La Scarpetta — Restaurant in Vila Nova de Cerveira

It was by far the best Italian restaurant we've been to since we moved to Portugal. It was definitely worth driving for more than an hour to get there and I was glad we went there for lunch and not for dinner, just because of how much we ended up eating. After seeing the plates, I thought we ordered too much and maybe that was the case but we almost licked the plates. Not a single bite was left by the end of our meal. My personal favourite was the Pumpkin Ravioli (Ravioli alla Zucca) that was served with arugula on top, roasted coffee beans and cacao. It was an incredible combination and I'll definitely remember it for years to come (and most likely will return to have it again). All the dishes were great but if I had to choose, my next favourites would be the Gnocchi Ragú and Gnocchi allo Zola (with gorgonzola and parmesan). We could not order the lasagna since they ran out for the day although they opened at 12:30pm and we got there at 1pm. We were told to place an order ahead of time the next time since it is a very popular dish. The desserts were made in house and all very fresh. The service was very friendly and they speak great English. I'd definitely recommend it, already planning...

This is a real nice italian restaurant which is unique in the area. It offers a break from the usual pesce/carne (fish/meat) menu offered in all the traditional restaurants around. You can get an excellent salad (insalata mista), pasta (like Lasagne, Melanzane, Gnocchi), Pizza or a steak well served with vegetables and dip. The price is quite high for the region but you will receive good quality for it. Also the staff is very welcoming and attentive. All seem to also speak English here. The chef (and/or owner) also visits each table every once in a while. Can fully...

Nos hemos guiado por las reseñas para ir a comer a este restaurante. En todas las reseñas reflejan la buena comida italiana y el buen servicio. Pues bien, la comida italiana está genial y la idea de servir la pasta encima de una masa de pizza es realmente original. El servicio al contrario deja mucho que desear. Mi esposa y yo hemos pedido una botella de vino y 2 platos de pasta. Tardaron muchísimo en servirnos y cuando tocó nuestro turno resulta que los 2 platos de pasta se los habían servido a otra mesa. Despues de medio minuto se dieron cuenta del error y preguntaron en la mesa si habían probado la comida. Supongo que al contestarles que no, procedieron a retirar los 2 platos y amablemente nos preguntaron si los queriamos nosotros. Nuestras caras fueron un poema y no sabíamos que contestar. Llevaron los platos de nuevo a la cocina y a los 3 minutos teníamos los platos servidos en la mesa. Estoy 99% seguro, que eran los mismos que habían estado en la mesa de al lado. Si no, como pudieron ser esta vez tan rapidos, cuando anteriormente tardaron mas de 20 minutos? Ademas de venir el plato ya manchado y no caliente del todo al dar tantas vueltas. Lo curioso fue que al parecer la mesa de al lado también habia pedido lo mismo ya que unos minutos después les han servido lo mismo. En resumen, fuimos con expectativas muy altas y por el descontrol con las comandas no pudimos realmente disfrutar de la buena comida italiana, ya que a nadie le gusta comer un plato que tuviera delante de otra persona...