Torcolino da Barca — Restaurant in Verona

Disgusting. Avoid This Restaurant at All Costs

If you’re in Verona, do not waste your time at this place. This restaurant operates with no scruples, has an unprofessional team, and offers an overall humiliating experience. My girlfriend and I visited with high hopes, following a recommendation from Brazilian friends, only to leave utterly disappointed. Here’s why this establishment is mediocre at best: Misleading Opening Hours: Google indicated the restaurant opened at 6:30 PM, but when we arrived, they told us we had to wait until 7 PM. We politely asked them to reserve a table for two, which they agreed to. Hostile Policy Toward Diners: We were the first to arrive and were seated promptly, but multiple servers passed us without even acknowledging our presence. Initially, we planned to share a single dish (primo piatto) and order more if we were still hungry. After already taking our order, a server returned within 5 minutes to inform us that if we shared a dish, we would have to leave by 8 PM to free the table. Essentially, if you don’t consume enough, you’re not welcome to stay. Shocking and unacceptable behavior. Subpar Service and Shocking Discovery: Reluctantly, we ordered two dishes to avoid being kicked out. The food initially seemed fine—my pappardelle al tartufo had good flavor. However, toward the end of my meal, I bit into a stone, approximately 2–3 cm, which nearly cracked my teeth. Startled and upset, I immediately called a server, who whisked the plate away without saying a word. After some time, he returned to offer either a replacement dish or dessert, which I declined, as I had lost my appetite. Insulting Handling of the Issue: When the bill arrived, I was horrified to see they charged me for the dish with a measly discount of €6.50 (the dish was €18). Feeling completely mistreated, I requested a review. A woman, presumably the manager, came over. When I explained the situation, she rudely said, “Yes, I know, that’s why we gave you a discount.” She showed no remorse, and when I pointed out the severity of finding a stone in my food, she sarcastically insinuated we had placed the stone there ourselves. This was humiliating and degrading.

When I suggested reviewing the security footage (there was a camera directly above us), she refused. Eventually, she reluctantly increased the discount to €16.50 but still charged for the couvert (€3 per person) despite the appalling experience.

Conclusion: This restaurant not only serves food of dubious quality but also treats customers with disdain. There was no genuine apology or accountability for what happened. Tourists who contribute to the local economy deserve far better than this. To the management: review the security footage from the time and date I mentioned to see the exact moment I discovered the stone. Your staff’s behavior and lack of professionalism were truly disgraceful.

Avoid this place—it’s simply not worth your money,...

Great experience of local flavors in Verona. We were lucky enough to try the cuisine of this typical restaurant, right in front of the Castelvecchio, the town's castle. The restaurant is artfully decorated and we were immediately greeted by the staff for the Green Pass checks. The staff was really kind and advised us both the combinations of the possible wines with the chosen dishes. For the record, we opted for a good "Amarone della Valpolicella" a local red wine which, really good, so much so that one bottle was not enough for our lunch. Amarone is an intense and concentrated wine, with a strong fruity presence, full-bodied with a remarkable roundness, it is an elegant and spicy expression, with a taste rooted in the terroir of origin, with a bright ruby red color and a gentle fruit scent red. In the mouth it is warm and persistent, with lively tannins and an aftertaste of walnut and toasted almond. In one word "SPECTACULAR"! We chose the very tasty "Tortellini di Valleggio in broth" as a first course. As a second course we have relied on the "Mixed Big Boiled" served with mashed potatoes, pearà, green sauce, horseradish and mustard. Fantastic flavors that took me back to childhood. For dessert, an apple pie, a glass of "Raisins and apricots under grappa". Obviously coffee and a local amaro and white grappa. It was a wonderful experience that we have already set out to return to enjoy in this restaurant. I highly recommend it to all those who will be passing...

The only reason I’m giving the restaurant 2* is because when we asked the man in front of the restaurant if there was a table for 2 available, he gave me and my husband the up-down glance before deciding to let us in. We were seated near the kitchen. We were not fussed so much by our seating arrangements at least we were able to have an early dinner without reservations. We were never told that the table had been reserved, or that we needed to finish by a certain time. The same man came by our table before we were finished with our coffees gesturing for us to pay the bill and leave! If it were not for him I would give the restaurant 5*. Some may find him funny, quirky, or silly. Personally, I found it very rude and I was completely put off after a lovely meal.

We were waited on politely by the rest of the staff. The food was served timely, and it was delicious. We had the polenta with Veronese blue cheese and mixed salad as starters, pappardelle pasta with truffle as a main. For dessert they have a large selection of local typical Italian desserts. 2 people, 1 bottle of wine (35 euros), 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 desserts, 2 coffees...