Italia le famiglie con bimbi piccoli debbano arrangiarsi e, se non ce la fanno,...

Being the first time here in Italy, I wanted to try out Pizza. My colleagues suggested Don alfo. The ambience was good with compact n cozy space.. I tried gorgo n cipolle pizza.. for me the cheese was a bit strong flavoured, otherwise good. I'll be back for a different pizza...