Osteria Consani

A strange place. Off the beaten track and down an alleyway that did not seem to want to be found. A very eclectic clientele, many of whom I suspect had used TripAdvisor to make lunchtime choices. French Dutch and English tourists as well as local workers. They don't open till 12.30 at lunch and the waitress or front of house is very forthright. The French couple seemed to have no idea as to what was happening as it was so different from France. If you are prepared to go along with this and try to make the best of the place it's idiosyncrasies are worth getting to grips with. It is not cheap but is very good value we thought for the cooking. Everything seems home made and quantities are not small. The pasta was excellent and would have made an ample lunch on its own. However we opted for primo piatti and secondo. Whilst it was hard work the effort was justified as the rabbit was delicious and not the run of the mill tourist food on offer in Ventimiglia. W had An excellent Chianti from the wine list which was painted on a mirror in white and hence difficult to read. Another little foible. The waitress is a force but her intentions are good of you're prepared to try and take her on and tell her what you want. They don't seem to advertise they take credit cards but do if you ask. An odd place but worth the effort if you're up to it, most especially for the cooking.