Piazza Italiana — Restaurant in Riga

From the start, the short-haired blonde server was passive-aggressive, cold, and rude. He handled our plates with an unnecessary level of force, practically ripping them out of our hands, which felt hostile and unsettling. It was clear he was upset; his face was red with anger, yet he gave no explanation for his behavior. Throughout the meal, he kept giving us side glances, looking at us as if we were peasants, which made us feel extremely unwelcome. He should seriously consider anger management and work on fixing his attitude because this kind of behavior is unacceptable.

The food was also disappointing. The portions were small and overpriced, and the pizza in particular, was a joke. To make things worse, a 40-euro "service" charge was added to the receipt without our consent. In reality, it was just a forced tip, and this is not "service" as they call it; this is foul business. We were shocked when we saw it, and when we questioned it, the server got annoyed and told us to sort it out amongst ourselves and just pay. It felt like he was taking some kind of bitter revenge, knowing we had no choice but to pay. I hope he’s happy with those 40 euros, which weren’t even written on a real receipt, suggesting it was probably going straight into his pocket.

I don’t understand why he felt the need for this kind of behavior; it’s not normal, and people like that should not be allowed to work as servers or in any service-related businesses. Looking at past reviews from both foreigners and locals, it’s clear this kind of treatment is a recurring issue, and they still haven’t learned anything. They need to take this criticism seriously and rethink who they are hiring as the face of their service. Having people like that in your restaurant, who reflect poorly on the business, is a very bad look.

I would not recommend this place to anyone! Don't come here if you don't want to be...

First Visit - My wife and I had lunch at this great Italian restaurant. We started off with a few lattes - unusual, but just needed some caffeine. We ordered their focaccia with mozzarella and tomatoes - a great starter with a little olive oil (oil and vinegarette, salt, and pepper on each table). The focaccia is the thin, crispy style - not the thicker bread style. This made for a nice light starter. After this, we each had a bowl of soup - great taste and generous serving. After our soup, we had a nice coconut sorbet to clean the palette - a very nice touch. We each ordered a glass of wine with our mains. These went nicely with our pastas - the Carbonara and the Aglio E Olio (garlic and olive oil). Why end the afternoon of dining there? We shared the apple pie and vanilla ice cream. The pie was very nice, but just know that it is not your traditional slice. It was round pastry with apple slices on top. A great way to end the meal. I also ordered a coffee with my dessert - I really enjoyed this cup of black coffee - so good. As we were coming up for air, we finished with two homemade lemon digestive shots - chilled nicely and amazing. Very lemon forward. Overall, a great dining experience and waiter was amazing all the way through our visit - from the greeting at the door to the helping of my wife with her coat as we left. Thanks for the great afternoon.

Second visit last night - we have been wanting to back for some time now. Another couple joined my wife and I. Again, this restaurant did not let us down. Please be ready for a relaxing meal. It is certainly not a fast food restaurant hahaha. Starters, mains, and dessert - all come out at a nice pace - true Italian style. Thanks again for...

Despite the food being decent, the service at this restaurant was extremely disappointing. We were a group of friends celebrating an event, and the waiter was shockingly rude and unprofessional. He rushed to clear our plates before we were finished, making us feel unwelcome and hurried. They added an extra 20 euros for a “cake cutting fee” just to cut a cake we brought from outside, on top of the initial 20-euro service fee that we did expect.

The waiter’s attitude made it seem like he was taking his anger out on us, and it was unsettling. It made us wonder if this is how the servers treat all their customers or if it was racially motivated. When it was time to pay, the card machine wasn’t working properly, and the server made a huge fuss when we asked to split the bill, acting as if we were inconveniencing him. To make matters worse, instead of providing a proper receipt, they handed us a scrap of paper with the amounts written on it—completely unprofessional and suspicious.

It’s a shame because the food was decent, and we were hoping to enjoy our night out but the poor service ruined the experience entirely. It felt like they were just trying to squeeze extra money out of us. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, as the unprofessional service and hidden charges are...