La Vecchia Griglia — Restaurant in Sirmione

This restaurant was very conveniently located with only about 4 minutes walk away from our hotel. It was on a Monday evening, our final night in Sirmione, the restaurant was fairly busy. If we knew sooner about this restaurant, we would have gone there for a couple of meals at least.

I had pork belly from the menu for my main. It was cooked to perfection and melts in the mouth yet the skin remains crispy. And the best ravioli dish too. As I am allergic to beef, I am glad I went for this pork belly dishes out of other non-beef mains.

My husband had horse tartare (recommended by the staff member) and A5 Japanese Wagyu steak. He enjoyed those too and mentioned that horse tartare was lighter than beef. We shared spinach and summer vegetables as sides. Generous portions of sides.

Bread selection was really good too. We were served amuse bouche and limoncello came with the bill. We both had tiramisu for dessert which was also quite nice.

Friendly and attentive staff members. A nice ambient. Highly...

I’ve never encountered more unfriendly waiters. We were a group of 8 adults with 4 children. At the beginning, while not everyone had arrived yet, we wanted to place an order, but we were told that “only when everyone is here and ready to order all at once, will we be served”?! Does that mean everyone has to stay hungry until we’re all gathered?! What kind of nonsense is that? After we finally ordered, we waited more than 30 minutes to receive everything at once—salads and a main course T-bone steak. We’ve never had a tougher steak, and at such a high price. We are extremely disappointed with both the service and the quality of the meat. To top it all off, they ran out of the white wine of which we had already ordered 3 bottles. As for parking, it was free, but there were no available spots. We had to park somewhere on the street. I do NOT recommend this place! It’s a shame it had so many...

Our meal here was absolutely transcendent. My husband and I were in tears after each bite, completely transported by the flavor and craftsmanship of every dish. Completely innovative cooking with a strong traditional foundation. The duck ravioli with orange sauce and licorice powder was particularly groundbreaking, as well as the lard shavings with chestnut honey (which wasn’t on the menu anymore but they served us anyway at our request since they had more in stock). The young and energetic owner of the restaurant took the time to chat with us about the dishes, made recommendations, and shared his honest thoughts on Italy, food, and his experience growing up in Sermione. This restaurant, while located in an area dedicated largely to tourists, was founded with a love and loyalty for local Italians that felt so special to share as someone from outside...