Tosca Bistrot — Restaurant in Monterosso al Mare

The staff were friendly and welcoming. Smiling and trying to accommodate every patron of the restaurant. The food was good. Nothing extraordinary. The chef is ego-centric and unkind. She is not interested in serving people, rather she wants acclaim. She does not accept any negative feedback.

So, food is good, staff is good, but the chef’s attitude is enough to keep me away from visiting again.

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Reply to the chef’s comment:

Your reply proves you did not hear my complaint.

I am happy to wait for sitting at restaurants for a long time. What upset me was that a table opened (a bench and two chairs) and my family of five (2 adults and 3 children) would have fit there splendidly.

Our family was next in line e. Your hostess was happy to sit us at that table and you refused to let us be seated there.

The family you gave the table to apologized to us. They recognized that our family could be seated at that table.

My complaint is about your treatment of my family. Your service was awful. Your hostess and every other person we engaged at the restaurant was superb, but you Chef, ruined what could have been a wonderful experience.

All I wanted from you was a little humility, an apology, or some sign of interest in my family or our experience. You gave none.

You rather expected us to praise your food. You raised your voice at me. Scolded me. I maintained my calm and peace while you lectured me.

Your reply proves you did listen to me.

Your food was fine. But you can improve your...

Very small restaurant with limited seating. We came in for dinner 2 hours before the official closing time and as we were waiting for our table the servers cut off entry after us. That was a bit odd to see considering there was still so much time until close and many tables were clearing out. So about an hour and 45 minutes before closing we were the last table to get seated. At least a dozen groups were turned away after us. Something to keep in mind if you consider a late dinner.

In terms of food, considering how the area is well known for pesto, the pesto gnocchi was an absolute standout. Melt in your mouth fresh gnocchi and the pesto sauce of our dreams. I could have kept eating it all night. The other two dishes had seafood in them and though they were good, they weren’t amazing, and the process of having to clean the shrimp skins and heads with your hands while eating pasta is always a bit annoying.

Overall a really nice restaurant and I’m glad we had a chance to try it, if only for...

We had the best experience at Tosca's! The line was long which is always a good sign of in demand food and well worth the wait.

We had the anchovy three ways starter, which was absolutely delicious! We then had the pesto gnochhi and trofie pasta with swordfish. For desert, we had the lemon tart and mixed berry panna cotta. All courses were perfectly balanced and delicious. We asked for local wines and were not disappointed with the recommendations. Staff were run off their feet but remained calm, professional and friendly. Only when we were leaving did one waiter inform us that our waiter, was in fact, Tosca! What we really appreciated about her anonymity was her humble nature. She did not need to boast that she was not only the owner, but she was the restaurant manager and the chef! This kind of work ethic and passion for hospitality shows in the quality of the food she makes and presents. We will absolutely be going back every day for the remainder of our short stay...