La cucina di sofi — Restaurant in Ravello

My wife and I walked into their restaurant after seeing a great looking tray of lasagna in their display case. We hadn't researched this place beforehand, just walked in from the street because the lasagna looked that good. We ordered a takeaway slice from the Indian gentleman and while we waited, my wife walked into the bathroom to use the toilet. The younger woman, sitting across from the toilet out of sight, stood up and locked the door to the toilet without saying a word, leaving my wife locked inside. Not sure of her intentions, I told her my wife was inside there and she said she knew. She started screaming at me about how disrespectful it is to use the toilet without asking, that this was akin to walking into someone's home and using the toilet without asking. I repeatedly apologized and repeatedly told her we were paying customers just waiting for the slice of lasagna to be ready. She didn't care about us buying the lasagna and only unlocked the toilet door to free my wife after a couple minutes of screaming at me while my wife beat on the door, pleading to get out. I don't know if false imprisonment is a thing in Italy but this was a textbook case of it. Little did we know that getting locked in the toilet was only the beginning of the nightmare with this woman.

Once my wife was free of the locked toilet, we still wanted to buy the lasagna, even though we were mortified at her response to using the toilet. She then told us the single slice of lasagna was 18 euros. This price sounded way too high for a single slice and the tone of her voice implied that it was payback for our “disrespectful” action of using the toilet without asking. So I said we didn't want the lasagna anymore and turned to exit the restaurant.

She then demanded money for using the toilet, which I understood. We used the toilet without buying food so we should pay for the use, just the same as using any public toilet in Italy. So I handed her all the coins we had with us. I didn't have time to count but it must've been about 50 or 60 cents. Keep in mind that I placed the coins in the woman's hand as calmly as I could, with no ill intent, just ready to end the encounter. My wife and I turned again to leave the restaurant and the woman threw all the change at us, hitting us in the head/body/etc. My wife picked up the change and threw it back at the woman. That wasn't the smartest decision, but at this point we were in utter shock at this woman's behavior. I guess the change I gave her wasn't enough to satisfy her rage.

The woman continued screaming at us in English and Italian, so we left to find another place to get food. We found a place two doors down and started to pick out what we wanted to eat. Then we heard the older man coming closer, screaming in Italian. He found us inside the new food place and threw even more coins at us. This man literally tracked us down to continue to escalate the toilet situation, as if we were peasants and the change I had given the woman for using the toilet was beneath them. At this point my wife and I were fearful of getting hurt by this man so we walked to the main square in town, away from this restaurant, and ended the encounter before it got worse.

Through the whole situation, I tried to apologize and get the younger woman to calm down. My wife and I were really hungry and the lasagna looked that good. The grandma cooking in the back looked like she knew what she was doing.

I really wish I was reviewing that lasagna instead of sharing this story. The actions of the man and woman towards paying customers using the toilet without asking were uncalled for at best, downright malicious at worst, and bordering on assault. They hit us with coins twice. The second time was inside the establishment of a neighboring business owner. How do you even justify that behavior as a business owner yourself? You had an issue with me, not the second...

Absolutely disgusted with the staff of this place. Scum of the earth doesn’t even begin to cut it. My husband and I ordered a piece of lasagna. I figured I’d use the restroom while waiting for it. I was quickly locked inside the bathroom by a woman working there. I thought it was odd but maybe she did it for my privacy or something. I knocked lightly and tried the handle with no budge and asked for her to let me out. I heard my husband outside talking to her saying “excuse me, my wife is in there, you locked her in” alllllllll hell broke loose. She went psycho saying “I didn’t ask to use the bathroom” I can see if I was just trying to use it and leave, but wasn’t. You’d think if they really wanted people to ask first, they’d have a sign, constantly keep the door locked, have you ask for a key to get in, etc to keep people out but none of that existed.

I was starting to get freaked out at this point and banged hard a couple times on the door and asked for her PLEASE let me out. Nothing. She’s still going off at my husband outside. I then realized, I had no clue when this crazy, poor excuse of a woman was going to let me out of there even with my husband trying to figure out the situation at hand and remember quickly how to say I’m sorry a zillion times in Italian. She finally gets the key to unlock it as I am floored with emotions/seeing red at this point.

She’s still going off, another older man employee comes in + she fills him up to speed on the situation. He goes in and grabs the 1 and a half hand towels I used to wash my hands after using the restroom in disgust as they talk more in Italian to each other. We’re still waiting for the piece of lasagna (slowest service Iv ever seen, but the lasagna looked good so we figured we’d try to wait it out) the woman proceeds to tell us the lasagna slice is 18 euros. We’re pretty positive she jacked the price up on us, we told her we’re all set and try to just walk out and forget about the whole situation. She demands money nastily for using the bathroom, we give her all the change we have, I believe it was a little over a dollar in change which was more than we’ve ever had to pay at a public toilet while traveling. We try to leave and the woman throws the change hastily at us as we’re walking out. Im ready to throw some swings at this point, I pick up the change from the street and throw it back into the “restaurant” (not the smartest move but here we are) and turn around and leave. We walk a few stores up to order a sandwich at a different business. The older scumbag man tracks us down to throw even more change at us while we’re ordering the food in someone else’s establishment. He clearly had to have the last word/hoorah… I’m shaking and in tears by now, honestly not sure what he’s going to pull next. I didn’t want him to hurt me or my husband and was afraid that was coming next. Luckily, he must have felt proud of himself as he walks back to his sad excuse of a restaurant a few doors down.

I’m honestly not sure what would have happened if my husband wasn’t there to try to diffuse the situation and try to get her to let me out of the locked bathroom. It’d have turned into a rage room and I would have had to break the door down to get out.

PS sorry to the older lady cooking out back if the change I threw back hit you. You were innocent in the situation and it looked like you made a...

I rarely write reviews online, but this experience was so bad that I couldn't help myself.

We wanted to order a pizza to go from a restaurant that offered takeaway. The hostess asked if we wanted to dine in, but we indicated we wanted takeaway. She responded with irritation and pointed us to a menu on the display. After we made our selection, she insisted that we also order drinks. We refused three times, and then we were given a bill with the explanation, "this is the cost of the pizzas WITHOUT drinks." The hostess was clearly annoyed that we didn't order any drinks.

While we were waiting, we saw how she approached passersby, asking if they wanted to eat. If they said no, she would ask again, and if they refused again, she would approach them with the menu. If they still said no, they were given dirty looks.

When it was time to pay, we said we wanted to use a bank card. She didn't want this, but we had no cash. Finally, we figured out by our self to pay inside with the card.

When we got the pizza and were leaving, my partner stubbed his toe on a chair. The hostess sighed loudly and then pretended to sing a song when we turned to look at her.

Five minutes later, we ate the pizza and it was very disappointing; the worst pizza we've ever had. There were also prominent ingredients that weren't listed on the menu.

I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone: arrogant, grumpy hostesses and a pizza not worthy of Italy.

(We only eat half of the pizza, what was very small for...