Oca Bianca — Restaurant in Santa Margherita Ligure

We visited this restaurant, which positions itself as a steakhouse, with high hopes. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely negative for several reasons.

Smoking Issue and Staff Inaction: Upon arrival, we immediately noticed that all 5 people at the next table were smoking and continued to do so throughout the evening. We were there with our son, and this was unacceptable. We asked to be moved to another table, but the staff took no action whatsoever to resolve the situation. This was a complete disregard for the comfort of non-smoking guests, especially families with children. Quality of the Main Course (Meat) - A Disaster: We ordered several dishes. The truffle pasta was tasty (this is the only positive). However, in a steakhouse, the main course – the meat – turned out to be completely inedible! We ordered it Medium, but received it Rare (almost raw). Moreover, the meat was incredibly tough and impossible to chew properly ("not fit for teeth" is absolutely accurate). We expected a quality steak but got disappointment for a considerable price. Ignoring the Problem with the Dish: We left most of the meat untouched. The waiters, clearing the tables, clearly saw this. When the bill arrived, we explicitly stated that the meat was very tough and we hadn't eaten it. Instead of apologizing, offering a replacement, compensation, or even asking for details, they simply... presented us with the full bill. Absolute indifference to whether a guest enjoyed their main course. Rudeness and Attempt to Blame the Guest: When I expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the meat during payment, instead of apologizing or trying to address the issue, the manager (a gentleman in a white shirt, unfortunately I don't know his name) pointed at the coaster, claiming my son had scratched it. This was the height of disrespect and a completely inappropriate response to a complaint about food quality! Trying to shift the conversation to an allegedly damaged item instead of solving the real problem of an inedible dish is an unacceptable level of service. Conclusion: A restaurant that calls itself a steakhouse failed to cook meat properly (wrong doneness + toughness). The staff ignored both the smoking problem and the issue with the quality of the main course. And the final attempt to blame the guest instead of apologizing is simply rude. Regarding the food (except the pasta) and the service – complete disappointment. I cannot recommend it to anyone, especially if you're going for a good steak or expect a reasonable response to your feedback. Rating 1/10, and that's only...

We booked ahead for a table here. Got one in the corner, where our Bulldog was welcome too, that was very nice.

There's a lot of meat items on the menu, as well as some Italian classics. Nice wine list as well. Inside it's a classy, comfy atmosphere. The (younger) staff was very friendly and took care of us very well.

There was a complimentary Amuse Bouche first. We ordered the Tasting starter plate. Meaning a bit of everything that you could order in single servings as well: Steak Tartare, medium-cooked beef and pork with polenta. All very good items, the Tartare and beef both excellent, the pork was decent.

For the mains we had the Steak Rossini: Cooked as ordered (medium), with hot Foie Gras on top and a wine-reduction sauce. Always a favourite of ours, this dish. And it was cooked very good - meat quality was great. Piemont beef.

We had a glass of Prosecoo first, a glass white Pigato for the starter and a glass of Sangiovese for the main. The wines were nice. But it was really little wine in the glass only....for the price we did expect a more generous pour. From our countless visits to Italy and many many visits to restaurant, this was by far the one that really saved on the amount of wine.

And then there's the price. It came together at just under 170 Euros. Compared to other experiences in town, this was clearly the most expensive. And for that a bit overpriced. Make no mistake, it's a good restaurant with good quality food. But 140 to 150 Euros (tops) would be appropriate. There are so many excellent restaurants in town, so this one here was a nice experience, but we probably...

Arrived with great expectations at this cozy place. Ordered the Chateaubriand. Unfortunately we were disapointed. It quickly turned into an average/below-average meat experience: An overcooked rim and a rare inside, despite having ordered a medium-rare filet. What is unfortunate, is that their personnel were too busy to check on their customers. Since everything came already sliced, re-cooking it would‘ve been not possible. What a pity for this great piece of meat!

Moreover, the salad looked pre-made and potentially was even pre-packaged - far from being fresh. No seasoning, but overly salted.

An unusual customer-unfriendly experience, after informing the personnel of the food, was when we were blamed for not taking the initiative to seek contact with the service personnel - A challenge by itself, particularly having an infant who needs to be taken care of after a stay of 1hour. Again: noone passed even close by our table - something which would‘ve been the least to expect after ordering a 700g-piece of Chateaubriand.

Overall, unfortunately a disappointing experience. Their service and the quality of food came to suffer under the tense circumstances of a busy summernight. If you would like to be sure of having a great meat experience, you may want to consider...