Sfiziami Italian Bistrot — Restaurant in Rome

I seldom rate because I’m too lazy but I feel that this is needed especially when there are so many positive reviews. Don’t get me wrong, it’s purely my perception and if you would wish to give this a restaurant a try, go ahead.

My friend and I came here because of the positive review of the seafood risotto and spaghetti. However, when we settled down and wanted to order, we were told they ran out. That was at 7.30pm. Disappointed for sure but not the worst yet.

We decided to order: (1) Caesar Salad, (2) Aglio Olio, (3) Carbonara Risotto

(1) The salad was okayyy with generous amount of eggs and lettuces but was dry. It was sprinkled with many deep fried bacon bits that were extremely salty. To be honest, it tasted like fried pork lard.

(2) here comes. The aglio olio has 0 flavour, and it’s literally boiled spaghetti soaked in a mixture of oil & water. While my friend opted for less spicy, there was no spiciness at all. The garlic was seen uncooked also.

(3) Carbonara Risotto. It was super overcooked and tasted like porridge. Again, it was like just porridge + carbonara sauce drenched over it. The flavour wasn’t infused into the rice. Again, it’s sprinkled with the extremely salty deep fried bacon.

Both of us just took a few bite and decided that our stomach deserves better. When queried, I was honest and blunt with my feedback on how unpalatable the dishes are but I got a series of defensive answers. One in particular amuses me, "I'm guessing you are from China or Korea? So maybe that's why you prefer the food to be more flavourful" LOL...

I gave up, paid the check and left. The plus point was the server decided to waive off my carbonara because I only ate 3-4 spoonful. I felt bad for food wastage but the food was really that bad.

Most of the diners were Asians, and a few were Singaporeans like myself. I overheard one of the table girls were saying the food is great when queried - I CANNOT COMPREHEND.

For the service, it was sub-par and not trying to allude to anything but none of the servers and cook are Italians. Not sure is that the reason for the poor quality food but definitely, I felt like it’s an insult to Italian Cuisine, esp in...

I came to this restaurant with high hopes and expectations because of the reviews, but sadly my experience was affected by the service.

The waiter who greeted me at the door insisted on speaking Italian to me, even though he could speak English. This resulted in significant confusion - one that attracted the attention of other customers - as I attempted to understand how long the wait would take - a simple query that he eventually responded with a curt “I don’t know”.

I understand that English-speaking tourists aren’t entitled to English speaking service wherever they go, but in this instance where I’ve told him I do not speak Italian, I found it rather condescending for him to continue in Italian when it was clear that he spoke English. It just created confusion and fuss that could easily have avoided. I didn’t want to draw the attention of other diners with a simple question like “how long is the wait?” And I’m sure no customer wants their dining experience interrupted by such trivialities.

In addition to the frustration I encountered over this waiter’s service, there was also an empty table that I wasn’t allowed to sit at. The waiter told me that he was saving it for a customer taking a walk around the block who would be right back, thus subjecting me to a 10-minute wait at the entrance. What ended up to the table? It stayed empty, even after I had gotten my seat, eaten, paid, and left. I’d be inclined to overlook this if I weren't already feeling frustrated by the service, but sadly, as things were, this just left a sour taste in my mouth.

The other two waiters who tended to me (who sadly weren’t in charge like the other guy) were attentive and checked in to make sure things were okay. My spaghetti aglio olio was also fine, though it could have used a little salt. Prices are good - just €8 for a pasta and water.

On the whole, still a...

I do NOT recommend this place – absolutely outrageous experience!

My wife and I visited Sfiziami Italian Bistrot intending to order three dishes: lasagna, seafood risotto, and seafood spaghetti. Right from the start, we were met with ridiculous behavior from the waiter, who refused to take my order for lasagna, claiming that my wife and I would be "full" with the other two dishes. Honestly, I was shocked. How does this person know how much I can eat? Despite feeling disrespected, I reluctantly agreed.

When the seafood dishes were served, they completely failed to meet our expectations in terms of flavor – they were far from satisfying. When the waiter came over to ask if everything was fine, I responded that the food was okay but simply not to our taste. I said I would pay for the seafood dishes, even though we didn’t like them, but I’d like to order a lasagna and some pasta with a meat sauce instead. The waiter said he needed to "discuss it." After a few moments, some manager came over and, with a smug attitude, explained that while I could return the food, I was NOT allowed to order another dish! Seriously?

To make matters worse, he gave me an example of some woman who had ordered the seafood risotto earlier and apparently loved it. Honestly, I don't care what other customers think of the dish. I’m not here to base my opinion on some random person's taste buds. Should I take her word as gospel truth if she claimed that something completely bizarre tasted "amazing"?

The staff here is utterly unprofessional, and it seems like they leave their common sense at the door when they clock in. I will never return to this place. My message to the staff: the customer is always right, and when I say "jump," the only thing you should ask is "how high."

Do not recommend – save yourself the...