Panzerò - Italy at First Bite — Restaurant in Rotterdam

We have been a regular at Panzero since last 5 years and never been disappointed. The food is flavorful and they have some good variety of things to choose from including vegetarian and vegan offerings. Although it is our go to place when we want something warm, comforting and flavorful, I never reviewed them on Google. But my last visit to them a few weeks back, they really outdid themselves. They were busy but we walked in and they had a table available for us without prior reservation. We placed an order to dine-in and after waiting around 20-30 mins, didn't get our order. I understand they are busy and the order generally take time, so I asked them if they could change the order for takeaway. I was a little annoyed about the delay but didn't mention it. Then, the staff, owned up to the delay and apologised, ensured that the order would be ready in next 5 mins but since we had another appointment, we still asked them to put it in a take-out container. While giving us the order, they again offered a sincere apology and gave us a stamp card full of stamps so we could get the next order complementary. I think this raises the bar of customer service as I don't think any other simular restaurant would do the same, atleast not on their own will without the customer complaining about it. I might be a bit biased that an apology and a free panzero is enough to make me happy, but I think the food they serve is one of the best and I can see they do whatever they can with the resources they have. The staff is efficient and sincere and i think a small delay in one order over 5 years is not a big deal. That being said, I do see a few other reviews about the orders getting delayed because they were lost. I hope that doesn't happen often, and when it does, they should notice it sooner. Atleast before the customer complains...

Overall good but not wow. The place itself is not very fancy, is quite small and resembles a cafeteria, but the service was fast and the waitress was very friendly. As a a drink we tried the Prosecco which was very good but unfortunately not bubbly at all, like the bottle have been opened for a long time. We have ordered a second glass and then I could hear the “pop” of a new bottle being opened, so the second glass was exactly what it should be. We then started with an antipasti pugliese which was okay, not bad but also not wow in terms of taste. However, it was too small for its price and for two people. I would say the quantity of food could be for one person, not two. Then we have ordered the panzerotti, the salame one with nduja sausage and 4 maggio with Gorgonzola and pumpkin with the extra truffle oil. I have to say the panzerotti were absolutely delicious: warm, crispy on the outside, gooey and soft melted cheese on the inside, and the flavors were really good. Especially the 4 maggio one was amazing, I would definitely recommend it. We then ended our dinner with a pasticciotto leccese which was quite disappointing. I was expecting a velvety smooth lemon custard inside, as described in the menu, but what I got was a sweet pastry dough with some sort of custard inside which you could barely see that was quite hard and tasted nothing like lemon. So in the end the dessert was basically a sweet dough. Would I recommend this place? Yes, but only for the panzerotti. Would I go back to dine it again? Probably I would just order...

The place is really small which perfectly resembles the little restaurants I've been to in Italy.

We booked a table in advance which I highly recommend because the place is pretty busy. We were about 20 minutes late but still welcomed which was really nice.

The menu has a lot of variety and something for everyone's taste! The prices vary per dish, so how much you spend really depends on what you order.

The service is good, kind and attentive.

The panzerottis, which were the reason why we came, are great, and I really like that they have the option to bake them for you if you want (instead of frying it). I've tried both and honestly the taste doesn't change a lot with baking vs. frying, so this is a nice choice if you want the healthier alternative.

The panzerotti I liked the best was the 4 Maggio one, and if I come here again, I'll definitely choose that one. I also like the pun in the name. The Stufato was really good as well, and the Picante too spicy for my personal taste, so I'd say opt for this one only if you really like chilli.

For dessert, we tried the pasticiotto which was good, but not amazing. Not very lemony to be honest, but the taste was not bad. Next time I'd try the pistacchio lava cake.

To make the place appear "more authentic", some things that I saw at another italian restaurant in the Netherlands: the music could be more adjusted to match the atmosphere - vintage italian songs, for example. The waiter could greet you with "Ciao" or "Come stai", for a true feel of stepping into Puglia - just...