Hostaria Vecchia Rapallo — Restaurant in Rapallo

Excellent dining experience from beginning to end! The restaurant is chic with a great ambiance and music playing overhead. Menus had descriptions in both Italian and English, which made ordering easy. The staff was attentive and worked as a team, so we had great service from a number of people. Tip: Ask for olive oil for your bread! It's not sitting out, but they're happy to bring it. We started with the spinach and zucchini - the kind of dish you hope to be able to replicate at home because it (seems) simple, but it's really good! We shared the dish between the two of us, and it was the right serving size with the bread, but order multiple for more than 2 people. The highlight of the meal was the pear ravioli - such incredible flavors! Rich, creamy, soft, with the balsamic cutting through with the perfect contrast. The spaghetti with clams and fish eggs was also good if you're a seafood fan (I am not, but my boyfriend was really happy with his order). We ended the night with tiramisu - nice big portion and very strong coffee flavor. 88€ for the meal, including sparking water and a bottle of wine. We would gladly eat here again if we had the time!

Edit: made time to visit again and everything was great a second time! This time, we tried the fried anchovies as a starter; I would have told you before eating it that I don't like anchovies, but it was very good! Very salty, and I liked the spinach best. We also tried the chocolate torte, which was basically a brownie - fudgy...

Incredibly disappointing — would avoid at all costs.

We were recommended this restaurant by our hotel, but unfortunately it turned out to be one of the worst meals we’ve had during our time in Italy. We ordered two classic Italian dishes — including a spaghetti bolognese — and shockingly, I’ve had better versions in a pub in the UK. In a country renowned for its food, there’s really no excuse for such a poor experience.

The food lacked flavor, care, and any sense of pride in its preparation. And that seemed to be a theme across the board — the staff showed little enthusiasm or attention, and the service felt equally careless. It’s hard to believe this kind of meal is being served in Italy.

To make matters worse, the prices didn’t reflect the quality (or lack of it). We’ve happily paid more — and less — for meals throughout Italy that were rich in flavor and clearly made with love. This, sadly, was the opposite.

Disappointing in every way. I wouldn’t recommend this...

Attention, Fellow Foodies! Tonight was my second meal at Hostaria Vecchia Rapallo. Five delicious courses that will haunt me until I return. Take note that the wait staff is very knowledgeable to pair the most suitable local wines. I started with warm spinach and zucchini salad. Devine! Next was pear ravioli. Ambrosia fit the the gods! Next in the lineup was langoustines with cherry tomatoes and olives in an amazing broth (yes, I am embarrassed to say, I let go of my normally good manners and sopped up the broth with bread). A beautiful baby green mixed salad cleared the palette. For dessert, I chose tiramisu (the prior night was Peach sorbet in port). Both desserts were delightful. I ended with a limoncello for its digestive qualities. Bravo to the chef and the wonderfully attentive wait staff! Also, I would like to add that I am a “mature” woman traveling these last two days alone. They made me feel welcome and taken care of....