Taverna Cestia Roma — Restaurant in Rome

We visited the restaurant for lunch today. However, we couldn’t taste any food because we left after just five minutes. We were given the menu on a clipboard in Italian, and we realized after a minute that the English menu was only available online. There was a QR code in the top right corner of the menu, but it was difficult to notice when viewing the clipboard. The staff didn’t provide any instructions on how to access the English menu, even though we were speaking to them in English. Eventually, we managed to find the menu online in a language we could understand, though it was a bit of a struggle because we had to zoom in on the text on our phone screens. Once we were ready to order, a staff member approached us to take our order. I wanted to order a pizza. However, when I pointed to the pizza on the menu, the staff member replied in a very arrogant tone: “Why are you asking for pizza? Can’t you see that we don’t serve pizza now?” (They only serve pizzas between 7:30 PM and 11:00 PM. I didn’t see it.) I apologised immediately, but I have never experienced such a disrespectful attitude or language in a restaurant before. I looked back at the menu in Italian and felt awful. After a few seconds, I told the staff member that I wanted to leave. He simply responded with, “Okay.” And so, we left. The food may very well be lovely—I don’t know. However, I’m sorry to say that the customer service we experienced today was horrendous.

ANSWER TO YOUR RESPONSE

Thank you for your response to my review. It only further confirms your poor customer service, which is what readers of the review will judge—not the history you are trying to present.

First, my name is Kornel, not Kernel. Second, we entered the restaurant, greeted you, and the waiter gave us a table for two. Third, we did not receive any assistance from any staff member regarding the English menu; your statement about it is entirely fictional. Fourth, please try listing the menu on the clipboard yourself and see how visible the QR code actually is. Lastly, the final sentence of your response is just as rude as your behavior toward us in the restaurant. It is...

Worst risotto I’ve ever had. Awful service. I don’t know why but Im fully aware that some waiters are classicist and feel superior and I don’t mind it in a good restaurant but not in this cheap family restaurant. Since I sat down he started talking to me like a was dumb just because I could read the menu, I don’t speak Italian but it’s Rome, they should be used to turist , anyways after he didn’t explain and basically told me dumb I understood they didn’t serve pizza until later. I asked for risotto . I love risotto, I’ve had it a thousand of times in many restaurants and I’ve never thought the worst was gonna be in Italy. It wasn’t fully cooked. It was still hard , I didnt sent it back because I didn’t have time to wait for something else or go to a different place, I was starving and also I didn’t want to deal with waiter . I didn’t try the shrimp afraid they were gonna be raw and of course they took for ever to bring me the check I wanted to pay with card but I just wanted to leave that place and find another place to eat because of course some uncooked rice and bread wasn’t enough so I just paid cash I didn’t even wait for change , I should’ve gone to the restaurant next to it in...

I feel rather sad giving this historic restaurant only 2 stars, as the environment and service were both good. That being said, the food was not up to the same standard - and the reason we went there was to eat.

The antipasti and desserts were fine - if a little expensive, but most of the primi left us disappointed.

Of the seven primi that we ordered, only 2 were eaten with gusto. We enjoyed the chicken ravioli and tagliolini with gunard. Of the others, the tagliolini with baccalà were insipid and lacked salt, the sauce included cheaper, less tasty, Asian rather than European pinoli and there was no sign of the finocchietto mentioned in the ingredients ( l know it's not in seaon yet, but in that case why include it?). The guancale in the carbonara was burnt. The pasta and fagioli soup had too much pasta and too few beans.

Over the years we have eaten at this restaurant a number of times. As mentioned, it's nice to see the ambiance maintained and the service was good. I wish them all the best.

I don't think l would go back to give it a second try - which I...