Hortus Pompei, Restaurant & Garden Bar — Restaurant in Pompei

After visiting the Pompei ruins we worked up a massive thirst and hunger and we decided on Hortus Pompei mainly because we had visited this venue earlier to pick up our audio guides with our English speaking tour guide.

Around 2:00pm is when we had lunch, most restaurants almost closed at this time in Italy, the staff we friendly and immediately got us a table for two. This place was heaving with tourists…much like us! Our food, coffee and cold drinks came out super fast. The orange and lemon drink (like a slushy), was super refreshing especially as today was a maximum of 30 degrees. There isn’t much shade at all at the ruins site. I also had a coffee, my espresso was really good, I mean really good. The creama was on point today!

My dish was really nice, the tomatoes/Pomodoro was home grown and super fresh. Plenty of left over sauce, meant I could soak it all up with the bread. My portion size was pretty big, probably the biggest portion of the similar dish I’ve had around Italy! I thanked one of the waiters and it turns out he was the grandson’s of the creators of Hortus Pompei. We had a brief chat and I could tell he was super proud of their humble beginnings and their food. He was super friendly.

I’m a bit perplexed about their low star rating and in honestly I probably wouldn’t of gone here if I saw that rating. Yes they are in the perfect spot for tourists, it was very convenient for us for sure. But I’ve been around Italy for the past 3 weeks now and I can honestly say their customer service was pretty good. I’ve seen smaller restaurants with less persons to deal with and what seems like waiters/waitresses hating their life and seeming stressed, giving us really rude service.

Generally when there’s more people to look after it’s more difficult to run a restaurant. They had plenty of staff and probably around 50 plus people to feed and that was what I observed from 2-3pm.

Last thing I’ll add, the place also had plenty of shade and air/water fans to keep you cool whilst seated. And if you prefer to avoid the restaurant they have cold drinks out the front. There will be some guys asking you to buy water out the front but I’m not sure if their associated with this restaurant. Regardless, I can’t stress how hydrated you need to be during the tour in summer. We witnessed a man fainting to what seemed like heat stroke! Don’t forget the basic train back has no...

Coming from the catering industry myself, I don't usually hand out bad reviews.

This place just baffled my husband and I.

I have a few questions. Has it not been illegal since 2003 to smoke indoors? Is is legal/hygienic to smoke in food/drink preparation areas? Is it acceptable to smoke indoors around infants?

If so, this place is not only unhygienic and inconsiderate, but breaking the law. The staff are smoking/vaping inside, customers are smoking and there are ashtrays on every table. I believe the law states that smoking must be banned in at least half of the establishment for jt to be permitted at all - correct me if I am wrong.

The first person we came across just said "no, go" and pointed the opposite direction when we tried to enter the left front door.

The person who came to set our places decided to lean so far across me that he almost knocked the stuff I was holding out of my hands, rather than walk around the table to set my husbands place. I would have moved if he wasn't directly above my head. Very inappropriate.

I understand that the dining culture in Britain and Italy will differ, and tourists in both areas are treated a little differently. In most places we have dined, we are given the food, and then asked how everything is once they collect the plates - fine.

Not once were we asked if anything was okay. Our fries came out way before the pizza. Our condiments were taken away before we had finished and we were given the bill before we had finished - something I have seen people mention about this place. They even took my husbands plate (that still had food on it) when he was in the toilet, luckily he was finished.

They turned off lights, closed doors and windows and turned off the music while there were still tables eating. I have never seen or done something so rude in my life. Usually customers are approached and informed of anything like this happening so they don't feel unwelcome or, the places don't just close up when they still have diners.

We grabbed our drinks and asked for them to be put into cups to go so we could get out of there as fast as...

Avoid by all means . Conveniently located right outside the exit of the pompeii ruins , I was literally ushered in by the owner. The pictures of the food in their menu looked promising so I sat down to order . I had 40 mins before my next experience started and I figured that was more than enough time to grab a bite but boy was I wrong . I ordered a red sauce penne pasta with bacon and a lemon juice and tiramisu. The 13 .50 euro pasta was more expensive than the michen star carbonara i has at Luciano in Rome and the lemon juice was 3.50 euro and they forgot to add sugar and the tiramisu overpriced at 7.50 euros. I sat for 30minutes and realised I had only 10mins left before my experience so I called to the staff to inquire why pasta was taking so long, still giving them the benefit of doubt that it was probably hand made pasta . And then they brought out my order , packet pene pasta drowning in tomatoes with a tiny basil leaf on top. No cheese , no salt and definitely no bacon. It tasted like cooked pasta in uncooked tomato mush. 13.50 euros for the worst pasta Iv had in my life . I make better pasta and I’m not italian . I honestly thought that being in Italy , pasta was something none of the restaurants here cld go wrong with ,but Hortus proved me wrong. I left the pasta after 2bites and quickly finished my tiramisu which wasn’t bad but very overpriced.. the chef came to ask me if I’d like to take the pasta to go , I told him I didn’t like it and I had to leave immediately for my next experience since the food took forever. This was the worst food Iv had in Italy. I would strongly suggest ppl to avoid this place...