Ristorante Cracco Portofino — Restaurant in Portofino

I recently had the misfortune of dining at Cracco, an establishment in Portofino that claims to offer a gastronomic experience worth savoring. However, what I experienced was far from the promised delight. Brace yourself for a harrowing tale of disappointment, as I recount my encounter with their pasta and risotto dishes. Let's delve into the unfortunate encounter with the risotto. As I eagerly anticipated a creamy and flavorful dish, what arrived at my table was far from what I had envisioned. The risotto had an overwhelming sour taste that permeated every bite. It was as if the chef had inadvertently mixed an excessive amount of vinegar or some other acidic ingredient into the dish. The acidity masked any delicate flavors that the risotto could have possessed, rendering it virtually inedible. It was a culinary misstep that left me questioning the competence and attention to detail in Cracco's kitchen. What truly added insult to injury was the lackluster response from the staff. Despite bringing the issue to their attention, they appeared indifferent and unresponsive to my concerns. Rather than showing genuine concern or offering a solution, the staff merely shrugged off my complaint, leaving me feeling dismissed and unheard. It was a clear indication that customer satisfaction was not a priority for Cracco, further tarnishing the overall dining experience. Given my experience with the sour risotto and the unhelpful staff at Cracco, I cannot in good conscience recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking an enjoyable dining experience. When a dish as simple as risotto fails to deliver and the staff fails to take appropriate action, it raises serious doubts about the competence and professionalism of the establishment as a whole. Portofino offers a plethora of dining options that prioritize customer satisfaction and serve exceptional food. It would be wise to explore those alternatives rather than subject yourself to the disappointment that...

Most importantly the food was so so. At $1500 for two full course with wine and water that is simply not ok. By far the most stuck up staff ever. You have to pay for you water and the cheapest option is $35 for Pierrier up to $150! The staff is pushy to have you order the best one - they asked us to upgrade the water no less than 5 times. The wine list is ridiculously over prices with bottles marked up 10 times +++. We would not spend $4000 on a bottle of wine, rather and overpriced one for $450 and it was brutally obvious that we were not liked! They opened the bottle and poured a good sized glass of the wine for them to taste, imagine if I bought the $60K bottle, it would have been a $6K pour at least! There are many better restaurants for reasonable prices and wine marked up keystone or less. The owner and chief lives up to his reputation of being a disrespectful hot head by training his staff to be the same. I have eat all over the whole in Michelin Star restaurants (which this one is not and should never be) that I felt more comfortable in. I was unable to relax and enjoy my meal with the condemnation we felt from everyone that served us or we were in contact with. You could cut the tension with a knife because we we not taking their direction. It was so bad that as we exited the gale at the door who was kind enough to open it and kick us in the rear as we left saying "Thank you for coming, maybe we will see you again; or maybe not"!! Spend you hard earned money with a group that respects you and welcomes you as a guest, NOT CRACCO that we have nick name CRACK HOUSE! And at the end you see they add a 10% VAT and basically DEMAND a tip - I left a $1 to let them know...

AMAZING experience - food, service, ambience, view, everything. Had a funny little hiccup to start with, which was our fault for being completely underdressed (shorts, sneakers, t-shirts), the maitre'd thought we were cruise shippers or something along those lines "Madam have you seen our menu?"..... LOL. It was an unexpected 'we want good seafood' kind of lunch and this looked good when we walked past, hence we weren't prepared/dressed appropriately.

The food was just so freaking delicious, the service was attentive but not in your face, our seats at the edge of the balcony overlooking the harbor offered fabulous people (and super yacht) watching, and the wines were spectacular. We just had a couple of wines by the glass as we were driving, and despite being costly they were amazing (I had a white from Ravello, which I'm trying to hunt down now - hopefully I can get it in New Zealand!).

The deserts are worth mentioning specifically - I often find them soooo overly sweet, but these were the perfect balance, not too sweet at...