La Rucola 2.0 — Restaurant in Sirmione

So my mother and I went there for her birthday thinking that we will celebrate with a one star Michelin restaurant. Bad idea...

We decided to go with the "Carte Blanche" tasting menu. (Means the chef chooses for you).

Let's start with the good stuff : Everything around the home made bread was excellent, the focaccia was absolutely crazy, soaked with local olive oil, one of the best I ever had. Amuse bouches and entrée were also very interesting and had a good kick to start the dinner. The wine selection was perfect. The perfectly cooked mackerel with a mastered balance of flavours between sour and sweet was wonderful. Dessert was good, great cream

But then the strange stuff starts :

Second hot meal : fusili pasta with green cream and a vinaigrette made of anchovies ? Well we didn't feel a thing, the taste was missing, it was bland. When the waiter asked if we enjoyed our meals and we said no, he just said "Oh I'm sorry" and then went as silent as a nuclear submarine for the rest of the dinner, just explaining the meals and not asking how the other meals were. Third plate : beef from Holland cooked with some sort of closed grill that brings a smoked flavour. Well I didn't feel the smoked flavour but I definitely felt that the beef was overcooked. Even if it was still red inside, at this level of restaurant I'm expecting a tender piece of meat and more than two anorexic baby carrots dying on the side of the plate even if it means having less meat. The pre dessert was deceiving. The waiter said it was a refreshment. It was not, it was at room temperature. Also we've been told that it had rhum from Nicaragua : didn't feel it. I guess it was some kind of trou normand but it was missing the fresh and alcohol side of its purpose.

On top of that in the whole menu there weren't any products from around the lake (except for the olive oil). You guys have amazing fish : pike fish, trout, even fresh water sardines. You have amazing lemons all around the lake : not even one lemon ingredient in any meal. Wonderful olives, and I haven't even explored what's in the mountains by I'm sure there's plenty of stuff there too.

I don't understand why you go for a Holland beef when you have amazing meat in all Italia, why you go for mackerel when you have amazing fish in the lake, why you go for a passion fruit sorbet for the dessert when you have lemons...Maybe the chef wanted to go outside Italia and I can understand it, but I need the waiters to tell me about it. The meals were perfectly explained (maybe a bit too fast) but the "why" was missing and now I'm thinking why I went to your restaurant... Please stand up for your Michelin star, because last night we didn't had a one Michelin star experience.

I'm still thankful that you put a candle on my mom's desert for her birthday, that was very...

Dear La Rucola Management,

I dined at your restaurant in April and wanted to share my experience with you. While there were some positive aspects of the evening, there were also some areas that left me feeling disappointed.

Upon arrival, I was greeted in a mysterious way with a place setting and a diagram of how to set the table. Given the high prices, I was surprised by this. Additionally, I was disappointed to learn that everyone at the table must eat the same menu. As someone who enjoys sharing food and trying a variety of dishes, this was a letdown. Furthermore, there were no descriptions of the food, which added to the mystery of the evening.

We opted for the 7-course menu that the chef chose and made it clear that we preferred more meat dishes than fish. However, we were served more fish dishes than meat, and some of the dishes tasted very simple. Additionally, there was an excessive use of squid ink in most of the dishes, which was not to my liking.

As a sommelier, I had high expectations for the wine pairing, especially given the high price of €80 per person for 5 different wines. However, the amount of wine that was poured was nowhere near 1/8 of a normal glass size, and the wines that were offered were too young and not worth the price. In my opinion, this was not up to the standard of a 1* restaurant.

Furthermore, we felt rushed during the courses and were not offered a break. When we asked for one, we received a slightly disappointed answer. Given the price we paid for the meal, we expected a bit more patience and attention to detail. The additional appetizers and petit fours were a nice add but without the needed explaination it left us really confused and rushed even more by the speed we had to consume it.

Lastly, the staff was very quiet and a little snobby. They did not explain much, which added to the mystery of the evening.

Overall, while there were some positive aspects of the evening, the wine pairing and service left a lot to be desired. I hope that you will take this feedback into consideration and make the necessary improvements to enhance the overall dining experience for...

Disappointing Experience - Style Over Substance

I had high hopes for this Michelin restaurant in Sirmione, but sadly, the experience was marred by poor service and a lack of warmth—both figuratively and literally.

We arrived just 10 minutes early for our reservation and were refused entry, despite the restaurant being nearly empty with only one other table seated. Instead, we were left standing in the cold until exactly 7:30 p.m. before the head waiter finally seated us. His attitude, along with another waiter’s, was consistently brusque and borderline rude throughout the meal. Thankfully, the lady waitress who primarily served us was friendly, which somewhat salvaged the evening.

The food itself was mostly good, as was the wine, except for the initial welcome dish. Despite specifically requesting no raw fish, we were served some anyway—cold, bland, and completely forgettable. The service was frustratingly slow, with our bottle of wine taking 35 minutes to arrive and drinks orders neglected despite the restaurant being mostly empty.

To cap it off, after finishing our meal, we had to wait a full 25 minutes for someone to bring us the bill. No one checked in with us, and we struggled to get anyone’s attention. When the bill finally arrived, the discount we were promised (for booking directly with the restaurant through our hotel) was mysteriously missing. It was a frustrating end to what should have been an enjoyable evening.

On top of the service issues, the restaurant itself was cold and lacked any real atmosphere. Even the sensor lights in the bathroom didn’t function properly, which added to the sense that this place prioritizes appearances over guest comfort.

Overall, while the food was decent, the poor service and chilly ambiance completely overshadowed the meal. For a Michelin-starred restaurant, this was deeply disappointing, and I wouldn’t return or recommend it to others based on...