Paco Ciao — Restaurant in Leiden

This place should be a 5 star but a few little things broke my heart.

The dishes you need to get if you want excellence are the Karaage Chicken and the Gyoza. Boom, smash your face with flavour.

The bao buns compared to the juicy chicken prior, were sad. The bun itself had a stale part on it which made no sense at all and the chicken was just like British humour. Dry and not much flavour. It needed a dipping sauce at least to make it palatable.

For mains we got the salmon tartare which is just a giant sushi. Being on rice takes away the fresh idea of what a tartare should be. The delicate flavours of the fish are overwashed by the texture and flavour of the rice. It's not bad but it's nothing to tell your mum about.

The steak, if you ate it with the chimi churri was weirdly too salty. Nicely cooked but again, didn't hit my expectations. The side dishes held strong though.

The last thing was the button in the bathroom. Twice I was told after it didn't work, to wait 5 minutes and it will reset. Two different waiters told me to be patient and wait. I waited. And waited. Then after paying the bill we all waited in the bathroom so that no one else would press it. 10 minutes. Then we pressed it... Nothing .... such sadness. At that point a waitress came and asked what we were doing and explained it was actually broken and not working.

Overall a cool restaurant that should be a 5 but just wasn't on peak performance the...

Positives:

The restaurant's unique entrance through a cupboard is a delightful surprise and creates a memorable first impression.

The interior ambiance is pleasant and inviting.

Areas for Improvement:

Communication: The restaurant's website listed a phone number that was not functional. A clear and consistent communication policy, including preferred methods for contacting the restaurant regarding reservations or delays, would be beneficial.

Service Approach: While attentive service is appreciated, some aspects felt overly sales-driven. The immediate offer of bread and dessert without mentioning pricing could be perceived as misleading. Presenting a dessert tray to each table might be more hygienic if individual menus or displays were used.

Cleanliness: Dirty glasses and a foreign object found in the water carafe are concerning and necessitate stricter attention to detail.

Overall Impression:

While the restaurant has some charming qualities, the inconsistency in service approach and hygiene issues detracted from the dining experience. For a more relaxed and transparent dining experience, I would likely choose a different establishment.

Additional Notes:

The complimentary popcorn, while perhaps intended as a welcoming gesture, felt somewhat out of place with the overall dining experience.

My preference leans towards a more traditional service style that focuses on the meal itself rather than upselling...

While making the reservation, we noticed that the restaurant does not share any contact details on its website, which is quite odd.

The restaurant itself has a unique appearance, which already starts from the entrance. The diverse decoration makes it joyful to look around while walking to your table.

Upon arrival, the table was wet. We asked the waiter to clean it. They did, but carelessly, leaving the table still wet.

As an appetizer, we were handed a small bowl of popcorn. Interesting idea, but we left it untouched. As a main course, we ordered the tuna steak and the Buddha bowl. The steak was thoroughly cooked, leaving it very dry and tasteless. Secondly, the menu promised the plate to be served with sugar snaps, but there was only one snap on the plate. The Buddha bowl had many components that did not seem to complement each other, making the dish incoherent. The zucchini was very salty, and the falafel was burnt. The Buddha bowl was supposed to be a main course, but it felt like a starter.

When we were asked for our feedback, we shared our thoughts with them. Unfortunately, our feedback was met with an offer of free drinks, which seemed inappropriate. Our feedback wasn't a question of something free in return.

Like the place itself, our experience was a bit remarkable. The restaurant looks amazing, but it is unlikely that we...