Osteria Al Peronio — Restaurant in Padua

Like another reviewer mentioned the vibe was off from the start. Instead of bread we received prepackaged crunchy bread sticks. We should have left then.

We ordered bruschetta and 2 pizzas. One of the pizzas was so spicy you couldn't even taste the gorgonzola. If you've tasted gorgonzola you know how hard that is.

The second pizza just tasted off. I'm pretty sure it was the mushrooms. Every other pizza we had in Italy had fresh mushrooms on the pizza. These were slimy like they were canned or jarred.

The bruschetta was missed. Not a big deal. I ordered house sparkling wine. It also didn't come out. In the middle of the meal the waitress brought a big bottle of water.

We wanted to check the bill to make sure it was correct. The waitress went through it with us. No apology for the missed drink or bruschetta until later. Her first priority was to get the large bottle of water added into the bill as we were only charged for a small one. She had an exchange in Italian with the waiter who took our order since she didn't return after we said we wanted to wait a bit to order. He seemed pleasant so that was a plus. After that she said she would leave the charge of the small bottle of water for the inconvenience of not receiving our order.

We're not even really that picky. It just makes me suspicious of other reviews. If you are anywhere else at local, homegrown Italian places you'd know how unauthentic this was. We had better pizza for €8.

Piece of advice. if no one around you is speaking...

At first I wasn't sure about the restaurant, looking at it from the outside. But as the saying, you shouldn't judge the book by its cover. The service was very pleasant, in English too, and the waiter was ready to take every of our requests immediately with a smile. The food itself was phenomenal. I had gnocchi with pistachio cream sauce, the portion seemed small but after eating I was pleasantly stuffed. My mom had calzone, as promised filled to the brim with mozzarella, mushrooms and sauce. Although, be careful with this one, better to eat as a portion for 2-3! My parents also praised the starters, which sadly I didn't try, but I take their words to be true. If I ever visit the city again, this place would be a must to visit again. Thank you for great time and...

I sat outside, and the whole place had a bit off vibe since the beginning - starting with the not so nice tables and continuing with a little weird approach by the waitresses (but maybe that was just my feeling). The pizza was good, but the prices aren't the lowest, so maybe the whole level of the restaurant should be upped - this way, it had restaurant prices, but fast food vibe. Not bad, but I'd choose something different...